West Liberty, W. Va. The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team brought their season to an end on Wednesday night as they traveled to West Liberty, West Virginia. It was the final meeting of "The Battle for Wheeling" and the Cardinals would score early and take the lead into halftime. However, it would t be enough as a pair of second half goals were enough to sink Wheeling as they fell 3-2 and brought their season to an end.

Despite their playoff hopes having been already dashed, the Cardinals were ready for their rival and took the fight to them early. Wheeling would go on the offensive in the game's second minute as Joergen Bjerkreim sent the first shot towards net. West Liberty's Colton Callen would come up with the save and Carlos Molina responded with a save for the Cardinals four minutes later. However, it was West Liberty who broke through first as West Liberty's Vitor Otsuka found Tim Stickland and the Hilltoppers would take a 1-0 lead. However, West Liberty would take just two first half shots, and they all fell in those first 14 minutes. Wheeling was quick to respond three minutes later as Sam Clark had the ball in the midfield. Clark would send a crosser up field and connected with Christian Ruud, who found the back of the net and tied the game at 1-1.

It would be a battle of the defenses for the rest of the half, and Wheeling's defense would hold strong. Led by Alvaro Ivanov at center back, the Cardinals did not allow a West Liberty shot over the final 30 minutes of the half. Wheeling would take two shots during that span, but both of them missed net and the game remained tied at 1-1. As the one minute warning before halftime was announced, the Cardinals were on the offensive and Andrew Gerbaldo got the ball around midfield. He made his way around the West Liberty defense and set his shot up in front of the net He took the shot and beat the keeper to give Wheeling their first lead of the night. The Cardinals would head into the locker room with that momentum on their side, and they had the advantage at 2-1.

The Cardinals outshot the Hilltoppers 7-2 over the first 45 minutes and the defense looked to continue that success in the second half. It looked as though they would as they had a pair of corner kicks in the first two minutes, but a Ruud shot off net was all the would get. After Molina made a save early, the Hilltoppers would get the game-tying goal in the 58^th minute as Zachary Forehand found the net and tied the game at 2-2. Antonio Herra-Blackwood and Rocco LiTrenta each took shots as the half rolled on, but neither fell on net and the game remained tied at 2-2 into the final 20 minutes. Then, in the 73^rd minute, Forehand would again find the back of the net and the Hilltoppers were back on top 3-2. Alonso Martinez took the final shot of the game for the Cardinals in the 88^th minute, but it fell off shot and the Cardinals would fall 3-2.

Leading the way for the Cardinals in his final regular season game was senior Christian Ruud. He finished with a team-best three shots, putting one on net and finding the back of the net for his second goal of the season. The other Cardinal goal on the day came courtesy of Andrew Gerbaldo, who found the scoresheet for the third time this season. Joergen Bjerkreim and Antonio Herra-Blackwood would each take two shots on the night , and Bjerkreim would put a shot on net. In net, Carlos Molina got the start and would make three saves on six shots faced.

The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team now heads to the off-season as they look to grow and come back stronger in 2025.