Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Western Carolina University

Western Carolina
The Official Home of Catamount Athletics

Schedule

Full
Catamounts vs. Lees-McRae

Women's Soccer Denise Gideon, Director of Media Relations

Soccer Opens 2022 Season on the Road

Catamounts face Mount St. Mary's and Navy to open the season

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer opens the 2022 season with a pair of road matches traveling to Mount St. Mary's Thursday and the U.S. Naval Academy Sunday. 
  
 THURSDAY – LIVE STATS | The Mount All-Access
 SUNDAY – LIVE STATS | ESPN+
 
AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE CATAMOUNTS:
  • Western Carolina won its lone exhibition match defeating Lees-McRae 6-0 on Aug. 12. 
  • Freshman Milla Syska recorded a "haul" netting four goals in the match. 
  • All six goals in the contest against Lees-McRae were scored by Catamount rookies as Isabella DeMarco and Ava Robitaille each scored a goal as well. 
  • Western Carolina was predicted to finish fourth in the Southern Conference preseason coaches' poll. The fourth-place prediction is the highest for the Catamounts since 2009 when they were chosen to finish second.
  • Western Carolina returns eight of its starters from the 2021 season and 22 letterwinners. 
  • Top returners include Southern Conference All-Freshman selections Naya Marcil and Kirsten Hahn along with SoCon All-Tournament selections Katelyn Galbraith and Abbie Wise. Fifth-year senior Reily Nelson returns to the Catamounts taking advantage of her COVID year. 
  • Senior Melody Mezzina is the veteran returning goalkeeper. She saw action in 10 matches inside the posts, starting nine, giving up six goals, registering 32 saves, and a record of 6-3-1. Overall, Mezzina has 105 saves in her Catamount career which ranks eighth in the WCU record books. Her 16 total wins are good for fifth in the Catamount record books. 
  • Western Carolina is one of nine NCAA Division I women's soccer teams that have two pairs of sisters. Alexis and Isabella DeMarco and Rea and Milla Syska join sisters from Duke, Kansas State, Minnesota, Purdue, Saint Francis, South Dakota State, Tulsa and UC Irvine.
  • Western Carolina and Mount St. Mary's meet for the first time. 
  • The Catamounts and Navy tangle for the second time in the two team's history. WCU and the Midshipmen met in Cullowhee on Sept. 2, 2018, with the contest ending in a 0-0 double overtime tie.
 
AN INSIDE LOOK AT OPPONENTS:
  • Mount St. Mary's opens the 2022 season against the Catamounts Thursday. 
  • The Mountaineers welcome 15 newcomers for the 2022 campaign. 
  • Mount St. Mary's was predicted to finish ninth in the MAAC preseason coaches poll.
  • Navy was selected to win the Patriot League by the league coaches. 
  • Midshipmen Katie Herrmann and Alexa Riddle were named to the Patriot League Preseason All-League Team. 
  • Navy will host two teams from the Southern Conference to open the 2022 season. Thursday, Aug. 18, the Midshipmen welcome The Citadel before the Catamounts on Aug. 21. 
 
For the latest information on Western Carolina women's soccer, follow @catamounts for @catamountsoccer on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.
 
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Katelyn Galbraith

#12 Katelyn Galbraith

D
5' 6"
Junior
Mcintosh HS
Kirsten Hahn

#4 Kirsten Hahn

F
5' 8"
Sophomore
Naya Marcil

#7 Naya Marcil

F/MF
5' 8"
Sophomore
Melody Mezzina

#0 Melody Mezzina

GK
5' 4"
Senior
St. Marguerite D' Youville
Reily Nelson

#15 Reily Nelson

F/D
5' 8"
Graduate Student
Fike HS
Abbie Wise

#5 Abbie Wise

D
5' 5"
Sophomore
Isabella DeMarco

#29 Isabella DeMarco

MF/F
5' 6"
Freshman
Ava Robitaille

#24 Ava Robitaille

MF
5' 5"
Freshman
Milla Syska

#6 Milla Syska

F
5' 8"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Katelyn Galbraith

#12 Katelyn Galbraith

5' 6"
Junior
Mcintosh HS
D
Kirsten Hahn

#4 Kirsten Hahn

5' 8"
Sophomore
F
Naya Marcil

#7 Naya Marcil

5' 8"
Sophomore
F/MF
Melody Mezzina

#0 Melody Mezzina

5' 4"
Senior
St. Marguerite D' Youville
GK
Reily Nelson

#15 Reily Nelson

5' 8"
Graduate Student
Fike HS
F/D
Abbie Wise

#5 Abbie Wise

5' 5"
Sophomore
D
Isabella DeMarco

#29 Isabella DeMarco

5' 6"
Freshman
MF/F
Ava Robitaille

#24 Ava Robitaille

5' 5"
Freshman
MF
Milla Syska

#6 Milla Syska

5' 8"
Freshman
F