Wheeling, W. Va. - With October coming down to it's final two weeks, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (1-10-1, 0-8-1) is looking to catch fire as the temperature begins to drop. They make a trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Sunday evening as they take on Point Park with kick-off at 5 PM. The Cardinals will be looking to avenge a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Pioneers earlier in the season as they begin their final five-game stretch in the race for a spot in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament.
Last time out, the Cardinals welcomed in West Virginia Wesleyan to Bishop Schmitt Field in the second half of a Wheeling Soccer doubleheader. The Cardinal offense would control the time of possession throughout the first half, outshooting the Bobcats 8-3 while putting two of those shots on net. However, West Viriginia Wesleyan was more efficient in the half, putting two of their three shots on net, and they found the back of the net one time as they took a 1-0 lead into halftime. The Cardinals would keep shooting in the second half, taking eight more shots, but this time they would only put one of those on net. West Virginia Wesleyan, on the other hand, would take six shots, putting two in the goal and three on net, as they rounded out their day. Wheeling would end up falling 3-0, and moved to 0-9-1 in MEC play.
Leading the way for the cardinals was redshirt sophomore Jon-Michael Gordon, who came off the bench for the first time this season. Gordon would finish with four shots, one on goal, as he helped the Cardinals to their season-best 16 shot effort. Gordon has been the Cardinal's leading shot taker this season, taking 20 shots, while sitting second on the team with five of those shots ending up on goal. His four shots against the Bobcats was a season-high for Gordon, and the fifth time this season that he has taken three or more shots in a game. Gordon is still looking to breakthrough with that first goal of the season, and will continue to shoot for the Cardinals as they move down their final five game stretch.
Daniel Delo would get the start in net for the Cardinals and was able to make four saves on seven shots faced on the day. In the first half, he would make one save for the Cardinals, and was able to hold the Bobcats off the board for the first 39 minutes of play. He allowed two goals in the second half, but added one more save to round out his day. Delo has split time in net with Diego Marquez this season, and has a .600 save percentage on the season. He looks to continue to be a defensive leader for the Cardinals, and captain the goalkeeper group. The other Cardinal leading the offense this season has been Elie Simon, who has stepped up during his freshman season. He leads the Cardinals with eight shots on goal while also being the team's most efficient shooter with a .500 shot on goal percentage. He has also been the team's primary free kick taker as he looks to finish out his freshman year strong.
With five games remaining on the schedule, the Cardinals are looking to stay alive in the MEC Tournament race, while also making things harder for the teams is still hanging around. As it stands now, Wheeling sits 10 my points out of the final MEC tournament spot, trailing West Liberty. While not yet mathematically eliminated, the Cardinals would have to win each of their five remaining games while also receiving help to stay alive in the tournament field. However, they can make an impact on the rest of the seeding In the next 2 and ½ Weeks. Of the remaining five games, four of those come against teams who are currently fitting in one of the top six spots in the conference. Wheeling will be looking to take some key points away from those teams as they try to end the season. On a strong note heading towards 2026.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Pioneers are meeting for the eighth time in program history on Sunday, With Wheeling leading the all-time series at 4-1-2. Of those four wind, Two of them have come on the road where the Cardinals are 2-0-1 All time. The Cardinals have either one or tied in four of the last five meetings between the two teams, averaging 1.86 goals per game.
Their first meeting of the year came back on September 14th when the Cardinals took their first ever loss to Point Park 4-1. Diego Marquez would lead the way with a big day in net, finishing with six saves on eight shots faced. Daniel Delo would come in to relieve him and made four saves on six shots faced, while Jon-Michael Gordon led the team with three shots, putting one on goal.
The Details
Kickoff for Sunday's game is scheduled for 5 PM inside Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with live stats by clicking HERE.
