Preseason Rankings and Divisional Changes
Wheeling University’s men’s soccer program entered the 2026 season ranked fifth in the Mountain East Conference preseason poll, a placement that reflects both past improvement and cautious optimism.
The conference will be split into north and south divisions, each containing five teams, and the Cardinals will compete in the north alongside rivals such as Davis & Elkins, which topped the division with 36 points and five first‑place votes.
First‑year head coach Jack Shearer takes the helm of the Cardinals, inheriting a squad that featured six freshmen in the starting lineup a year ago and that closed the 2025 campaign with a 1.40 goals‑per‑game average over its final five matches.
Defensively, junior center back Pablo Prieto contributed two goals and an assist while forcing bad shots on nearly half of opponent attempts, and sophomore goalkeeper Diego Marquez posted a .699 save percentage with 51 stops.
On the attacking side, redshirt sophomore forward Jon‑Michael Gordon scored three goals, while freshman midfielder Elie Simon earned a spot on the All‑Freshman team after netting one goal and providing creative spark.
The upcoming schedule opens with non‑conference fixtures against CAL‑U and Walsh before diving into MEC play, and four of the next five contests will be played at home, giving the team a chance to build early momentum.
Shearer’s objective is clear: guide the Cardinals back to the MEC Tournament and secure a top‑three finish in the north division, a goal that aligns with the program’s recent upward trajectory.