Wheeling, W. Va. - After being on the road for the last three games, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (0-4-2, 0-3-1) returns home for a big week of action. They kick things off on Wednesday afternoon when they host Salem, with kick-off at 4 PM. It gives the team a chance to reset in non-conference play before they hit the heart of their Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule heading into October.
Last time out, the Cardinals took one of their longest trips of the year to Athens, West Virginia to take on Concord. It didn't take Concord long to get on the board, scoring in just the seventh minute of the game. However, Wheeling would get the equalizer 22 minutes later and things sat at 1-1 halfway through the first half. Concord would add one more score before the half let out and the teams headed into the locker room with Concord leading 2-1. The Cardinals were aggressive coming out of the second half, taking the first shot just eight minutes into the half. However, they couldn't get on the scoreboard and another Concord goal in the 77th minute was enough to do in Wheeling as they fell 3-1 to drop to 0-3-1 in conference play.
The Cardinals have been relying heavily on their defensive play throughout the season, and it starts with Daniel Delo in net. He has started five of the six games for the Cardinals, making 23 saves on 33 sots faced, holding a .697 save percentage. He has made the second most saves in the MEC this season and holds the sixth highest save percentage among fellow goalkeepers. His biggest performance came in the tie over Salem, when Delo made seven saves on seven shots to pick up his first shutout of the season. As the Cardinal's offense continues to grow, Delo will be relied on to keep his team in games throughout the year and he looks to continue his success.
On offense, the Cardinals have scored three goals this season by three different players, with Andrew Gerbaldo being the latest to get on the scoresheet. Gerbaldo scored his first career goal against Concord, taking two shots and putting both on net. His goal came in the game's 29th minute and served as te equalizer for the team early on. Gerbaldo has taken three shots this season, putting two on net, and is the team's leader with three points this season. He picked up his first assist of the season in the team's opener and looks to continue to spark the offense. Another leader to the team's defensive success has been centerback Alvaro Ivanov. Ivanov has led a defense that has held opponents to a .419 shooting percentage, nearly 20 points lower than the Cardinal's own shooting percentage.
As they head into the final week of September, the Cardinals have a pair of big games ahead of them as they celebrate Homecoming & Family weekend. The team will host Salem in non-conference play before welcoming in West Liberty for the first edition of "The Battle for Wheeling" this season. With family, friends, alumni, and the newest Hall of Fame class making their way back to Wheeling to celebrate, the Cardinals are looking to put on a show as they continue to grow. This will serve as a big stretch of games for the team as they continue fighting for one of the top six spots in the conference to make the MEC Tournament for the first time since the 2022 season.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the 18th time in program history Wednesday afternoon, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 12-4-1. It has been a close series all-time at Bishop Schmitt Field, with Wheeling holding a slight advantage at a 6-4 record. The Cardinals offense has been strong in the all-time series, averaging 2.53 goal per game and having won in five of the last seven meetings between the two teams.
Their last meeting came on October 15th, 2023, when Wheeling defeated Salem 2-1 on the road. Wheeling was led by former Cardinal Jon-Michael Gordon, who finished with a goal and an assist on the day to total three points. Salem Mwelwa scored the other Cardinal goal on the day while former Cardinal Richard Afolayanka added an assist. Carlos Molina got the start in net, making four saves on five shots faced in the game.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
