Wheeling, W. Va. - Through the early portion of the season, the Wheeling University Women's Lacrosse team (0-2, 0-0) has been battling their way through the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). That journey through the PSAC brings them back to Bishop Schmitt Field on Wednesday, when they host Shepherd with opening draw at 3 PM. After battling back late in their home opener, the Cardinals are trying to recapture some of those home field vibes as they continue to battle through their early season non-conference schedule.
Last time out, the Cardinals hit the road for the first time this season, when they traveled to Shippensburg for non-conference action. Some of the second half momentum from the Gannon game carried over into Shippensburg, with Wheeling keeping the Raiders close early. They allowed just two goals through the first 15 minutes of play and trailed 2-1 heading into the second quarter. However, it wasn't long before the Raiders went off, scoring five unanswered goals and having the Cardinals trail 5-1. Wheeling would get on the board two more times before the half, but trailed by a 9-3 score. In the second half, Shippensburg would put together an onslaught of shots, outshooting the Cardinals 26-4 over the final 30 minutes of play. The Cardinals added one more goal before all was said and done, but ended up falling by the final score of 20-4.
Leading the effort for the Cardinals was Julia Daniels, who put together her first career multi-goal effort. She would finish with two goals and two points in the effort, with both of those goals breaking runs for the Raiders. The first came with 9:38 to go before the half after Shippensburg scored four unanswered goals. Daniels would take a pass from Sophia Cirone and found the back of the net to make it a 5-2 game. Her final goal would come with one second left on the first half clock, as Daniels sent the game into halftime sitting at a 9-3 score. Last season, Daniels would score six goals across 15 games played and looks to continue to make an impact on the offense as the season moves on.
The other two goals on the day would come from Trinity Rose and Jovie Noack, who each scored once on the day. Noack is the one who got the scoring started for the Cardinals, notching their first goal at the 4:11 mark. The senior has scored one goal in each of the two games for the team this season, while putting four of the six shots she has taken this season on net. The other goal came from Trinity Rose, who also led the Cardinal's defensive effort on the day. Rose led the way with two caused turnovers and four ground balls, while adding four draw controls in the face-off game. She is tied for the Cardinal's second leading scorer on the season, picking up three goals and two assists through two contests, and continues to be a leader all over the field for Wheeling.
As the Cardinals continue through their early season schedule, they will play in their longest home stretch of the season. Wednesday is the start of a three-game homestand for the Cardinals, where they will play Shepherd, Chestnut Hill, and Lake Erie down the stretch. Last season, the home field was a safe haven for the Cardinals, where they went 4-4 compared to a 3-4 record on the road. In the early going of 2026, that has been true as well, with the Cardinals scoring 11 goals in their home opener, compared to just four on the road. They will be taking on a Shepherd team that was tested last time out, falling to #19 Seton Hill 17-4 to start the season. The Cardinals are looking to get that first win in the books for 2026 and start building momentum towards their conference schedule.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Rams are meeting for the 15th time in program history, with Shepherd leading the all-time series at 8-6. It will be the seventh trip to Bishop Schmitt Field for the Rams, with Wheeling going 2-4 in the six previous meetings, compared to a 2-3 record when they meet in Shepherdstown. It has been an overall high scoring series, with the Cardinals averaging 11 goals per game, reaching the 11-goal mark in four of their last five games.
The last meeting between the two teams came on February 22nd, 2025, in a game that Shepherd would win 16-8. Trinity Rose would lead the way on both sides of the ball, leading the team with three goals and tying for the lead with four points, while finishing with four ground balls, six caused turnovers, and three draw controls. Paige Jankowski would add two goal and two assists in the effort, while former Cardinal Maisy Latus made 18 saves on 34 shots faced.
The Details
Opening draw for Wednesday's game is scheduled for 3 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE, or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
