Wheeling, W. Va. – After opening their 2025 schedule on Saturday, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (0-2, 0-0) continued their non-conference weekend in Columbus, Ohio. The Cardinals would battle National Athletic Intercollegiate Association (NAIA) opponent Lourdes University, falling 3-1. The defense would continue to play well in their second match-up, but it wasn't enough to take down the Panthers.

As was the case in the season opener, the Cardinals played a strong defensive game over the first 45 minutes of play. Lourdes would pressure the Cardinals early, getting their first shot off just two minutes into the effort. Alyla Walcott, who got her first career start for the Cardinals, was able to make the save and it was Wheeling's turn to push forward. After the ball bounced around the midfield, the Cardinals made the push into their offensive zone in the 39^th minute. It would hekaitlyn Osorio who got off the first shot of the contest, but was denied to keep things tied at 0-0. After taking just four total shots on their opener against Florida Southern, Wheeling's offense was more aggressive in the Sunday match-up, getting off six shots in the first 45 minutes of play. Wheeling would get two shots off over the next 10 minutes of play, with Ruby Gibbs taking one in the 13th minute and Nyah Smith following with a shot of her own in the 16^th minute.

Both teams would have their share of scoring opportunities in the first half, and for ever push Lourdes made, Walcott had an answer. She stopped two separate Lourdes attacks, one in the ninth minute and one in the 32^nd minute, and it remained a 0-0 game with just 13 minutes remaining before the halftime break. During the final 10 minutes of the quarter, the Cardinals would put together several chances in their offensive zone, looking to get on the scoreboard. The first of those pushes came in the 35^th minute as Osorio got off her second shot of the contest, but missed the mark. Rosie Caley and Maria Alevato would each take shots down the stretch at the 42^nd and 43^rd minutes respectively. However, Lourdes put together one more push in the final minute of the half and, with just 12 seconds remaining before halftime, Walcott would come up with one more big save, keeping the game deadlocked at 0-0 heading into the break.

After taking the 15-minute break for halftime, the Cardinals would come out aggressive, taking the first three shots of the new half. Lily Hanna would get the first shot off just 30 seconds into the new half and thirty seconds later Caley would add her second shot of the day that went wide. The third shot would be the one that went into the back of the net for the Cardinal's first goal of the season. The strike came courtesy of Kaitlyn Osorio, who was able to sneak pass the Panther's defense and get her team on the board for a 1-0 advantage. The lead wouldn't last long as Lourdes pushed up on the next possession and netted their first goal of the day to tie things at 1-1. It brought things back to a statemate and it would come down to the final 35 minutes of play to see who would be the team to overtake. Lourdes defense stiffened, allowing just three Cardinal shots down the stretch, and the Panthers would take advantage.

With 36 minutes to go in the game, Lourdes would take their first lead of the day, making it a 2-1 affair. Lourdes would continue to push the ball up field, but Walcott came through with saves in the 13^th and 18^th minutes to keep it a one-goal game. In the 26^th minute, Lourdes would come through with the goal that put the nail in the coffin, making it a 3-1 game. As the time ticked away, Wheeling would move up and push the issue with two shots in the final 12 minutes of play. Ana Santos would be the first Cardinal to take the shot, coming in the 12^th minutes, but was denied by the Lourdes defense. Wheeling made one more push in the ninth minute as Vanessa Dagher brought the ball up the field. She would send the ball towards the net, but was denied once again by the defense. It would be the final shot of the day for the Cardinals as they fell 3-1 to move to 0-2 on the season.

Leading the way for the Cardinals was Kaitlyn Osorio, who notched the first Cardinals goal of the season. She would lead the team, taking three shots and putting all three of those shots on net. Rosie Caley would be the other Cardinal to take two multiple shots, taking two on the day. Lily Hanna, Maria Alevato, Ruby Gibbs, and Vanessa Dagher would each take shots to round out the offense. Akyla Walcott got her First start in net as a Cardinal and made eight saves on 11 shots faced.

The Wheeling University Women's Soccer team returns to action on Saturday, September 13th, when they traveled to Point Park at noon.