Wheeling, W. Va. - As the 2025 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) season comes to an end, the Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team (6-6, 5-3) wrap up the regular season slate at home. It is the battle of West Virginia as the Cardinals welcome their Mountain State rivals Davis & Elkins to Bishop Schmitt Field with opening face-off at 6 PM. A Wheeling win and a loss by either Davenport or Walsh would guarantee the Cardinals a home game in the first round of the 2025 GMAC Tournament beginning on Saturday.
The Cardinals are coming off a road win against Walsh in which they officially punched their ticket to the 2025 GMAC Tournament. The Cardinal's offense came out hot, scoring the first two goals of the day, and by the five-minute mark they had built themselves a 5-1 lead over the Pioneers. Wheeling kept the pressure on throughout the second quarter, scoring seven goals and by the halftime break the Cardinals had built a 12-7 lead. Wheeling would add on the first goal of the third quarter, but the teams would go back and forth, scoring three goals a piece over the 15 minute period. The seven-goal second quarter would end up holding as, despite being outscored 3-2 over the final 15 minutes, the Cardinals were able to hold on for the 17-13 win.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was junior Jack Rowe, who finished with five goals and three assists to total eight points on the night. He would be the Cardinal's leading shot taker on the day, putting five of his eight shots on net and was a big part of the Cardinal's early success. He would score four of his five goals, and pick up two of his three assists, during the 12-goal first half as he helped Wheeling build a lead. Rowe has led the team with 16 assists this season, while also sitting third with 23 goals and second with 39 points during the year. He has been on the scoresheet in every game that he has played in this season and looks to continue being a leader on the offensive side of the ball as the team heads towards the GMAC Tournament.
As the Pioneers tried to mount a comeback, it was goalkeeper Austin Hall that would stand strong, making 17 saves on 13 shots faced. He finished with a .567 save percentage on the day and helped the offense get their groove early. He made nine saves during the Cardinal's seven-point second quarter and added five second half saves to round out the day. Sitting right behind Rowe was Ty Taylor, who finished with four goals and one assist to finish with five points on the night. Taylor would serve as the closer for the Cardinals, scoring two of his four goals during the game's second half, including the final goal of the thrid quarter that gave the Cardinals a 15-9 lead. Taylor and Rowe look to be a dynamic 1-2 punch throughout the playoffs as the team chases a GMAC Championship.
Heading into the final week of play, the GMAC's top six seeds are all separated by just four games. Seton Hill holds the top spot at 14-1 overall and 8-0 in conference play, with Walsh and Lake Erie holding onto the two spot at 6-2. Then, Wheeling and Davenport sit tied at 5-3 and Northwood rounds out the tournament field at 4-4. While all six spots for the tournament have been locked down, the remaining six seeds are still battling for seeding. The Cardinals need a win against Davis & Elkins and either a Walsh loss to Seton Hill or a Davenport loss to Northwood to clinch their first home playoff game since the 2011 season. After hitting the road for their first-round tournament game a season ago, the Cardinals are hoping to bring playoff Lacrosse to Bishop Schmitt Field in 2025.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the 10th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 7-2. The Cardinals have played very well at home, going 4-1 compared to a 3-1 record when they hit the road to face Davis & Elkins. Recently, the Cardinals have been rolling, winning each of the last three matchups with Davis & Elkins, while averaging 18.44 goals per game in the all-time series.
Their last meeting came on April 24th, 2024, in a game the Cardinals would end up winning 24-6. Former Cardinal Mike Andersson would lead the way for the Cardinals, finishing with eight goals and one assist to total nine points on the night. Dakota Strong would finish right behind him with five goals and one assist while Ty Taylor would add a three goal, three assist day to round out the effort.
The Details
Opening face-off for Tuesday's game is scheduled for 6 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
