The Wheeling University Men's Soccer team (2-4-1, 2-2-1) hit a little bit of a rough patch last week after flying high through the first four games of their conference season. The Cardinals look for a bounce-back effort on Wednesday night when they host "The Battle for Wheeling" against their long-time rivals West Liberty, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 PM. The Cardinals got a spark in the second half of their game against #6 Gannon and look to use that to carry the momentum back home with them against West Liberty.
The Cardinals faced their toughest test of the season last time out when they faced #6 Gannon University on the road. Through the first half, the Cardinals were able to keep Gannon at bay, allowing just one goal through the first 42 minutes of play, and one more before halftime to make it a 2-0 contest. In the second half, Wheeling maintained the one goal differential with a goal in the game's 53rd minute, but the Golden Knight's potent offense was too much for the Cardinals to overcome. They added three more second half goals to pull away and take the 6-2 victory.
Despite the loss, the Cardinals showed that they can compete with one of the top teams in the region, keeping it a one-goal game for almost half the contest. Freshman Diego Buenano kept his streak alive with his third goal of the season, and now has three goals in his last four games. His first career goal tied the game against West Virginia Wesleyan, and his second career goal would win the game against Frostburg State. His three goals lead the team so far this season and he also is the team leader with seven points. He has been a key piece off the bench for the Cardinals and will look to continue his success on the field.
Another Cardinal who has been getting more and more involved in the offense as of late is froward Christian Ruud. Ruud scored his first goal of the season against Gannon in the 53rd minute that at that point made it a 2-1 game early in the second half. Over his last three games, Ruud has contributed a goal, an assist, and three points as he makes an impact on the offensive side of the ball. The Cardinals will be looking to get off to a fast start in this one and use that momentum to carry them through the rest of the game.
As we reach the final two weeks of September, the Wheeling Men's Soccer team is currently sitting just outside the top four of the conference in fifth at 2-2-1. They are a game behind West Virginia Wesleyan for that coveted fourth place spot, but still have plenty of opportunities to try and make-up ground. With contests against Charleston and Davis & Elkins coming in the next week, the team will get a shot to see where they stand against some of the top teams in the conference. It will be a test for Wheeling, but they will do their best to stay in the playoff hunt and grab a playoff berth for the first time since the 2018 season.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the eighth time in program history on Wednesday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 4-3. Although not as long and storied as some of the Wheeling/West Liberty matchups, the Cardinals have never dropped a home game to the Hilltoppers during that span, going 3-0 on Bishop Schmitt Field. Their most recent meeting came in the final game of the 2021 regular season when the Cardinals honored their former Head Coach Jim Regan with a thrilling 2-1 win in his final game.
In that game, the Cardinals took the lead in just the second minute with a Richard Afolayanka goal, but West Liberty tied it up before halftime. Former Cardinal Daniel Skarpnes would then give his team the lead in the 46th minute and the team would hold off their rivals for the win. Former Cardinal Tyler Serman got the start in net that day and made seven saves on eight shots faced on the afternoon.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field and will be a red out with all fans encouraged to wear red. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
Original source can be found here.
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