Wheeling, W.Va. – The Wheeling University women's soccer team wrapped up its 2026 campaign with a pair of victories, highlighted by a three-goal performance against Shawnee State and a road shutout win over rival West Liberty. The Cardinals finished the season with a 2-14-2 overall record and a 2-12-2 mark in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.
Wheeling opened its season on August 27 with a road matchup against Walsh, beginning a challenging early-season stretch against a competitive schedule. The Cardinals continued to battle through the opening weeks of the season, earning a 2-2 draw against West Virginia State on September 23.
Jeanery Diaz and Theresa Markwei each found the back of the net in the contest as Wheeling secured its first result of the season.
Wheeling's first victory of the season came on October 7, when it hosted Shawnee State. Wheeling broke through in the 30th minute as
Lily Hanna scored her third goal of the season to give the Cardinals a 1-0 advantage. The Cardinals carried that momentum into the second half, adding to their lead just three minutes after the break.
Maira Alevato found the back of the net in the 48th minute off an assist from
Rayana Wilson, extending the Wheeling advantage to 2-0. Wheeling continued to apply pressure throughout the second half, outshooting the Bears 12-2 after halftime.
Nyah Smith capped off the scoring in the 87th minute, converting a pass from
Lily Hanna to secure the 3-0 victory.
The Cardinals added another draw on October 14, playing Davis & Elkins to a scoreless tie at Bishop Schmitt Field. Goalkeeping and defensive efforts helped Wheeling keep the Senators off the scoreboard, providing another positive result as the team entered the final stretch of its schedule.
Katelyn MacInnis played all 90 minutes in goal, recording four saves to earn the shutout.
The Cardinals saved another memorable performance for the final day of the season, traveling to West Liberty on October 28 for a rivalry matchup against the Hilltoppers. Wheeling wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as Theresa Markwei found the back of the net in the ninth minute to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead. That goal would prove to be all the offense Wheeling needed. Despite being outshot 14-6, the Cardinals put together a strong defensive performance to protect their advantage. West Liberty generated 10 shots in the opening half alone, but MacInnis and the Cardinal defense stood firm to carry the one-goal lead into halftime. The Hilltoppers continued to search for an equalizer throughout the second half, putting four additional shots toward goal. However, Wheeling held its ground over the final 45 minutes to preserve the shutout and secure the 1-0 road victory.
Offensively,
Jeanery Diaz led the Cardinals throughout the 2026 season, finishing with a team-high four goals and nine points.
Lily Hanna followed with three goals and seven points, while Theresa Markwei added three goals of her own, including the game-winning strike against West Liberty. Smith,
Maira Alevato and
Graceylyn Hanna also contributed to the Cardinal attack, each finding the back of the net during the season.
In goal, the Cardinals relied on MacInnis,
Madison Reis-Elbara and
Alba Lopez Guerrero throughout the season. All three goalkeepers recorded saves as Wheeling worked to keep opponents off the scoreboard. MacInnis finished the year with 49 saves and Reis-Elbara finished with 40.
The Cardinals' season featured its share of challenges, but the victories over Shawnee State and West Liberty provided a strong finish to the 2026 campaign. Wheeling demonstrated its ability to generate offense and produce defensive performances when it mattered most, closing the year with two wins and a pair of clean sheets.
