North Canton, Ohio - The Wheeling University women's soccer team opened the 2026 season Thursday evening, falling 5-1 to Walsh at Larry Staudt Field. The matchup marked the first official game of the Jaclyn Ketter era, with the Cardinals looking to begin the new campaign on a positive note.
Wheeling and Walsh battled through much of the opening half, with the Cavaliers eventually breaking through in the 40th minute when Corinne Casenhiser found the back of the net to give Walsh a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals headed into halftime trailing by just one despite Walsh holding a 12-3 advantage in shots and a 6-3 edge in shots on goal.
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Walsh pulled away early in the second half, scoring four times during a 30-minute stretch. Jamie Duskey doubled the Cavaliers' lead in the 49th minute before Bri Thomas converted a penalty kick in the 54th minute. Kailey Hobart added another goal in the 76th minute, and Thomas scored her second of the night less than a minute later to make it 5-0. Wheeling continued to battle and got on the board in the 79th minute, following a save by Katelyn MacInnis. The Cardinals brought the ball back up field, and Jeanery Diaz scored her first goal of the season to put the Cardinals on the board. It would be the final shot of the day for the Cardinals as they fell by that 5-1 score.
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Walsh finished the night with a 27-4 advantage in shots and put 16 attempts on frame compared to four for Wheeling. The Cardinals goalkeepers combined for 11 saves, with Madison Reis-Elbara making six and Katelyn MacInnis making five. Despite the result, Thursday's opener marked the first step in a new chapter for Wheeling, which will look to regroup quickly before returning to action September 2 at Lake Erie.
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