Wheeling, W. Va. - After starting their October schedule at home on Wednesday, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (1-6-1, 0-5-1) will hit the road for the first time this month on Sunday. The team travels to Davi & Elkins College for the first of two matchups with kick-off scheduled for 2 PM. It begins a week that will see the Cardinals on the road twice before they begin their long home stretch as they make a push for one of the top six spots in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament field.
The Cardinals are coming off a Wednesday night matchup at Bishop Schmitt Field that saw them lock up with Frostburg State. The Cardinal's offense would be the one to strike first, scoring in the game's 27th minute as the Cardinals took an early lead for the first time this season. The shots would be even throughout the first half, but Frostburg State was able to find the back of the net twice in the half and went to the break leading 2-1. Both teams got six shots off in the half and the teams would continue going shot for shot with each other in the second half. Once again, the two teams would sit tied with both teams taking seven shots over the final 45 minutes. However, Frostburg State would score one more goal before time expired, and the Cardinals would fall 3-1 to move to 0-5-1 in conference play.
The Cardinals got on the board early and it was thanks to a great feed from Andoni Pipaon on a corner kick. Pipaon would set up and sent the ball screaming towards the right side of the net, where teammate Alex Yesufu was there to head it into the corner. For Pipaon, it was his second assist of the season, making him the only Cardinals with multiple assists on the season. He has been one of the Cardinal's most efficient shot takers this season, putting 57.1% of his shots on net this season. Pipaon has been a big contributor for the Cardinals in the midfield this season and he looks to continue helping the Cardinals push the ball to their offensive zone.
The early goal would come courtesy of Alex Yesufu, who scored the second goal of his career and his first of the season. Yesufu has played a big role on the defensive side of the ball, but when a corner kick opportunity presented itself, he was there to take it. His first goal came in the opener last season, and Yesufu would get on the board when the Cardinal's needed him most. The other Cardinal who has been leading the free kick efforts is freshman Elie Simon, who was the team's leading shot taker against Frostburg State. He would take four shots in the game, putting one on goal to round out his day. Simon sits second on the team with 10 shots this season, while putting four shots on goal for a .400 shot on goal percentage.
As the Cardinals head down the stretch towards the MEC Tournament, they are looking to get things going their way. They currently sit in eighth in the MEC standings, earning just one point in the standings so far. Despite their slow start, a playoff spot s still in reach for the team as they trail West Liberty, who they tied earlier in the season, for that final spot by just four points. As they begin this final month of the regular season, the Cardinals will still see all the teams in the conference and get a chance to avenge their early season losses. The Cardinals will get the chance to play five of their final seve games at home, and they try to set themselves up for a strong run.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 30th time in program history, with Davis & Elkins leading the all-time series at 14-11-4. The Cardinals hold a 5-9 record at home against the Senators and are looking to break a 12-game unbeaten streak that dates back to the 2011 season. The only blemish in that record came in the first meeting between the two teams last year where the Cardinals and Senators tied at 1-1.
Their last meeting came on November 3rd, 2024, in a game that Davis & Elkins would win 4-0. Former Cardinal Alvaro Ivanov would lead the way, putting both his shots on net but being unable to find the goal. Former Cardinal Andrew Gerbaldo added two shots of his own and Josh Timbrell would shoot the ball twice to round out the day. Former Cardinal Carlos Molina got the start in net and mad two saves on six shots faced.
The Details
Kick-off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside Nuttall Field on the campus of Davis & Elkins. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE and follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
