Wheeling, W. Va. – When the program was restarted in 2020, the Wheeling University Men's Lacrosse team was looking to return to its former glory. With a group that has been with the program since that rebuild began, the Cardinals were able to reach new heights, making it to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Semifinals. It was the best season for the program since the 2018 season, when they last made the semifinals of the tournament.
The Cardinals would start the season with one of their toughest tests of the season when they took on #17 Chestnut Hill College. The Cardinals battled, but fell 16-10 to start their season. They continued their non-conference schedule against Holy Family, and earned a 14-10 win to enter conference play with an even record. They would host Davenport in their GMAC opener, and it came down to the final second of play. However, the Cardinals would find the back of the net and they started 1-0 in conference play. Their non-conference schedule would wrap up on the road as they traveled to nearby Frostburg State, where they fell in a close 9-7 battle. The real run to the GMAC Tournament would begin with a home game against Lake Erie College.
The Cardinals would fall to the Storm 9-8, starting a rollercoaster of results for the Cardinals. Over their next seven matches, the team would alternate wins and losses, leading to a 3-3 conference record heading into a road matchup with Malone. With a spot in the GMAC Tournament on the line, the Cardinals went on the road and got the job done with a 17-14 win. They would clinch the #4 seed in their next matchup as they took down Davis & Elkins 23-6 to secure the first home playoff game since 2011. They would host #5 seeded Davenport and after getting out to an early lead, they would hold off a Panther comeback to pick up the 12-9 win. They would make their first GMAC semifinal appearance since 2018, but would fall to the eventual #1 seed Seton Hill in a 29-4 affair.
That veteran leadership would prove vital as all three of the team's All-GMAC honorees coming from the senior group. Leading the way was Brenner Chase, who earned First Team All-GMAC honors, and would be the table setter for the offense all season. He would lead the Cardinals with 41 goals during the season, while averaging 2.56 goals per game during the season. He sat fifth in the conference in goals per game and sixth in the conference in scoring while scoring five of more goals in four different games during the year. He would be one of two Cardinals players to earn a spot on the GMAC All-Tournament team, totaling five goals and three assists across two games. His biggest effort came against Davenport, where he scored all five goals and added two assists.
The other Cardinal to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team was Goalkeeper Austin Hall. Hall would play a big role in helping his team advance to the GMAC Semifinals, tying the single-game saves record with 26 against Davenport. On the season, he would total 280 saves during the year and averaged 17.50 saves per game. Both of those numbers ranked second in the conference as Hall helped the Cardinals advance to the semifinals. The final two All-GMAC honorees for the team were midfielder Mitchell Park and defender Owen Worley, who both earned Second Team honors. Worley was one of the leader for the Cardinal's defensive effort, finishing with 19 caused turnovers, and also scored the first two goals of his career. Mitchell Park has been a steady presence in the midfield, finishing with two goals and one assists while adding four ground balls and a caused turnover.
The Wheeling University Men' Lacrosse team heads into the offseason as their young talent looks to continue building on this year's success.
