Wheeling, W. Va. – All weekend long, it has been a celebration of Wheeling Athletics History as well as the present and future of the Cardinals. On Sunday, the celebration weekend comes to an end when the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (2-4-2, 1-2-2) hosts Davis & Elkins with kick-off at 2 PM. The Cardinals are looking for a bounce back on their home turf after a battle with the defending champions on Wednesday.
I that Wednesday night matchup, the Cardinals traveled to Institute, West Virginia as they took on West Virginia State. The Cardinals have been one of the top defensive teams this season, having just held the highest scoring offense in the conference to one goal, but the Yellow Jackets would get to them early. They scored in just the 12th minute of the game to take a 1-0 lead and once the offense got on the board the flood gates were opened. The defending MEC Champions showed why they won the conference, adding goals in the 21st and 42nd minute to take a 3-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Wheeling's defense was able to step up, allowing just eight West Virginia State shots in the half. However, the Cardinals would end up being held off the board as they fell by the final score of 4-0 to round out the day.
Over the last two games, junior Graceylyn Hanna has stepped up on the offensive side of the ball and, despite not getting on the scoreboard against West Virginia State, that continued. Hanna would finish with a team-best two shots, putting one of those on goal, and was the only Cardinal to get off multiple shots on the day. Over the last two games, Hanna has taken three shots, putting two on goal, and she has been one of the most efficient Cardinal shooters this season. She has put 50% of her shots on net this season, including putting her first goal in the back of the net in the tie against Frostburg State. As Wheeling continues their string of MEC play, Hanna looks to continue being a key contributor for the Cardinals down the stretch.
On the defensive side, the Cardinals have seen graduate student goalkeeper Akyla Walcott step up due to injury. Before the effort against West Virginia State, the Cardinal goalkeeper was coming off a huge week against Salem and Fairmont State. During that week, she finished with nine saves on 11 shots faced, finishing with an .818 save percentage. Defense has been the hallmark of the team's success this season and she looks to continue her success on the defensive side of the ball. Wheeling has been looking to spark their offense and they are hoping that the return of Jeannery Diaz will help spark that offense. The freshman took four shots against Salem, putting three on goal, while adding a shot on the effort against West Virginia State.
After the loss on Wednesday, the Cardinals remain clinging to the #4 spot in the MEC North Division, holding a five-point lead over West Liberty. The entire MEC North race has been a tight one, with the top four teams being separated by just eight points. The Cardinals trail Frostburg State by just two points and head into a Sunday matchup where they look to add three more to their score. The Cardinals are starting a month stretch that will see them play three of their next four games at Bishop Schmitt Field. The Cardinals have played some of their best soccer at home this season, picking up two points inside their home stadium against two of the top teams in the conference. Wheeling will also begin a stretch against the MEC South Division teams as the race to the MEC Tournament switches to inter divisional play. The Cardinals will look to continue racking up the points as they try to get back to the MEC Tournament for the third time in four seasons.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 18th time in program history, with the all-time series tied at 9-9. The series is also tied at Bishop Schmitt Field, with the teams going 5-5 in 10 previous meetings, but Wheeling holds the lead in the conference match-up, going 8-7. It has been a relatively high scoring series for the Cardinals, with the team averaging 2.78 goals per game and Wheeling has scored multiple goals in back-to-back games against the Senators.
Their last meeting came on October 6th, 2024, in a game that Wheeling would win 2-1 in Elkins, West Virginia. It was Nyah Smith leading the way for the Cardinals, finishing with two shots, putting one on goal, and scoring one of two goals for the team. Former Cardinal Mary DiFonzo would have the other goal, scoring on her only shot of the day, while former Cardinal Olivia Kqira made six saves on seven shots faced.
The Details
Kick-off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 2 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
