Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Women's Lacrosse team (1-0, 0-0) came bursting onto the scene, scoring 22 points in their return to Bishop Schmitt Field. The Cardinals look to keep that success going as they hit the road for the First time on Friday to battle Tiffin with opening face-off at 1 PM. It is the first game of a three-game road trip for the Cardinals that will see them away from Bishop Schmitt Field for the next month's worth of games.
The Cardinals made their return from a five-year hiatus last Saturday when they welcomed Allegheny College to Bishop Schmitt Field. It took just three minutes for the Cardinals to get on the board and once they scored they were unable to be stopped. The Cardinals would score three goals over a five minute span, and totaled five in the first quarter. They put their pedal to the medial in the second quarter, adding nine more goals by five different players and went into the locker room with a 14-7 lead. In the third quarter, history would be made as Jovie Noack broke the single-game goal record as the Cardinals added five more to their total. That would be more than enough to seal the deal as the Cardinals went on to win 22-9, falling just two goals shy of breaking the single-game record and got their first win as a program since the 2019 season.
The historic day for the Cardinals came courtesy of Jovie Noack, who set the new single-game record with 10 goals, while falling one point shy of the single-game point record with 12 points. Noack was sitting at six goals entering halftime, and needed just two more to tie the record. She came back and scored the next three of the second half, solidifying herself as the first Cardinal player to reach double figure goals in a game. Along with setting history on the field, it was also an efficient day for Noack, who converted just over 76% of her shots into goals, while putting just over 91% of her shots on goal on the day. For her efforts, Noack would earn the MEC Women's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week, starting a strong season for the junior attack.
Noack was one of two Cardinals to earn MEC Player of the Week honorees for the Cardinals, with Trinity Rose taking home the MEC Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week award. Rose was a force on offense, scoring four goals, but it was her defensive work in the midfield that stood out. Rose was able to cause a team-high nine turnovers on the afternoon while also leading the way with six groundballs. In the midfield, she would lead the Cardinals with four draw controls as she rounded out a big day on defense. The other Cardinal to reach the four-goal mark was Klara Domachowska, who finished with four goals and an assist on the night, like Rose, she also made her presence felt on the defensive side of the ball, finishing with three two caused turnovers and four groundballs, and looks to continue growing on both sides.
As the Cardinals begin their second weekend of play, they kick-off a long road stretch that will span the entire month of February. Each of their next three games will come on the road against in-region opponents, beginning with Tiffin this week. Wheeling felt comfortable on their home field, but Head Coach Faith Flanagan and her team will look to keep those good vibes going on the road. For many of the players on the roster, it will be just their second time competing in the sport as they have to deal with the hostile environment of the road. The Cardinals will lean on their offense to score early and often as they try to make it two in a row on their return from their five-year hiatus.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Dragons are meeting up for the seventh time in program history, with Tiffin winning each of the first six meetings between the two teams. It will be the second time Wheeling has gone on the road, where they are 0-2 compared to an 0-3 mark at Bishop Schmitt Field. Wheeling has averaged six goals per game in the previous matchups and looks to eclipse that mark on Friday.
It will be the first time the two teams have met since March 18th, 2017, in a game the Cardinals fell 15-7. Former Cardinals Elizabeth Hales and Mary Burns led the way with a pair of goals each, while Hales added three assists to finish with five points. Former Cardinal Marie Austin would get the start in net and finished with eight saves on 21 shots faced on the day.
The Details
Opening face-off for Friday's game is scheduled for 1 PM inside the Paradiso Turf Field on the campus of Tiffin University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
