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Wilging, a defender from Mansfield, Ohio, helped Mansfield Christian High School post nine shutouts in 20 matches as a senior as he was named to the All-District First Team. He was also an All-District Honorable Mention pick in 2002, and he was a member of the 2000 ODP State Team.

"There is great satisfaction when you sign a player that you were aware of and wanted the past two years because of the type of person they are and because you know they will be a great addition to your team,” said MVNU head coach Paul Furey. "That was the case with Matt as we have seen him play the past couple years for Mansfield Christian and knew he would fit perfectly into our program.”

"We have had a very nice and rewarding relationship with Mansfield Christian over the years as they have sent a number of quality people to our program who have done extremely well for us in soccer,” Furey added. "Matt is as solid as any of them as he is an excellent student, complete player, and committed Christian with a supportive family. We are extremely excited to have him on board.”

In addition to playing soccer at Mansfield Christian, Wilging has been a three-year member of National Honor Society and has served as a small group leader in the Berean Baptist youth group.

"There are several reasons why I chose MVNU,” said Wilging of his college choice. "It is a good fit for me in that it is close enough to home that I could go home any time, yet it is also far enough away that I still feel independent from my parents. MVNU also has a good science program, which is what I plan to study. The campus atmosphere is also good. I sense that there is a real passion for the Lord there, which more than anything else, is the most important aspect of MVNU to me.”

MVNU finished the 2003 campaign with a 13-5-1 overall record. The Cougars also went 4-3-1 in the highly competitive American Mideast Conference South Division to finish in a tie for fourth place.