The Wheeling Men's Soccer Team concluded their 2026 season a week ago, when they drew to the West Liberty Hilltoppers away from home. It was a game where a draw was good for neither sides, as both Wheeling and West Liberty needed a goal in the final 10 minutes to advance to the playoffs.
This season was a first for Wheeling under new head coach Jack Shearer, and a first for Shearer coaching at the collegiate level. Despite it being his first, Shearer made it look otherwise, as he took the Cardinals to their best record since the 2022 season. With a record of 6-8-2, and 4-7-2 in conference play, the Cardinals fell narrowly short of a playoff spot in the tougher MEC north division.
Despite a slow start to 2026, the Cardinals finished their last 10 games of the season with a 5-3-2 record, showing exactly what they were capable of as the weeks went on. Redshirt Junior Jon-Michael Gordon was the most profitable in front of goal for the Cardinals this year, with six goals and one assist. A difference maker for this year's Wheeling side however, was the goal contributions from forwards and midfielders. A total of five Cardinals scored more than three goals this season, with those being Luis Yanes, Elie Simon, Reilly Nickles, and KJ Viglunsson alongside Gordon. Having goalscoring confidence and variety was a big factor in the Cardinals winning closing stretch, and allowed them to move with the tempo they wanted going forward.
In between the posts, Alberto Madail had a tremendous impact in his Freshman year. The keeper played a total of 1305 minutes for the Cardinals, and racked up 64 saves in 15 games, totaling out at just over four saves a game. Alongside Madail in goal, the Wheeling defensive line also had an impressive season. The Cardinals let in a total of 26 goals which is their best defensive performance in six years, led by Captain and center back Pablo Prieto.
Overall, Head Coach Jack Shearer can be proud of his team for their second half of the season comeback, and Wheeling University Men's Soccers best season in four years. The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team will return to friendly action in the spring, with dates and schedule to follow.
