Wheeling, W. Va. - After taking a loss in their non-conference battle with Frostburg State on Saturday, the Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team (2-2, 1-1) is looking to bounce back at Bishop Schmitt Field. They welcome in Lake Erie College with opening face-off at 4 PM as they try to raise their record back over .500 in conference play. It will serve as the middle game of the team's current four-game homestand, where they have gone 1-1 in the first two games.
On Saturday, the Cardinals welcomed in Frostburg State, who officially entered the GMAC for the 2025 season. It was the Cardinal's quick strike offense that got things going, scoring two goals within the first four minutes of the game as they had the Bobcats searching for answers. However, Frostburg State would find their stride, scoring six unanswered goals heading into the second quarter as they built a 7-3 advantage. Wheeling cut into the lead before the half, and headed into the locker room with the score sitting at 7-4. Wheeling's defense locked in during the third quarter, holding the Bobcats scoreless, and Wheeling battled back to tie things up at 7-7 with 15 minutes to play. The tables were turned over the final 15 minutes of play, with Wheeling being held scoreless and Frostburg State added two goals as Wheeling fell 9-7.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was the defensive effort, with Austin Hall leading the way in net. Hall would register 19 saves on 28 shots faced for a .679 save percentage on the day. He would play a key role in the Cardinal's comeback effort, holding Frostburg State off the board in the third quarter, making five of his nine saves over the 15 minute period. Saturday marked the fourth straight game where Hall finished with 17 or more saves in a game, with three of those efforts being 18 or more saves efforts. Entering play on Tuesday, Hall sits second in the GMAC with 89 saves, while leading the conference with an average of 17.80 Saves/Game. He has also allowed the fourth fewest goals in the conference this season, and looks to continue his success in net as the Cardinals continue through their conference-heavy schedule.
Leading the Cardinal's offensive effort was Ty Taylor, who finished with three goals and three points in the effort. He was the Cardinal's most efficient shooter, finishing with five of his six shots landing on net while also picking up two groundballs. Taylor has scored multiple goals in three of his four games this season, and looks to continue leading the Cardinal's offensive effort. The other multi-goal scorer against Frostburg State was Brenner Chase, who finished with two goals and one assist in the effort. He would put four of his six shots on net during the day and helped out on the defensive end with a caused turnover that eventually turned into a goal on the other end. Taylor and Chase are the two veteran shooters for the Cardinals and look to help the offense throughout the conference slate.
With GMAC play in full swing, the Cardinals are currently one of four teams sitting with an unbeaten record as they head into the first full week of action. Seton Hill, Malone, and Walsh all sit with a 1-0 record, followed closely by Thomas More and Lake Erie, who each enter play at 1-1. With the Cardinals welcoming in the Storm on Tuesday, they have a chance to increase their lead over the Storm and set themselves up in good position heading into the back half of the season. In 2024, it was a late-season push that got the Cardinals to the GMAC Tournament for the first time since the 2018 season. In 2025, they look to flip the script and make a push early in the season that will help set themselves up for a home GMAC Tournament game later this season.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Storm are meeting for the 15th time in program history, with Lake Erie leading the all-time series sitting at 12-3. Wheeling holds a 1-5 record against Lake Erie in Wheeling, compared to a 2-6 record on the road, while averaging 8.0 Goals per game in the all-time series. Wheeling will be looking to break a six-game losing streak at the hands of Lake Erie, looking for their first win since a triple overtime victory back in 2017.
Their last meeting came on March 13th, 2024, in a game that Lake Erie would win 13-11 in Painesville, Ohio. Leading the way for the Cardinals was Jack Rowe, who put together a career day scoring five goals and putting seven of his nine shots on net. Former Cardinal Mike Andersson added three goals and two assists, while Rowe, Nate Castner, and Gabe Henning led the defense with two caused turnovers each. Austin Hall would get the start in net for the Cardinals, and made 16 saves on 29 shots faced to round out the day.
The Details
Opening Face-off for Tuesday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
