Wheeling, W. Va. – The Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (2-5-4, 1-3-4) got back on track with another point on Wednesday against a tough opponent. On Wednesday, they look to build off that success as they continue their homestand against West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday at 4 PM. The Cardinals are looking to get back in the win column, after picking up a big conference point on Sunday as they continue making a push for the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Women's Soccer Tournament.
Last time out, the Cardinals battled the University of Charleston from the MEC South division, and both offenses would get things going early. The Golden Eagles would be first on the board, scoring in the game's fifth minute, and a quick response three minutes later for the Cardinals had things tied up at 1-1. The teams combined to take four shots over the first eight minutes of play, before things would slow down a little bit. Neither team would get on the board for the remaining 37 minutes, with the shots sitting even at 8-6 in favor of Charleston, and the team's went into the locker room with the score deadlocked at 1-1. The second half would feature some more parity in the shots, with Charleston taking 12 to Wheeling's seven, but the Cardinal defense kept those shot off net. Charleston would put just two of those 12 shots between the woodwork, and both were saved as the Cardinals ended the day in a 1-1 tie.
It was a big week for redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Deetya Stayal, who got her first two career starts in net. Against Charleston, she would finish with five saves on six shots faced, with her biggest moment coming near the end of the first half. She would make back-to-back saves in the final two minutes, keeping the score at 1-1 as the teams headed into the break. She would end up conceding just two goals on the week, finishing with 16 saves on 18 shots faced to post a .889 save percentage between Concord and Charleston. With the effort, Satyal has jumped into the lead among the goalkeeper group with an .895 save percentage while allowing just a 0.74 goals against average. She has stepped up after some injuries to the Cardinal goalkeeping core and looks to continue her success in net.
On the offensive end, it was Maira Alevato that got the Cardinals on the board in the eighth minute, stealing the ball from the Golden Eagles and finding the net. It was Alevato's first goal of the season, and third of her Cardinal career as she continues to play all over the field for the team. The Cardinal's leading shot taker was Graceylyn Hanna, who finished with three shots on the day, putting all three of those on net. Over her last five games, Hanna has been taking advantage of her opportunities, leading the team with seven shots during that span. Of those seven shots, five of them have gone on net, including her first Wheeling goal back on September 28th against Fairmont State.
This week will be the final week of MEC South play for the Cardinals as they wrap up their stretch with a split week against West Virginia Wesleyan and Glenville State. After the tie on Sunday, the Cardinals earned their seventh conference point of the season, increasing their hold on the final playoff spot over West Liberty. Wheeling sits six points behind Frostburg State for the #3 seed, and will look to add to their total with two formittable opponents ahead. West Virginia Wesleyan is currently three points out of the final playoff spot in the South Division, trailing Wheeling's second opponent of the week in Glenville State. With three ties in their last five games, Wheeling is looking to get over the hump and get three more points as they continue through October.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 35th time in program history on Wednesday, with West Virginia Wesleyan leading the all-time series at 24-8-2. The home record has been stronger for the Cardinals, with Wheeling going 4-8-2 in 14 previous meetings compared to a 4-16 record in road events. The Cardinals have averaged 0.79 goals per game in the all-time series, and has scored one goal or fewer in five of their last six meetings with the Bobcats.
The last meeting between the two teams came on October 16th, 2024, when the Cardinals took down the Bobcats 1-0 in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Former Cardinal Mary DiFonzo led the way, taking five shots and putting two on net, while scoring the team's only goal of the day. Former Cardinal Olivia Kqira picked up the shutout, making five saves, while Lily Hanna led the way with three shots in the effort.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday afternoon'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.
