Wheeling, W. Va. - As the calendar flips to October, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (1-13-1, 0-11-1) finishes the 2025 season schedule on their home field. On Sunday, they will take the opportunity to honor their seniors in their senior day match against Salem with kick-off at 1 PM. With two games left on the home schedule, the Cardinals are looking to get some momentum on their side as they finish out 2025 and head into the offseason.
Last time out, the Cardinals would travel to Frostburg State on Wednesday and went back and forth in a defensive battle. Frostburg State would get on the board early, scoring in the 18th minute, but the Cardinal offense made its push. They would outshoot the Bobcats 6-5 in the first half and put four shots on goal compared to two for Frostburg State. However, the two Bobcat shots would both find the back of the net and they went into the locker room leading 2-0. In the second half, the Cardinals would hold Frostburg State off the board, but the shots were reversed with Frostburg State taking six shots and Wheeling taking two. In the end, the Cardinals were unable to find the back of the net and would fall by the final score of 2-0. It rounded out the road schedule for the Cardinals and they will get two more shots to turn things around on their home field.
Leading the offensive effort for the team was Baptiste Hervaud, who set a career high in both shots and shots on goal. He would lead the way with four shots, two on goal, as he finished with a career high in both efforts. He would put one shot on net in each half, with his first scoring chance coming with just minutes remaining in the first half. Hervaud has been in and out of the lineup for the Cardinals throughout the season, and relished in his opportunity to get the start and help jump start the offense. His second opportunity came in the 71st minute when he attempted a free kick following a Frostburg State foul. He would try to sneak it under the middle of the net, but was thwarted in his opportunity. Hervaud has played strong in the midfield for the Cardinals and will look to continue pushing the ball up field over the team's final two games of the regular season.
In net, Diego Marquez got the start in net and bounced back after conceding two goals in the first half. He would not let another shot by him over the final 45 minutes, making three saves along the way. Marquez has been one of the Cardinal's most reliable goal keepers this season, holding a .700 save percentage on the season. He holds a goals against average of 1.92 for the season and has been a driving force to the Cardinal's defensive success. The other key contributor on the back line has been Pablo Prieto who, along with being the team's leading scorer, served as the centerback. He plays 90 minutes in every game and has been part of a Cardinal defense that has ranked near the top half of the conference for most of the season. Prieto is also one of two players with two goals this season and looks to continue making an impact on both sides of the ball.
As they start their final stretch of home action in 2025, the Cardinals will be taking a chance to honor their class of 2025 seniors. Josh Timbrell, Luis Bravo, Liam Persson, Luka Martinaj, Hayden Johnson, Andy Schmidt, and Brayden Scott will all be honored in a special pregame ceremony. These seven seniors have helped the program grow during their time with the Cardinals, helping to develop this young roster. The Cardinals have a young roster that will propel them into the future and it is under the guidance of this year's senior class that they look to take the program to new heights. The Cardinals will also be wrapping up the non-conference portion of their schedule Sunday, when they welcome in Salem, the team that they picked their only win of the season off of early this year. They look to get momentum on their side as they finish out their 2025 schedule.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the 21st time in program history on Sunday, with Wheeling leading the series at 14-5-1. It has been a tight series overall at home, with Wheeling holding a 6-5 advantage compared to an 8-0-1 mark when they go on the road. Wheeling is averaging 2.55 goals per game in the all-time series and are looking to extend their winning streak to three straight games.
The last meeting between the two teams came on September 17th, 2025, in a game the Cardinals won 2-9. Wheeling was led by Pablo Prieto, who scored the first goal for the Cardinals and led the defensive effort as well. The other Cardinal goal came from Antonio Herra-Blackwood with Andoni Oynesa finished with the assist. Diego Marquez would lead the effort in net, finishing with four saves and picking up his first career Shutout victory.
The Details
Kick-off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 1 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
