Nov. 7, 2008

Final Stats

Mt. Pleasant, S.C. - The Western Carolina women's soccer (13-7-1) team used a Rachael Shomper goal to advance to the finals of the Southern Conference tournament edging Samford 1-0 Friday night. It will be a battle of one versus two in the Championship game on Sunday as the Catamounts face top-seeded UNC Greensboro, with game time set for 1:00 pm at Patriots Points in Charleston, S.C.

Sunday's championship match will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network LIVE on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee with Daniel Hooker and former Catamount women's soccer standout, Lauren Atkinson, on the call. The broadcast can also be heard online at WWCUFM.com.

With the victory WCU heads back to the SoCon Championship finals for the first time since 2005 when it defeated Furman 1-0 to capture its first tournament title.

The Catamounts scored the game winning goal in the 50th minute of play when Shomper, a junior, beat the Samford keeper Alyssa Whithead to give Western Carolina a 1-0 advantage. Shomper took a pass from teammate Nikki Lombardo and fired it into the net for her first game winning goal of the season.

Western Carolina used their defense the rest of the second half to seal the victory over the Bulldogs. The Catamounts held Samford to just one attempted on goal in the last 40 minutes of play.

It marks the third time in school history that the Catamounts have reached the SoCon Finals. It is also the second time they have faced UNC Greensboro in the championship with the last meeting coming back in 2001.

The first half saw two very physical teams do battle as just two shots were fired in the first half of play with one coming from each team. Both teams had an opportunity in the first half but ended play even at the half.

Samford had their best chance coming in the 34th minute of play when a header shot by the Bulldogs Brittany Gordon was saved by Catamounts sophomore keeper Caitlin Williams to keep the game tied.

Just six minutes later SoCon freshman all-conference team member Kayla Beauduy had her shot attempted blocked by the Bulldogs defense.

Before the Catamounts took the lead in the contest, Williams came up with two huge saves to keep the game tied in the opening minute of the second half. Samford had two opportunities to take the lead but Williams would not let the Bulldogs take advantage.

The Catamounts out shot the Bulldogs 5-to-4 for the contest and both teams were called for 10 fouls apiece.