Wheeling, W. Va. - So far this fall athletics season, three teams have secured their spot in either the Mountain East Conference (MEC) or National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) playoffs. On Wednesday, the Wheeling University Women's Soccer team (5-10-1, 5-8-1) will try to clinch their spot in the MEC playoffs on the road when they battle West Virginia Wesleyan at 4 PM. The Cardinals need a win and a West Liberty loss to Davis & Elkins to clinch their first-ever MEC Playoff berth.
Last time out, the Cardinals took on those same Senators at Bishop Schmitt Field as they honored their seniors on Senior Day. However, the result on the field was not what they wanted as Davis & Elkins scored four goals in each half on their way to an 8-1 win. The Cardinals lone goal came in the 35th minute of the game when Talynn DeBartolo brought the ball into the offensive zone. She made a move around a few defenders and sent a shot into the upper right corner of the net to make it a 4-1 game at that point. The Cardinals took six shots in the second half but were unable to add on as they dropped to 5-8-1 in MEC play.
Despite the loss, it was a big goal for DeBartolo as she built her confidence coming down the stretch run. She was held goalless from September 18th to October 12th but has come back strong over her last three games. She had three goals during that three-game stretch, including a two-goal game in the wild offensive affair with Glenville State. She now has five goals on the year, setting a new career-high, and sits fourth on the team in that category. DeBartolo is going to be one of the big pieces for this Cardinal's offense coming down the stretch as they try to make their first-ever run in the MEC Playoffs this season.
Joining DeBartolo on offense is a trio of strong attackers in Kenadee Burgoyne, Mary DiFonzo, and Braedynn Porter. All four forwards have five goals or more this season, marking the first time that four or more Cardinals have had more than five goals since the team joined the MEC back in 2013. They have the seventh-highest scoring offense in the conference and will look to help their defense out by putting a bunch of points on the board. The Cardinal's defense has been facing a lot of shots over the past few games and will look to get some help from the offense down the stretch.
With two games left on the regular season schedule, Wheeling is still searching for their first MEC playoff berth in program history. Their most recent loss dropped them to fourth in the MEC North Division standings, sitting three points ahead of West Liberty for the final playoff spot and two points behind Notre Dame for third in the division. A win on Wednesday and a West Liberty loss would clinch Wheeling a playoff spot, making the final game of the year about seeding. The Cardinals still have a chance to take the #3 seed in the tournament if they can win their final two games and get one Notre Dame College loss. A Falcons win in either of their final two games would keep Wheeling in the #4 spot in the division.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 27th time in program history and the second time so far in 2022. West Virginia Wesleyan leads the all-time series at 21-5-1, but over the last four meetings the Cardinals have battled back going 1-2-1 during that stretch. When the teams meet in Buckhannon, West Virginia, the Cardinals are 2-13 in 15 career meetings and look to turn that matchup around starting on Wednesday.
In their first game of the year, the Cardinals and Bobcats finished in a 0-0 tie at Bishop Schmitt Field, the first tie in the matchups 26-game history. West Virginia Wesleyan outshot Wheeling 20-13 in the game, putting 13 shots on net compared to four for the Cardinals. Mikayla Yarwood had a big day in net for Wheeling, finishing with 10 saves on 10 shots faced throughout the night to pick up the shutout.
The Details
Kick-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 4 PM at Cebe Ross Field on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
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October 26, 2022 at 01:31AM
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Women’s Soccer Looks to Seal Playoff Fate with Road Matchup at West Virginia Wesleyan - Wheeling University Athletics
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