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Schedule

Full
Associate Head Coach Todd Herman
Caitlin Penna, WCU Public Relations
3
Winner Furman FUR (6-0-1, 6-0-1)
1
Western Caro. WCU (3-6-0, 2-4-0)
Winner
Furman FUR
(6-0-1, 6-0-1)
3
Final
1
Western Caro. WCU
(3-6-0, 2-4-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Furman FUR 3 0 3
Western Caro. WCU 1 0 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Denise Gideon, Director of Media Relations

Soccer Battles and Falls to Conference Leader Furman

Hosts Wofford Sunday on Senior Day

The Basics
Score: Furman 3, Western Carolina 1
Records: Western Carolina 3-6, 2-4 SoCon, Furman 6-0-1, 6-0-1 SoCon
Location: Catamount Soccer Complex, Cullowhee, N.C.  
 
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer gave up three early goals to Furman but battled the Paladins for the remainder of the match before falling 3-1 Friday at the Catamount Soccer Complex. 
 
Turning Point:
Furman scored three goals in the first 20 minutes of the match and went on to hold off a pesky Catamount offensive attack for the win. 
 
 Individual Leaders
  • Senior Regan Ward scored the Catamount's lone goal and notched her team-leading third goal of the season.
  • Sophomore Rea Syska had an assist in the game, her fourth of the year. 
  • Furman's Miya Poplin and Kyndal Anderson each had a goal and assist in the match. 
 
 
Inside the Box Score
  • As fans were settling in for the match, Furman wasted no time getting on the board marching down the field to score its first goal of the match almost three minutes in. 
  • Six minutes later, at 8:01, the Paladins added their second goal.
  • After a shot that just missed the goal, hitting the outside of the left side of the net, Furman made it a trio of goals at 19:53. 
  • Western Carolina got on the board as Syska took the ball at the 45 yard-line of the Catamounts' attacking side who passed it down the lane in front of Ward. The play pulled the Furman goalkeeper out of the goal and Ward sped past her, tripped a bit, and then sent the ball into the empty net. 
  • The Catamounts came out highly aggressive in the second half. WCU took four shots in the first half and had 13 in the second as the Catamounts ended the game outshooting the Paladins 17 to 14. 
  • Western Carolina's scoring chances were plentiful in the final 45 minutes with an aggressive Ward taking six of her seven shots in the match in the second half. 
  • Ward had three strong scoring chances but the shots just went wide or were a bit too high. 
  • After giving up three early goals, sophomore goalkeeper Melody Mezzina shined in the second half making acrobatic saves and aggressively coming out of the box to assist the defense. She had seven saves in the match and falls to 3-5 on the year. 
 
News & Notes 
  • Western Carolina is just the third team on the season to score a goal against Furman. The Paladins gave up a goal to Mercer and Samford earlier in the year. 
  • Ward scored her ninth career goal. 
  • With her seven saves in the match against Furman, Mezzina has 68 saves in her career ranking ninth in the WCU record books. 
 
 Up Next
Western Carolina closes out the home portion of its season Sunday hosting Wofford at 6 p.m. at the Catamount Soccer Complex. Senior Natalia Icen will be honored before the match which will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount basketball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @Catamountsoccer).
 
 
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