Wheeling, W. Va. - Throughout the early portion of the season, the Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (1-4-1, 0-3-1) has had to battle away from Bishop Schmitt Field. On Wednesday, the streak comes to an end as the Cardinals host Mountain East Conference (MEC) opponent Concord with kick-off scheduled for 7 PM. The Cardinals look to keep playing a strong defensive game and get back into the win column on their home field to round out September.
Last time out, the Cardinals hit the road to face West Virginia Wesleyan and continued their defensive style of play. Both teams had trouble getting shots off throughout the first half, with only five total shots taken during that time span. The Cardinals would have the shot advantage in the half, taking three shots, and putting two on net, but could not find the back of the net. The Bobcats would take just two shots in the first half, putting one on net, and the teams went into halftime with the score sitting deadlocked at 0-0. In the second half, the tides would turn, with West Virginia Wesleyan outshooting the Cardinals 5-2 over the final 45 minutes. Wheeling was able to hold off the attack until the final two minutes when the Bobcats got the game winning score and went on to win by the final score of 1-0.
Despite giving up the game-winning goal late, it was Diego Marquez who kept the Cardinals alive over the final minute and a half of play. He finished with three saves on four shots faced on the day, with his only goal allowed coming in a one-on-one scenario. Since making his Cardinal debut against The University of Charleston, Marquez has allowed one goal or fewer in three of those four games. He holds a .810 save percentage on the season, making 17 saves on 21 total shots faced this season. He has proven himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the conference, sitting second overall with a .810 save percentage, and fourth in the conference with a 1.143 goals against average. He looks to continue to captain the Cardinal defense as they chase down one of the top six spots in the conference.
The Cardinals have been trying to generate more offense and have gotten a push from senior Luis Bravo. He scored his first career goal against West Liberty, putting his only shot of the day on net, and since then he has been taking more opportunities. He finished with one shot each against Salem and West Virginia Wesleyan, putting both of those shots on net in the effort. He looks to keep taking shots throughout the season and put the Cardinals in position to move up the conference ladder. The Cardinal back line continued their success, with Josh Timbrell, Pablo Prieto, and Hallvard Falch holding West Virginia Wesleyan to just seven shots on the day. The Cardinal defense held them to a .571 shot on goal percentage in the game.
After the Cardinals were on the road for the majority of the first month of the season, the Cardinals will get a chance to play at home a lot over the final month of the season. They will be playing four of their next six games on the home turf, including each of their next two games. They currently sit four points out of the final playoff spot and will look to take advantage of being on their home field. Last season, the Cardinals would get three points on their home field, going 1-7, which included a big late season win over Point Park. As the young team continues to grow on the field, they look to add to that total as they push towards the MEC Tournament race.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Mountain Lions are meeting for the 34th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 20-9-4. The Cardinals have faired better on their home field in the all-time series, going 11-6-2 in 19 career meetings at Bishop Schmitt Field. However, the Cardinals are trying to break a three-game losing streak and a five-game unbeaten streak that dates back to the 2022 season.
The last meeting between the two teams came on October 9th, 2024, in a game that Concord would win 4-1. Leading the way for the Cardinals was Pablo Prieto, who scored the Cardinal's lone goal of the day, taking a shot and putting it in the back of the net. Former Cardinal Carlos Molina, who would make four saves on eight shots faced on the night while former Cardinal Alvaro Ivanov paced the effort with three shots, putting one on goal.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday's game is scheduled for 7 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
