Wheeling, W. Va. - After playing through their preseason training camp schedule, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team gets set to open the 2025 season on Saturday. They open their non-conference schedule with a pair of weekend matches when they host Florida Southern College on Saturday at noon before heading to Columbus, Ohio for a neutral site game against Lourdes at 12:30 PM. The Cardinals are looking to use their two non-conference games to prepare them for the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule and get off to a hot start.
After missing the playoffs during the 2023 season, the Cardinals were determined to make it back to the MEC Tournament in 2024. They started out with back-to-back non-conference loses to start the year, but turned what they learned into a win in their conference opener against Point Park. Things were looking grim as the Cardinals sat at 1-4 after five conference matches, but a win against Davis & Elkins on October 6th would turn their season around. It would be the first of two big conference wins for the team down the stretch, and they would earn their spot in the MEC Tournament thanks to a 3-3 tie with Point Park. They entered the tournament as the #4 seed in the MEC North Division and would match up with the MEC South's #1 seed, the University of Charleston. The Cardinals would fall 7-0, but made their tournament appearance for the second time in the last three seasons.
Although the Cardinals lost their veteran leader in Mary DiFonzo, they return a young talent in Lily Hanna, who will step up in a leadership role for the team this season. Hanna burst onto the scene during her freshman year, tying for the team lead in goals (9), assists (2), and points (20) during the season. She got her goal scoring started righ away, netting a goal in her collegiate debut against Lincoln and helped the Cardinals go 3-4-1 in games where she scored at least one goal. For her efforts, Hanna would earn Second Team All-MEC honors, as well as a spot on the conference's All-Freshman squad. As she heads into her sophomore campaign Hanna is looking to better last season's numbers even further and lead the team back to the MEC Tournament.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals return a veteran group of goalkeepers in net, with senior Samantha Faulkner leading the way. Faulkner would appear in eight games for the Cardinals last season, making 35 saves while holding a .629 save percentage. She will be joined by redshirt sophomore Deetya Satyal, who returns from last season's team, and senior transfer Akyla Walcott, each looking to make an impact in net. On the backline, the Cardinals return center back Ainslie Reuben, who helped guide a Cardinals team that held opponents to just over two goals per game last season. The defense willbe a critical part to the team's success in 2025, as they look to push the ball forward to their strikers throughout the year.
As they head into the 2025 season, the Cardinals were picked as the #5 team in the MEC North Division, after they earned the #4 seed a season ago. With back-to-back non-conference games to open the season, the Cardinals will be tested right from the get-go as they get ready for their 2025 MEC Schedule. Both teams will be brand new opponents for the Cardinals as they test some of their young talent that have made an impact through the spring. HEad Coach Ryan Wall has been excited about his young team's play through the spring and the early preseason, with several of the team's new recruits making an impact. They look to translate that preseason scccess into success on the field during the regular season as they chase down an MEC Tournament spot.
The Matchups
Florida Southern College: The Cardinals and Mocks will be meeting for the first time in program history when they match-up on Saturday. Florida Southern College is a member of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) where they went 5-7-5 overall and 1-5-4 in SSC play during the 2024 season. They are led on the defensive end by redshirt junior goalkeeper Carly Brodsky, who is coming off a year where she had a .588 save percentage. The Mocks are a fairly young team on the field and the Cardinals look to match up with them on Saturday.
Lourdes University: The Cardinals and Gray Wolves will be meeting for the first time in program history when they face-off on Sunday. Lourdes is one of the top NAIA schools in the region, finishing the 2024 season at 13-4-1 overall and making it to the semifinal round of the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC). Wheeling will look to make a spalsh in the opening match-up in program history as they look for a sweep in the opening weekend of play.
The Details
Kick-off for the weekend opener against Florida Southern College on Saturday is scheduled for noon at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
