Wheeling, W. Va. – Despite clinching a spot in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament a week ago, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (5-11-1, 3-9-1) still has a lot to play for in their regular season finale. They head up Route 88 for the final edition of "The Battle for Wheeling" for the soccer regular season as they take on West Liberty at 7:30 PM. It is a battle for seeding between the two teams, with the winner taking the #3 seed from the MEC North Division, while the loser takes the #4 seed and has to travel to Charleston in round one.
Last time out, the Cardinal offense exploded, tying a season-high with six goals in a 6-0 win over Salem. The Cardinals controlled the time of possession from the get-go as their offense held the ball for a majority of the first half. They outshot Salem 24-0 over the first 45 minutes of play and put 15 of those 24 shots on net. They scored their first goal of the day just five minutes into the contest, and rattled off four of their six goals in the first half. The Cardinals had a 4-0 lead at halftime and as Interim Head Coach Ryan Wall began to go to his bench, the shots just kept coming. The Cardinals would take 15 shots in the second half, putting 10 on net, and outshot the Tigers 15-3 over the final 45 minutes. Wheeling would add two more goals to their total and finished the day with a 6-0 victory.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was senior Talynn DeBartolo, who put together a career day. The senior finished with two goals and two assists, to total six points, leading the effort for the Cardinals. The two assists were a new career high for DeBartolo, while the two goals marked the first multi-goal effort for her this season. DeBartolo was efficient with her shots throughout the day, taking three shots and putting two of those on net, as she continues her strong production from the second half of the season. With the effort, DeBartolo now has five goals on the season, with three of those five goals coming in October. It was the first time that she has scored in a game since October 13th against Charleston as she tries to get hot heading into the MEC Tournament.
Along with DeBartolo, it was also a strong game for midfielder Olivia Hoban, who finished with a goal and assist on the day. Primarily known for her defensive effort throughout the year, Hoban had a chance to move up field and take advantage of some open shots. She scored her second goal of the season in the 11th minute and added an assist on the second to last goal of the day to round things out. Along with it being a big late season win for the Cardinals, it was also a big game for the team's bench players. In the second half, Wall went to his bench and the players responded, keeping the shutout in tact. Deetya Satual would play 30 minutes in net for the Cardinals and came up with the two saves needed to preserve the shutout in just her third appearance of the season.
As they enter the final game of the regular season, both Wheeling and West Liberty have their spot locked down in the MEC Tournament. However, there is still a lot on the line Wednesday night as the battle for seeding in the last two playoff spots in the MEC North commences. If Wheeling wins on Wednesday night, they will claim the #3 seed in the MEC North and go on the road to play the #2 seed from the MEC South in round one. However, a loss to West Liberty would mean the Cardinals would drop to the #4 seed and have to go on the road to face #1 Charleston in their first round matchup. The last time the Cardinals made the MEC Tournament, they entered as the #4 seed from the MEC North in 2022 and fell in the first round. This season, they are looking to finish one spot better and make a longer postseason run.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 25th time in program history on Wednesday, and the second time this season. West Liberty leads the all-time series at 15-7-2, including a win over the Cardinals earlier this season. The Cardinals have dropped each of the last two meetings with West Liberty, and hold a 2-7-2 record against the Hilltoppers on the road. They are looking to take down the Hilltoppers on the road for the first time since October 29th, 2022, when they eliminated them from tournament play.
In the meeting earlier this season, the Cardinals fell to West Liberty on Homecoming in a 2-1 match. Wheeling was led by Talynn DeBartolo, who scored the Cardinal's lone goal in the game's 32nd minute. Lily Hanna would lead the Cardinals, taking eight shots and putting four on net, while Olivia Hoban took two shots, with one on net. Olivia Kqira got the start in net for the Cardinals and made nine saves on 11 shots faced.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM inside the West Family Athletic Complex. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
