Wheeling, W. Va- The Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team (3-4), (2-2) will try put its last result out of mind and get focused on the near four-hour bus ride south to the Bluegrass State to face off against Thomas More University. The Cardinals have more than a few instruments they will want to use when they march into Saints' territory tomorrow afternoon.
Wheeling started off its three-game road stretch with an unfavorable ending when it matched up against nationally ranked Seton Hill. The Cardinals were unable to keep up with the Griffins' high-powered attack and fell 30-5. Even though the Cards got the short end of the stick, they still fought hard and used the opportunity to capitalize with a man-up. Jack Rowe finished with two goals and each of his markers found the back of the net with the man-up advantage. Brenner Chase finished with the other three goals and assisted both of Rowe's markers.
Chase was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Player of the Week for his play against Lake Erie and Walsh and was recently named the Male Cardinal High Flyer of the Week, and for good reason, too. Chase has been clicking offensively and has seems unstoppable. He has racked up a total of 11 goals and two assists for 13 points across the team's last three outings. He has scored at least two or more goals in the past five games, and he leads the Cardinals with 22 points. In the GMAC, he sits fourth in goals per game at 2.86, seventh in points per game with 4.00, and fourth with 7.43 shots per game.
Behind Chase in team point production is senior Dylan Lavern. With 12 goals and six assists for 18 points, Lavern is a solid secondary scoring option for the Cardinals. Lavern leads the team in shots on goal percentage with a .646, indicating that when he shoots, it's a good chance it will test the keeper. If Chase and Lavern are tied up, then junior Jack Rowe is the man for the job. He has 17 points this season and is also the guy the Cardinals look to when the game is down to the wire. Rowe is poised and is the only player on the roster to record tallies in the "game-winning goal" column with three this season. That poise also shows with the man-up advantage as he leads his team with three goals in that category, too.
Austin Hall played just under 36 minutes against Seton Hill and came up with 13 saves. Disregarding the Griffins' offense, the senior from Madison, Alabama has been an excellent backstop for the Cards this season. He is among the best keepers in the conference with a .587 save percentage and averages 16.00 saves a game, fifth and second overall respectively. He has five games with 17 saves or more and set a career high with 19 stops against Frostburg earlier this month.
It is difficult to believe, but there is only a month left in the season, which equals out to six more games including the upcoming match against the Saints. Five of the remaining six are against conference opponents and Wheeling will need to bring its "A-game" to every outing. Only the top six teams qualify for the GMAC postseason and the Cardinals currently sit at fifth with a 2-2 record in conference play. Thomas More will be looking to climb up the ladder themselves, so Wheeling will need to dial in.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Saints were just introduced to each other last season. Wheeling hosted Thomas More at Bishop Schmitt Field as the Cards dominated all game long for a 20-3 victory. Ty Taylor finished with five goals and seven points, Jack Rowe put up three goals and four points, and Brenner Chase had four assists.
Thomas More has gotten off to a sluggish start in GMAC play at 1-3 and sit at eighth, but that does not mean they should be taken lightly. Graduate student Wyatt Fruland started the season off with 18 points in the first two games and has 35 total. In the Saints last game against Malone, Furland and senior Colin Thronton recorded a hattrick as Thomas More came up short 17-14.
The Details
The Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team will play game two of three of its road stint at Republic Bank Field in Crestview, Kentucky on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 3 pm. The match will be streamed live on the Great Midwest Digital Network HERE, and LiveStats will be made available HERE.
