Wheeling, W.Va - The Wheeling Men's Soccer team (0-4)(2-5) made a statement tonight with an emphatic 5-1 victory against the Seton Hill Griffins. Wheeling went down one early, but instantly turned the game around into their best performance of the season yet. Davide Massa got his first collegiate goal, whilst Reilly Nickles netted a brace and KJ Viglundsson grabbed a header. Jon-Michael Gordon put the cherry on top as he calmly slotted away a penalty with seconds to go.
Wheeling opened the game shakily, with their efforts to play out the back inviting heavy pressure from the Griffins. The pressure mounted in the early goings, with the Cardinals giving away the ball regularly, leading to Seton Hill attempts on goal, which Diego Marquez kept out. It was seven seconds into the 10th minute of the game when Seton Hill broke through once more and this time Marquez couldn't keep it out. The Griffins went 1-0 up and the Cardinals were left trailing early. Almost immediately, the Cardinals got on the offensive, winning a corner following a shot from Reilly Nickles that the Griffins keeper palmed out. Andoni Pipaon curled the ball in perfectly to the back of the box where KJ Viglundsson rose perfectly to meet the ball and put the Cardinals level in the 14th minute.
Wheeling had settled into the game now, and were playing excellent soccer. The Cardinals were beginning to play out from the back well, and had two shots saved back to back in the 18th minute. The 18th minute brought another Cardinal corner, but unfortunately nothing came from it this time round. In the 26th minute, a ball came into the Seton Hill box, where Reilly Nickles found the ball at a perfect height to loft it into the back of Griffin goal. The Cardinals were now 2-1 up, and had completely turned round the game. Wheeling kept strong possession of the ball as the half neared its close, but couldn't find a way through for their third. The Cardinals went into the dressing room 2-1 up.
The Cardinals wasted absolutely no time in getting to work following the whistle to start the second, as Reilly Nickles scored his second just 50 seconds in. The goal was almost identical to his first, as he found the ball at hip height inside the box, and made no mistake in lofting it into the back of the net again. Wheeling were starting to take charge of the game, but following an altercation following a foul in the Seton Hill half, two red cards were dished out by the referee, one for Wheeling and one for the Griffins. With only 10 men on the field for both sides, the game began to open up and Wheeling started to find a rhythm with the space.
With 20 minutes to go, Pablo Prieto dropped a 60-yard dime diagonally to the feet of Elie Simon, who brought it down perfectly. Now on the edge of the Griffins box, Simon cut inside and found the feet of Davide Massa with a cross. Massa cut inside onto his left, and slotted the ball away to the bottom right corner to make the Cardinal lead three. It was by far the best Cardinal goal of the season so far, and showed how the Cardinals can play at their best. The game was over, and Wheeling were at their best. As the game neared its close, the Griffins couldn't find anything, and in the 89th minute, Jon-Michael Gordon brought down a ball over the top to his feet, with only the keeper left to beat. He calmly dribbled past the Seton Hill keeper, who brought Gordon down in the box. It was a red card for the keeper, and a penalty for Wheeling. With 13 seconds on the clock, Gordon put the penalty away to make it 5.
The 5-1 scoreline is the most emphatic Wheeling victory in the past 2 years, and shows how dangerous the Cardinals can be when they get going. The Cardinals return to action next Sunday, September 26th, as they welcome Concord to Bishop Schmitt Field.
