Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team (2-3, 0-0) kicked off March as they returned to Bishop Schmitt Field on Saturday. The Cardinals would get the scoring started in the  first two and a half minutes of play, but it wasn't enough as Wheeling fell to AIC 13-10. The Cardinals made a push over the final quarter, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Yellow Jacket offense as the Cardinals dropped to 2-3 heading into the spring break.

After winning the opening face-off, the Cardinals took control of possession early, firing off the first three shots of the game. The third of those shots came by Jack Rowe, who circled around the net and put the ball past the goalkeeper to make it a 1-0 Cardinal advantage. The Cardinals defense would hold strong for the first seven minutes of the game, with Goalkeeper Austin Hall making two saves during that time, but AIC would break through at the 8:13 mark of the quarter. It would be the first of three straight goals for the Yellow Jackets, before the Cardinals got back on the board. After a successful clear off a Hall save, Ty Taylor would bring the ball around the net and connected with Mike Andersson, who put the first of three goals in the back of the net to make it a 3-2 game. That is where it would stay after one quarter as the Cardinals looked to take the lead.

The Cardinals would get that game tying goal at the 13:34 mark of the quarter after a caused turnover by Adam Zdanowicz. Adam Smellie would bring the ball into the offensive zone and sent the ball to Brody Fawver, who did a behind the back shot to tie the game at 3-3. The tie wouldn't last long as AIC scored off the following faceoff and would add another goal nine minutes later to push the score to 5-3. The Cardinals put a big answer on the board as Smellie and Fawver hooked up again for their second goal of the game. It came in a Man-Up situation for the Cardinals and made it a one-goal game. However, , two more AIC goals before the half would send the Yellow Jackets into halftime with a 7-4 lead. The Cardinals put 14 of their 23 first half shots on net and would try to continue that efficiency into the second half.

AIC would put up the first goal of the new half to make it an 8-4 game before Wheeling responded. After AIC was called on an unsportsmanlike penalty, the Cardinals gained possession and came up the field. Taylor would assist on his second goal of the day as he found Jack Rowe. It was Rowe's second goal of the day and with 11:54 to play in the quarter it was an 8-5 game. Another immediate response goal from AIC pushed the score to 9-5 before Andersson completed his hat trick. After scoring two goals already, it was Rowe's turn to assist as he found Andersson for the hat trick completing goal that made it 9-6 with 10:14 to play. The Yellow Jackets added two more goals to make it 11-6 before the Cardinals would answer again with 29 seconds to go in the quarter.

Taylor would pick up assist number three on the day as he hit an open Brenner Chase, who made the run towards the net to make it 11-8. That would be the score by the end of the fourth quarter and the Cardinals would try and recover from the three-goal deficit. However, two AIC goals to start the quarter would push that deficit to 13-8 with 8:28 to go and th Cardinal defense stiffened the rest of the way. The Cardinals were back on the board four minutes later as a caused turnover in Wheeling's offensive zone gave Jacob Knippel the ball. He would run past the defense and put the ball in the back of the net to make it a 13-9 game. The final Cardinal rally of the night came with 53 seconds to go as Mike Andersson completed his day with his third goal and the game would come to its final score of 13-10.

Mike Andersson would lead the way for the Cardinal's offense, picking up his third hat trick of the season He would put 10 of his 14 shots on the day on net as he led the Cardinals in both categories The Cardinals had three total multi-goal scorers on the day as Brody Fawver and Ty Taylor rounded out the effort with two goals each. Taylor would be the Cardinal's points leader on the day, finishing with a team-high three assists to finish with five total points. Austin Hall would finish the day with 15 saves on 28 shots faced throughout the day while Adam Zdanowicz added a team-high seven caused turnovers on the day. The Cardinals now have a week and a half off for their annual spring break as they return to Great Midwest Athletic Conference play in mid-March.

The Cardinals return to action on Wednesday, March 13th, when they hit the road to face Lake Erie College with opening face-off at 4 PM.