Wheeling, W.Va. – Last season, the Wheeling University Men’s Soccer team was in year two of a rebuild under legendary Head Coach Jim Regan. He brought in several strong freshmen and built the foundation of a winning program. One season later, there is a new Regan at the helm of the team and their goals have grown as they exit the rebuilding phase. Brandon Regan takes over as Head Coach of the Cardinals in 2022 and he and his team have their expectations on grabbing one of the top four spots in the Mountain East Conference (MEC).
2021 started out with a bang for the Cardinals when they picked up a 6-1 season opening win that saw four different Cardinals get in on the action. Once the conference schedule began, the success kept going as Wheeling sat 2-1 after their first three MEC contests. However, the middle of the season did in the young team and they dropped to 3-11-1. They honored the legacy of Jim Regan during their final home game against West Liberty and did not disappoint. The Cardinals took the lead as the second half began and held on for a thrilling 2-1 win to end the year. Not only did it end the year on a high note, but it gave the young team the confidence that they can play with some of the best teams in the MEC. They have taken that momentum with them and are using it as motivation heading into 2022.
The Cardinals return three of their top four offensive players from last year, led by juniors Richard Afolayanka. He set a new career-high last season with seven goals and tied for the team lead with two assists for a total of 16 points. He earned All-MEC Honorable Mention honors for the second year in a row. He is joined by junior Harry Martin and fifth-year senior Miguel Martin on the front line. Harry Martin finished with three goals last season, scoring two of those three goals in the first two games of the season. Miguel Martin finished the year with two goals and one assist, and scored two of those three goals in the second game of the season.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals will see all three of their starting defenders return to action. Sophomores Malte Fredin, Armando Loynazand TJ Cherry will be manning the defensive zone, looking to keep the opponents at bay. Loynaz got involved on both sides of the ball by the end of the year and finished with one goal and one assist while taking 30 shots. However, the Cardinals will be looking for a new goalkeeper after the graduation of Tyler Sherman. It will be three different goalkeepers battling for minutes in the net, with seniors Austin AaronSophomore Carlos Molinaand freshman Flem Sandt all fighting for time. Of the three Aaron was the only one to appear in a game last season, making 14 saves on 21 shots faced over three games.
The group of returners is joined by a strong incoming class that features 14 freshman players. Among them is a freshman Cole Congson who was the 2021 mr. Youngstown D1 Conference Player of the Year and a member of the All-State Team. Transfer Austin Nyanneh comes to the Cardinals after scoring three goals and two assists with Saint Mary of the Woods of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and both look to factor into the Cardinals offensive game. Sandt is joining in on the defensive battle in net, meanwhile Adam Edwinsson, Andrew Schmidtand Amir Roque will all try to factor into the Pirates defensive situation in front of the net.
Brandon Regan enters his first season as a Head Coach with the Cardinals and is excited about what he has seen from his team. They are playing well in the preseason and offer a lot of depth they can use throughout the season.
“We have been off to a good start in preseason,” said Regan. “The guys have been working very hard and I am pleased with the intensity they bring to training. We are overall still a young team and have a solid group of returning players that are playing with more confidence. We also have a good freshman class that will help contribute and provide quality depth. We are looking forward to challenging for a playoff position this fall.”
The Wheeling University Men’s Soccer team kicks off their regular season on Saturday, August 27th, when they hit the road to take on Cedarville at 7 PM.