he Wheeling Men's Soccer Team travelled to Frostburg State this afternoon in what was a crucial game for their MEC tournament hopes. The Cardinals played good soccer, but ultimately were forced to settle for a draw as Jon-Michael Gordon and Reilly Nickles got on the scoresheet in what was a 2-2 draw.
The Cardinals wasted little time getting on the board against Frostburg State, as Javier Ramos took Wheeling's first shot of the game in the fifth minute, only for Bobcats keeper Josiah Emerson to make the save. Luis Yanes followed just 11 seconds later with a shot toward the bottom center of the net, but the Frostburg State defense was there to turn it away. The breakthrough came in the seventh minute, when a Bobcat foul in the box sent Jon-Michael Gordon to the penalty spot, and he would convert to give Wheeling the early 1-0 lead.
From there, Frostburg State would take control of the half, putting together pressure in the Cardinal end and breaking through in the 26th minute when Dominic Good found the back of the net to even the game at 1-1. The Bobcats nearly took the lead just two minutes later, when Mateo Cuadros sent a shot off the top of the woodwork. Alberto Madail would come up big in the 42nd minute, getting down to stop a Kevin Garcia-Torres shot headed for the bottom left corner. Despite being outshot 13-3 in the first half, the Cardinals went into the break level at 1-1 and looked to regain control.
Coming out of halftime, Wheeling would waste no time making the most of their chances. Just five minutes into the second half, Javier Ramos found Reilly Nickles, who buried the Cardinals' first shot of the half to put Wheeling back in front 2-1. Frostburg State answered with a flurry of pressure, firing off three shots in a span of three minutes, but Madail held strong, making a diving stop on a Spencer Davis shot toward the bottom left corner in the 56th minute. Andoni Pipaon tried to extend the lead in the 64th minute with a shot toward the bottom center of the net, but Emerson was there for the save. The Bobcats kept coming, and in the 70th minute Abdallah Soulemana finished off a feed from Davis to tie the game once again at 2-2.
With the game knotted up, both sides pushed for the go-ahead goal over the final 20 minutes. Elie Simon got a look in the 83rd minute but sent it just wide, and moments later Madail turned away a David Williams shot headed for the bottom right corner. Nickles nearly gave Wheeling the lead for a third time in the 85th minute, sending a shot toward the top of the net, but Emerson made the stop. Madail answered right back at the other end, stopping another Davis attempt to keep the game level. Frostburg State fired two more shots in the final minutes, but neither found the net, and the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
The Wheeling University Men's Soccer Team return to action with MEC tournament hopes still alive as they host Point Park at Bishop Schmitt Field on October 25th.
