Wheeling, W. Va. - The Mountain East Conference (MEC) South Division portion of the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team's (2-6-4, 1-4-4) schedule is in full swing, and the Cardinals will be looking to bounce back on the road. They travel down to Glenville, West Virginia on Sunday in search of at least one conference point as they take on Glenville State with kick-off at 2 PM. The Cardinals have only earned one point over their last three match-ups and will be looking to add to that number on Sunday.
Last time out, the Cardinals battled West Virginia Wesleyan at home and the strong Cardinal defense was on display early. They would keep the Bobcats off the board over the first 39 minutes of the game, allowing just four Bobcat shots during that span, with two of those four landing on net. West Virginia Wesleyan would break through in that 39th minute, and it was enough to send them into the locker room with a 1-0 advantage. The Cardinals would miss the net with both of their shots in the half, but flipped the switch as they came out for the second half. They would outshoot the Bobcats 9-5 over the final 45 minutes, but only one of those nine shots would end up on net. West Virginia Wesleyan would add two more goals during that timeframe, and the Cardinals ended up falling 3-0 to take their fourth conference loss of the season.
Despite the Cardinals not scoring a goal on the day, they were led by the work of Caryn Goins, who has been moved up from defense since the middle of September. She took a team-best four shots in the game, putting two of those on net, and was part of a key Cardinal attack late in the game. As time was winding down, Goins would send the Cardinals on one final push, taking two shots on goal over the final four minutes. Both would come off of free kick opportunities as she tried to keep the Cardinals alive on the field. Over her last three games, Goins has finished with seven total shots taken, and has put three of those on net. She scored her first career goal on September 21st against Frostburg State and has entrenched herself as part of the Cardinal offensive attack during the season.
Deetya Satyal would get her fourth straight start in net and held down her own during the first half, conceding just the one score. She would finish her day with three saves on six shots faced in the effort, moving her save percentage for the season to .800. Satyal has filled in nicely for the Cardinals, making 20 saves on 25 shots faced and has been helped by a strong back line effort. Lily Hanna captains that back line push, serving as the team's center back throughout the year. Hanna has directed a defense that has allowed their opponents just a 43.1% shot on goal average. Hanna has brought a force to the Cardinal back line throughout the season as she looks to continue leading the defensive effort.
As the Cardinals continue their MEC South schedule, they are looking for crucial conference points before they hit the final divisional stretch. Sunday will mark the final game of that run, with the Cardinals going 0-3-2 so far on the stretch. They currently hold a seven-point lead over West Liberty for the final spot in the MEC Tournament, and a win on Sunday would help them continue that push. With one game each remaining against each of their four MEC North opponents, Wheeling has their eyes on the MEC Tournament as they look to beat last year's effort, where they bowed out in the MEC Quarterfinals against #1 seeded The University of Charleston.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Pioneers are meeting for the seventh time in program history, with the all-time series sitting tied at 3-3. The Cardinals have played better on the road against the Pioneers, going 3-1 away from Bishop Schmitt Field compared to an 0-2 record against the Pioneers at home. Wheeling has averaged 2.5 goals per game all-time against the Pioneers, and came out on top in two of the past three meetings.
Their last match-up came on October 20th, 2024, in a game that the Cardinals would fall 3-1 at home. The Cardinals were led by Lily Hanna, who finished with the lone goal while taking a team-high six shots and putting five of those on net. Graceylyn Hanna added three shots, one on net, on the day while Sam Faulkner got the start in net and made six saves on nine shots faced.
The Details
Kick-off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside I.L. & Sue Morris Stadium with kick-off at 2 PM. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
