Wheeling, W. Va. – As their Mountain East Conference (MEC) South schedule continues, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (2-5-3, 1-3-3) returns to Bishop Schmitt Field on Sunday. They play in the second half of a soccer doubleheader when they battle The University of Charleston with kick-off at 4 PM. Wheeling looks to get back on track adding conference points, as they battle to clinch a postseason spot down the stretch.  

Last time out, the Cardinals would travel to Athens, West Virginia to battle Concord. It was a tight defensive battle throughout, and the Cardinals defense would have to hold strong as they faced an onslaught of shots. The Mountain Lions would outshoot Wheeling 14-1 over the first half, with seven of those 14 shots ending up on net. However, the Cardinals would make six saves in the half, allowing the lone goal of the day to sneak through just before halftime. The teams went into the locker room with Wheeling trailing 1-0 as they looked to put more pressure on the Concord defense in the second half. However, the Concord attack was relentless throughout the night, once again out shooting the Cardinals 15-1. This time, the problem I did their job allowing just five of those 15 shots of land on net and keeping the mountain lions off the scoreboard. Wheeling's low and offensive opportunity came in the 71st minute after a corner kick but the save was made and the Cardinals would foul by the final score of 1-0.  

In her first career start, redshirt sophomore Deetya Satyal had a big day in net as she kept the Cardinals in the game throughout. She would save 11 the 12 shots she faced on the day finishing with a .916 Save percentage in the match. She was called into action on Wednesday when Akyla Walcott went down due to injury and made two key saves to earn the Cardinals a crucial point against Davis & Elkins. That success continued in her first career start, with her biggest effort coming in the first half of the game. She would face six of the 12 shots she faced in the half. She would make every save until the final minute of the half, and added five more saves in the second half to keep the Mountain Lions off the board. 

The lone Cardinal shot on the day would come from Talia Salvador, who got their first shot on the goal in the 71st minute. Salvador has been part of the strong Cardinal defensive effort this season, but was able to push forward thanks to a corner kick opportunity. She headed the ball into the top corner of the net, but the save was made and the Cardinals were kept off the board. The other shot on the day came from Rosie Caley, who would just miss the net on her shot. Caley has been the Cardinal's top shot taker this season, leading the team with 18 shots, putting eight of those on net. She is one of two Cardinal players with multiple goals this season and she looks to help the Cardinals get on the board early and often on Sunday. 

As they make their rounds through the MEC South Division schedule, the Cardinals will look to rack up the points over the final three and a half weeks. They have three more matches left against their MEC South opponents and are currently sitting at 0-2-1 during the stretch. They currently hold a six-point lead over West Liberty for the fourth and final playoff spot in the MEC Tournament field and picking up crucial points down the stretch as they look to claim their playoff spot. Head Coach Ryan Wall says he wants the team to not just get there, but compete for a conference championship, and Sunday's game will be a test to see where the Cardinals are on that front. 

The Match-up 

The Cardinals and Golden Eagles are meeting for the 32nd time in program history, with Charleston leading the all-time series at 19-10-2. Wheeling has played a tighter series at Bishop Schmitt Field, going 3-7-2, compared to a 7-12 mark when they are on the road. The Cardinals are looking to break a 12-game losing streak against the Golden Eagles that dates back to the 2013 season, when they beat them 1-0 at Bishop Schmitt Field. 

Their last meeting came on November 10th, 2024, in the Quarterfinal round of the MEC Women's Soccer Tournament, in a game that the Golden Eagles would win 7-0. Sam Faulkner would lead the way for the Cardinals in net, making seven saves on 14 shots faced on the defensive end. Lily Hanna would lead the offensive effort, taking three shots and putting two on goal while Nyah Smith added a shot on goal on the night. 

The Details 

Kick-off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live on MEC.TV.