CONVERSE, Ind. - No. 19 Indiana Wesleyan Men's Soccer opened up the 2026 season with a match against the Dalton State Roadrunners on Thursday, collecting the win, 1-0. The match was originally scheduled to be played on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan, however due to field conditions, the contest was played at Oak Hill High School. The winning goal came off the foot of senior Yarek Carnegie in the 40th minute as the Wildcats capitalized on a penalty kick opportunity. The defense held strong in the second half and propelled IWU to a season opener win.
The first half was a tight battle between the teams. Dalton State edged out IWU on shots, 5-4, but the Wildcats scored the only goal of the match in the opening period. Kadin Wolfe made two key saves to keep the Roadrunners off the board. After a runout for IWU and a penalty against DSC, Yarek Carnegie stepped up to take a penalty kick and lasered it into the right side of the net. Carnegie collects his 19th career goal and 1st of the season.
The second half was even more of a defensive battle with no goals being allowed. IWU flipped the script and attempted one more shot in the second half than Dalton State, 5-4, and was more opportunistic with 4 corner kicks compared to only 1 for the Roadrunners. As the final whistle blew, the Wildcats came away with the 1-0 victory to start 1-0.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Converse, Ind. | Oak Hill High school
- Records: IWU: 1-0-0 (0-0)| DSC: 0-1-0 (0-0)
- NAIA Top-25 Poll: IWU - #19 | DSC - Unranked
WHAT HAPPENED
- The first goal of the new season was scored by Yarek Carnegie on a penalty kick attempt in the 40th minute of play.
- Goalkeeper Kadin Wolfe made 2 saves in the game, both occurring in the first half. Wolfe and the Wildcat defense put together yet another clean sheet after having seven last season.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- 9: Both teams attempted 9 shots and registered 2 on frame.
- 5: IWU attempted 5 total corner kicks with 4 coming in the second half.
- 2: Wolfe added two saves to his career number as the Wildcats' defense held Dalton State to only 2 shots on frame.
WOLFE PERSPECTIVE
- "With how hard everyone worked today I am very excited for the season to come and what it holds for this team," said starting goalkeeper Kadin Wolfe. "As it is my last season with the team, I am very appreciative of everything this team has done for me and I hope to give it my all this season."
LOOKING FORWARD
- IWU returns to action next Monday, the 24th against Manchester University at home.
- Links for tickets, video, and stats are available at IWUWildcats.com.
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