Wheeling, W. Va. - During the 2023 season, the Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team (0-0, 0-0) put together their best season since the 2018 campaign. On Saturday, they get set to build on that effort as they play a neutral site game against Post in Sparks, Maryland with opening faceoff at 4 PM. After being picked #5 in the annual Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) preseason poll, the Cardinals have their sites on their first GMAC playoff spot since that 2018 season.
During that 2023 campaign, the Cardinals finished 5-10 overall and 3-4 in GMAC play, staying in the tournament race until the last game of the season. The Cardinals opened the year with three straight games against ranked opponents and battled despite losing all three. Their first win came in historic fashion as they defeated D'Youville 29-10 and followed that with another win against Chowan. They would enter GMAC play sitting at 2-4.After dropping their first game to Walsh, the Cardinals came back with wins over Davis & Elkins and Malone to move to 2-1 in GMAC play. The Cardinals were in the race until the very last day of the regular season, but fell to Mercyhurst 21-6 in the finale as they finished the season.
As they enter 2024, the Cardinals bring back nearly their entire core from a season ago, with the offense being led by Mike Andersson. It was a historic year on the field for Andersson as he broke three separate school records during the year. His first historic moment came in the team's first win against D'Youville when he broke the single-game goal record with nine against the Saints. He then broke that record again later in the year, when he put up 10 against Chowan in his team's 17-16 win. When all was said and done, Andersson would finish the season with the single-season goal record (55) and the single-season points record (64) to round out a breakout campaign. Andersson will once again look to be a big source of offense for the Cardinals as they head down the stretch.
Joining Andersson on offense will be sophomore Ty Taylor, who equaled Andersson's single-season point record with 64 of his own. He also led the Cardinals with 23 assists during the year, while sitting second on the team with his 41 goals. After scoring just one goal during his freshman season, Taylor was able to breakout and add another dimension to the Cardinal's offense. On the defensive end, Austin Hall returns in net after being a consistent force their a season ago. He would finish the year with 232 saves, sitting third in the GMAC in that category, while sporting a .520 save percentage. Hall looks to once again be a leader for the defense and keep the ball on the Cardinal's offensive end.
The 2024 season also offers a new look in the GMAC for the Cardinals on their quest for the GMAC Tournament. The field has expanded to nine teams, with six of those teams making the tournament, running April 27th through May 4th. The Cardinal's last postseason appearance came in 2018 and they are looking to get their for the first time since the reinstatement of the program in 2021. The opening schedule has the Cardinal on the road for five of their first seven games, and they look to duplicate their success on the road last season. They went 4-1 in five away games a season ago, and a strong start will help them push down the stretch.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Eagles are meeting for the first time in program history when they meet in this neutral site matchup. Last season, Post would finish 10-6 overall and 5-2 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) play. They would make it to the semifinal round of the CACC Tournament, where they fell to #1 seeded Georgian Court University 16-14. Post was picked #4 in the CACC Preseason Poll and look to make a push back to the tournament in 2024.
The Details
Opening faceoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside Tierney Field at the USA Lacrosse Facility. You can follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
