Wheeling, W. Va. – After getting back in the win column over the weekend, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (3-6, 2-4) is looking to keep the momentum going. They return to Bishop Schmitt Field on Wednesday when they host Concord in game one of a soccer doubleheader, with kick-off at 4 PM. As they hit the middle of October, the Cardinals look to put together a run as they push for the MEC Tournament.

The Cardinals took on Davis & Elkins last time out, in the first game coaches by Interim Head Women's Soccer Coach Ryan Wall. The Cardinals used a quick strike approach to get on the board, scoring in just the 14th minute of the game. Three minutes later, they were back on the board and quickly went up 2-0 on the Senators. After that, both defenses were able to lock down as neither team got on the board for the remainder of the 28 minutes of play. Wheeling went into the locker room with a 2-1 advantage, and their defense would plan key in the second half. They handled an onslaught from the Senators, who outshot Wheeling 7-2, putting five of those shots in net. The Senators would get on the board in the 72nd minute, but that is as close as they would get as Wheeling went on to win 2-1.

It was a big day in net for Olivia Kqira, who made six saves on seven shots faces on the day. She set the tone right from the get-go, making a save just 38 seconds into the game to open the door for the Cardinals. However, her biggest performance of the day would come in the second half of the game, when she made four saves on five shots over the final 45 minutes of play. One of her biggest saves of the night came in the final minute of action when she made a save on a ball ticketed for the center of the pipes. Kqira has been a workhorse in net for the Cardinals this season, making 37 saves and holding a .673 save percentage in nine matches. She looks to continue leading the Cardinal's defensive push as they head down the MEC Tournament stretch.

On offense, Mary DiFonzo was the one to get thing started for the Cardinals, scoring in the game's 14th minute. She now leads the team with six goals this season and 13 points while holding a .207 shooting percentage and a .517 shot on goal percentage. The Cardinal's offense has gone as DiFonzo has gone this season, with Wheeling holding a 3-2 record when DiFonzo scores at least one goal, compared to a 0-4 mark when she doesn't get on the scoresheet. She looks to continue getting her opportunities throughout the season and helping the team score. The Cardinals also got Nyah Smith on the scoresheet for the first time since September 25th, in what would be the eventual game-winning tally. Smith is coming off a strong freshman season and sits just three goals shy of her season high with nine games remaining.

As they hit the final five weeks of the regular season, the Cardinals are just two wins shy of last year's overall mark and have already equaled their total conference wins from a year ago. Wheeling currently has a hold on the number three spot in the conference with a one-point lead over both West Liberty and Point Park. As they continue battling through the MEC South, the Cardinals have three of the bottom six teams coming up in their next four games. Wheeling is looking to rack up as many conference points as they can during that run, before coming back to MEC North play on September 27th. If they can set themselves up for success now, it will help them as they fight towards securing a spot in the 2024 MEC Tournament.

The Matchup

The Cardinals and Mountain Lions are meeting for the 33rd time in program history, with Concord leading the all-time series at 16-12-4. However, the Cardinals have played better at home against Concord, where they hold a 7-7-2 record compared to a 5-9-2 record on the road. Concord has won each of the past eight games against the Cardinals, with Wheeling looking to break a streak that dates back to the 2016 season, when Wheeling won a 2-0 affair.

Their most recent meeting came a season ago on October 4th, 2023, where Concord picked up a home win 5-0. The Mountain Lions would outshoot the Cardinals 34-7 in that game, but Wheeling was efficient putting four of their seven shots on net. Olivia Kqira had a big day in net, making 13 saves on 17 shots faced throughout the night before giving way to Sam Faulkner in the final seven minutes. Talynn DeBartolo was the Cardinal's leading shooter on the day, taking three shots and putting one on net, while Nyah Smith added two shots of her own, with both landing on net.

The Details

Kick-off for Wednesday's match is scheduled for 4 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the action live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE