Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team enters a new era this season with the arrival of Head Coach Jack Shearer and his assistant Austin Rocke. Shearer comes to Wheeling following a four-year spell coaching at the high school level, where he took his team to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Shearer and Rocke will start their tenure on August 27, with an away fixture against California University of Pennsylvania in the first of two non-conference games to start the year.
The 2025 season saw a young Cardinal team take the pitch, with six of the 11 starters being in their freshmen seasons. The team went through their share of growing pains, finishing 1-15-1, with their lone win coming on a shutout against Salem on September 17th. Despite this, the Cardinals lost 7 of their games by only one goal and allowed the opposition to score two goals or fewer in eight of those 17 games. With a year of experience under their belt, and some new reinforcements on the way, Shearer and his team will be looking to climb the conference ladder in 2026.
Shearer has brought in a host of new talent to the team this year, whilst retaining a core group of starters from last year. Mainstays of the back line Jorgen Bjerkreim and Pablo Prieto both return, whilst midfielder Andoni Pipaon and forward Jon-Michael Gordon also return after playing large starting roles last season. Gordon and Pipaon were the main threats in front of goal last season for the Cardinals, combining for six goals and three assists between them. 2025 starting Goalkeeper Diego Marquez is also back, after leading the team with 51 saves and a .699 save percentage on the season. He will be joined in the goalkeeper room by a pair of newcomers in freshmen Alberto Madail and Michael Hinson, as the group looks to continue leading the defensive effort.
The Mountain East Conference (MEC) pre-season poll has Wheeling Men's soccer ranked #5 in the north division. It's a ranking that is to be expected after the previous season, but one that Shearer and his staff will know bears no weight as soon as the first whistle blows. The Cardinals come into the new season with a point to prove in the conference, as they look to make their way back to the MEC Men's Soccer Tournament for the first time since the 2023 campaign.
The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team gets their season underway next Thursday, August 27th, as they travel to California University of Pennsylvania with kick off at 7 PM.
