Wheeling, W. Va. - On Sunday, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (1-9-1, 0-8-1) opened a homestand that will see them play three of their next five games at Bishop Schmitt Field. The Cardinals took on the University of Charleston, and despite a strong defensive stand, they fell to the Golden Eagles 4-0. They only allowed seven of Charleston's 19 shots taken on the day to land on net, as they dropped their eighth conference game of the season. 

After the Golden Eagles mounted the first attack of the night, sending a shot off net, it was the Cardinals who would put the first shot between the corssbars. Freshman Elie Simon would take the shot, sending it towards the center of the net, but Charleston's Konstantinos Parisis made the save and kept the Cardinals off the board. Charleston would come right back up the field and set up 30 yards from the net after a Wheeling foul. Sam Newell would take the free kick and sent it to Martin Echarren for the first goal of the day to give Charleston a 1-0 lead. Despite the strong Golden eagle attack, it would be the last Golden Eagle shot over the first 24 minutes of play as the Cardinals were able to keep the ball bouncing around the midfield. 

In the 24th minute, the Cardinals would get tagged with a red card that had them playing down a man the rest of the way, and the defense would step up the rest of the way. After allowing three shots over the first 15 minutes of play, Wheeling would allow just three more the rest of the half, with only one of those landing on net. The big shot came in the 37th minute after a foul on the Cardinals set up another free kick opportunity. This time, it was Jack Allan trying to get the ball into the top right corner of the net, but Diego Marquez would leap up and tipped the ball over the crossbar to keep it a 1-0 game. That would remain the score as the teams broke for the locker room, with Wheeling once again remaining within striking distance of the Golden Eagles. The Cardinals were putshot 6-1 in the half, but only allowed three of those six Golden Eagle shots to land on net. 

As they came out for the second half, Charleston continued putting their foot on the gas, sending the first shot in the 47th minute. They bounced right back in the 48th minute, as Sam Newell got on the goal scoring sheet with his first of the day on a pass from Joao Silva. It made it a 2-0 Cardinal advantage, but on the ensuing kick-off Wheeling tried to respond. It would once again be Simon taking the shot as he booted the ball from midfield down to the net. Parisis was able to once again get in front of the ball and the score remained at 2-0 in favor of Charleston. Wheeling continued to attack the net, with Antonio Herra-Blackwood taking advantage of a free kick and heading the ball into the hands of Parisis.  

It would be the biggest offesnsive push of the day for the Cardinals as the University of Charleston would control the time of possession for the rest of the day. Each of the next four shots over the next 23 minutes would go off net, with Marquez's next save coming in the 70th minute. Marquez would deny Echarren on his second goal attempt of the day, but just five minutes later he would come back and notch his second goal of the game in the 77th minute. He took a pass from Samuel Montes and buried it into the top corner of the net to give Charleston a 3-0 lead. The final goal of the game would come in the 84th minute off a Golden Eagle corner kick opportunity. It bounced around between a few different bodies, but deflected off a Wheeling defender before going into the back of the net. The own goal would be the final score of the day and the Cardinals would fall 4-0 as they closed out the season series with the Golden Eagles. 

Leading the offensive effort for the Cardinals was Elie Simon, who finished with two shots, putting both of those on net. Both shots would come following free kick opportunities as he continues to be a key player in the midfield for the Cardinals. The other Cardinal to take two shots for the team was Antonio Herra-Blackwood, who finished with two shots and put one of those on net. In net, Diego Marquez would get the start in net and made four saves on eight shots faced to round out the day. 

The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team returns to action on Wednesday, October 15th, when they host West Virginia Wesleyan with kick-off at 7 PM.