Wheeling, W. Va. - In their return to the field in 2025, the Wheeling University Women's Lacrosse team made strides on the field. They qualified for the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament, advanced to the MEC Quarterfinal round, and finished with the MEC's Coach of the Year award. As they prepare to take the field in 2026, the Cardinals are eyeing a trip back to the MEC Tournament, with their goal to capture their first MEC Championship since the 2017 season.
The 2025 season marked the return from a five-year hiatus for the Wheeling University Women's Lacrosse team, and they started things with a bang against Allegheny College. They picked up a 22-9 win and followed that up with a 17-14 win over Tiffin to get off to a 2-0 start. Wheeling would take three straight losses heading into their conference schedule but bounced back with a 26-4 win over West Virginia Wesleyan in their MEC opener. They followed that up with a win over Davis & Elkins, before falling to Charleston and Frostburg State to event their record at 2-2. The second time around, the Cardinals had the same results, finishing 4-4 in conference play to earn the #4 seed. They would welcome in Davis & Elkins and earned their first playoff win since the 2017 season. However, the Cardinal's run would end with a 17-1 loss to Frostburg State that would end the season for the Cardinals.
As they enter the 2026 season, many of the same players that led the restaurant on the field are back again to continue the growth of the program. Leading the charge will be 2025 First Team All-MEC honored Trinity Rose. She made her presence felt almost immediately for the Cardinals, leading the way with 43 goals and 55 points, while sitting third on the team with 12 assists. While her offensive contributions were strong, it was her work on the defensive end that stood out among all. She would set the new program single-season record with 69 Ground Balls, 53 Caused Turnovers, and 86 Draw Controls. Rose will once again be a leader on the field in the midfield, looking. To make her presence felt on both sides of the ball. Sitting right behind her was Jovie Noack, who started the season by setting the single-game goal record with 10. She would sit second right behind Rose with 31 goals and 73 points, while adding six assists. She earned Second Team All-MEC honors for her efforts.
Along with the returning experience, the Cardinals also welcome in a class of 11 new recruits to this year's team. Of that group, nine of those are freshman who will look to see the field right off the bat. Leading the charge is Baltimore, Maryland native Danielle Anderson. Anderson comes to Wheeling after a highly decorated career at Sparrow Point High School, where she was a three-time All-County player. She would be named the Attack Player of the Year during her senior season and earned the Distinguished Athlete award from the United States Marine Corps. The other two newcomers are transfers with Lela Plouse coming from Malone University and Kelsey Green from Post University. Plouse looks to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball, where she scored nine goals and 16 points for the Pioneers, adding to an already deep attack game for the Cardinals. Green will add to the defensive side of the ball and picked up three ground balls, three caused turnovers, and one draw control for Post.
Just as they did last season, the Cardinals will once again open the 2026 season at Bishop Schmitt Field. It will be a Valentine's Day match-up with Gannon at 1 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field, where the Cardinals will look to get things started with a bang. It is the first of a six-game non-conference stretch, that includes an even split of three home games and three road. They then open their Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule on March 22nd against the newest MEC for Point Park. While the Cardinals will be road warriors to start the MEC stretch, with three of their first five conference games on the road, they flip the script down the stretch run. It starts with a trip to Elkins, West Virginia, before coming home game against The Charleston on April 12th. Their final road game of the regular season will be at Frostburg State on April 15th, before rounding out the year with back-to-back games at home against West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis & Elkins.
The Wheeling University Women's Lacrosse team opens the season on Saturday, February 14th, when they host Gannon with opening draw control at 1 PM
