Wheeling, W. Va. - As we reach the final two weeks of the regular season, things are heating up in the race for the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Women's Soccer tournament. On Sunday, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (4-9-1, 3-7-1) welcomes in Fairmont State for a match with MEC Tournament implications at 1 PM. The Cardinals will also be honoring their seniors on senior day, with the ceremony beginning at 12:45 PM.

Last time out, the Cardinals hit the road as they began the final stretch of MEC North play against Point Park. In the first half, the offense would get going early and often, with both teams getting off a shot within the first five minutes of play. Point Park would get on the board in the 6^th minute, and six minutes later, the Cardinals would respond as they tied the game at 1-1. The Cardinals would get one more goal before the half let out, and Wheeling went into the break leading 2-1. As the teams came out of the locker room, defense would prevail early on, but in the 74^th minute the Pioneers tied the game at 2-2. They added another goal five minutes later to lead 3-2, but I. The final 30 seconds the Cardinals were able to snatch a tie from the jaws of defeat, finishing with a 3-3 tie.

Scoring that game-tying goal was Maira Alevato, who put in her first goal of her Cardinal career. Alevato started the season playing a more defensive role, but has moved her way up into the forward position as the season has gone on. In the 88^th minute, the Cardinals were trying to make a push, but a foul gave Point Park the ball back. Wheeling's defense would hold strong and the Cardinals got the ball back for one more push. The ball was sent downfield and Alevato would crash on the ball. She took the shot and found the top right corner to earn the tie for the Cardinals. It ended up earning her team a much-needed point for the tournament race and sets them up for a chance to clinch a tournament spot on Sunday.

The rest of the Cardinal offense on the day came courtesy of Lily Hanna, who finished with her first multi-goal game of the season. After the Cardinals fell behind early, she was the one to get them back on track in the 12^th minute, and added what at the time was the go-ahead goal to make it 2-1 Cardinals. With the effort, Hanna now sits atop the team in goals this season with eight, while also leading the way with 18 points through 14 games played. Hanna has scored at least one goal in back-to-back games and looks to continue to help the Cardinals as they head down the stretch. Another key piece of the Cardinal offense has been Mary DiFonzo, who sits right behind Hanna with seven goals. All four of the Cardinals wins this season have come when DiFonzo has scored at least one goal. When she hasnt scored, the Cardinals are 0-7-1, as the Cardinals look to get her scoring opportunities.

Sunday's match is a big one in terms of MEC Tournament implications as the Cardinals try to secure their first tournament berth since 2022. Wheeling  can clinch that playoff spot with a win as well as a Point Park loss to Frostburg State. The Cardinals currently control their own destiny, sitting third in the MEC North, and holding a two-point lead over West Liberty. The tie against Point Park was a big boost for the team and got them an extra point over West Liberty. The Cardinals look to take down some of the top opponents in the division as they try and gain momentum on their push towards the MEC Tournament.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 20^th time in program history, and the second time during the 2024 season. Fairmont State leads the all-time series with a record of 14-4-1, and the Cardinals are looking to break a 13-game losing streak against the Falcons. At home, the Cardinals hold a 1-7-1 record against the Falcons, while going 3-7 in 10 road matches.

Their first meeting of the season came on September 18^th, 2024, in a close game that saw Fairmont State come out on top 3-2. The two Wheeling goals on the night were scored by Lily Hanna and Mary DiFonzo while the team put three of their five shots on the day on net. Olivia Kqira got the start in net for the Cardinals, making three saves on six shots faced.

The Details

Kick-off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 1 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field, with senior day festivities beginning at around 12:45 pm. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.