Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the weekend, the Wheeling University Women's Lacrosse team (4-4, 1-0) started their Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule off with a bang, beating Point Park 18-8. The Cardinals look to ride that wave of momentum back to Bishop Schmitt Field when they continue their MEC schedule against Davis & Elkins with opening draw control at 4 PM. Wheeling looks to get out to a 2-0 start in conference play for the second season in a row, setting them up for success down the stretch.
Last time out, the Cardinals took on Point Park in what was the Pioneer's first-ever MEC match. The Cardinal offense went right on the attack, scoring five goals in the first quarter, and getting on the board 10 times before the Pioneers broke the scoreboard. It resulted in an 8-0 Cardinal lead by halftime, with Wheeling outshooting Point Park 22-12 in the first half, including putting 16 shots on net compared to three for the Pioneers. As the teams broke from halftime, Wheeling would get the running clock going with the first two goals of the half, but Point Park would stop it once again with three straight goals of their own. The early start was already enough to put the Cardinals in front, but Wheeling slammed the door with a game-high seven goals over the final 15 minutes, and the Cardinals went on to win by the final score of 18-8.
Leading the effort was junior Trinity Rose, who continued her strong season into the conference slate. The junior was the Cardinal's offensive leader with six goals and three assists, totaling a team-high nine points on the night. She was the Cardinal's leading shot taker, putting nine of her 12 shots on net, and was part of four of the team's first eight goals to get them out to the lead. Not only was Rose a leader on offense, but she took the reigns and led on the defensive side as well. She finished with a team-best 11 ground balls, while tying for the team lead with both three caused turnovers and four draw controls. Rose enters Thursday as the Cardinal's leading scorer with 21 goals, while also leading the team with 27 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers. She looks to continue leading the team down the stretch as they fight for one of the top five spots in the conference.
Sitting right behind Rose on the leaderboard was Klara Domachowska, who finished with three goals and three assists to total six points in the effort. She tied her season high in goals int he effort, while sitting just three goals shy of of her overall career high. Domachowska leads the team with 15 assists on the season, while sitting third in scoring with 27 points. Leading the way for the Cardinals in the passing game on the night was Jovie Noack, who finished with one goal and four assists to put up five points on the night. She tied her career-high with four assists, with three of those coming during the eight-goal first half outburst. The effort helped her stay at the top of the Cardinal leaderboards with 31 points and she looks to continue that success as the season goes on.
After playing at home for four of their first six games through the non-conference schedule, the Cardinals will fight on the road in the early portion of the MEC schedule. Including their road win against Point Park, Wheeling will play four of their first seven conference games away from Bishop Schmitt Field, including match-ups with Charleston, West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis & Elkins. Wheeling has played well at home throughout the season, going 3-2 in their five home games compared to a 1-2 record when they go on the road. The Cardinals are looking to take care of business on Thursday afternoon, and ride that momentum into the rest of their MEC schedule. The Cardinals are one of three teams sitting at 1-0 in conference play, and look to keep pace with Charleston and Frostburg State.
The Match-up
The Cardinals and Senators are meeting for the fifth time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 4-0. It will be the third time the teams have matched up at Bishop Schmitt Field, with the Cardinals winning each of the first two meetings in Wheeling. The Cardinals are averaging 14.5 goals per game in the all-time series, and have scored double digit goals in each of the previous four meetings between the two teams.
The last meeting between the two teams came back on April 27th, with Wheeling earning an 11-8 win in the Play-in round of the MEC Tournament. Leading the way for the Cardinals was MAcy Davies, who finished with two goals and one assist, totaling three points in the winning effort. Sophia Cirone, former Cardinal Bre'ya Clopper, and Paige Jankowski each finished with two goals, while Giavonna Perkins made five saves on 13 shots faced to round out the effort.
The Details
Opening draw for Thursday's game is scheduled for 4 PM inside Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
