Wheeling, W. Va. - After taking a brief recess from their Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (1-3-1, 0-2-1) return to conference action on Sunday. Wheeling will make the trip to Buckhannon, West Virginia where they take on West Virginia Wesleyan with kick-off at 1 PM. The Cardinals are coming off the momentum of their first win of the season, and look to keep the good times rolling.
Last time out, the Cardinals started this back-to-back road trip with a non-conference battle against Salem. It was another defensive battle for the Cardinals, and in the first half, Wheeling would get on the board just 15 minutes into the contest. It gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead and the Cardinal defense took care of the rest. They held Salem to just four shots in the first half, with only one of those landing on net, and the team went into halftime leading 1-0. As they came out for the second half, Salem's attack was more efficient, with all three of their shots landing on net, but the Cardinal defense came through once again holding them at bay. Wheeling would add a much-needed insurance goal in the 61st minute and took a 2-0 advantage. That would be the final score as Wheeling picked up their first win of 2025 as they head back to conference play.
It has been a strong start to the Cardinal career for freshman Diego Marquez, who picked up his first career shutout. He would finish the day with four saves on four shots faced as he picked up his first win of the season. Since making his collegiate debut against The University of Charleston, Marquez has surrendered just two goals in his 225 minutes and leads the team with a goals against average of 1.20. He sits top five in the conference in both save percentage (3rd, .824) and Goals Against Average (5th, 1.20). As the Cardinals return to MEC play to close out the month, Marquez and the Cardinal defense will play a key role to getting the team back to the MEC Tournament.
Getting the offense started for the Cardinals was Pablo Prieto, who came up from the back line for a big goal. He was an efficient shooter on the day, putting both of his shots on net as he has floated between the back line and front line. Over his last two games, Prieto has taken three shots, putting all three on net, and scored his first career goal against Salem. He has played a big role in the team's corner kick game and looks to continue helping both sides of the ball. The other Cardinal goal came courtesy of Antonio Herra Blackwood, who after being denied in the first half, was able to get the big insurance goal. Herra-Blackwood has been picking his spots throughout the season, taking four shots and putting three on net, as he continues to push forward for the team on offense.
As they return to conference play this weekend, Wheeling is now in search of their first win in conference play this season. The Cardinal offense has gotten on the board in each of the last two games, including three of their last four since starting conference play. During that stretch, they have held a shot on goal percentage of .333 or higher. In their last two, Wheeling has a shooting percentage of .130 as they are taking better shots on the field. On Sunday, the Cardinals take on a West Virginia Wesleyan team that holds a .250 scoring average on the season. The Cardinals are allowing an average of 1.80 goals per game to their opponents this season, and are looking to improve that number on the road on Sunday.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 46th time in program history, with West Virginia Wesleyan leading the all-time series at 24-12-9. When the Cardinals travel to Buckhannon, West Virginia, the Cardinals have gone 5-14-5 compared to a 7-10-4 mark when they host the Bobcats. Wheeling will be looking for their first win against West Virginia Wesleyan since the 2022 season, after finishing in a tie in their most recent trip to Buckhannon.
That last match-up came on October 16th, 2024, in a game that the two teams would tie 1-1. The Cardinals were led by Jordan Taylor, who scored the Cardinal's lone goal of the day while putting his lone shot taken on the day on net. Former Cardinal Rocco LiTrenta would lead the shooting effort with three, putting one on net, while former Cardinal Carlos Molina and Daniel Delo combined for four saves on five shots faced.
The Details
Kick-off for Sunday's game is scheduled for 1 PM inside Culpepper Stadium on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
