CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week Naya Marcil scored a goal and added an assist while Leanne Trudel tied a career-high with nine saves in net as Western Carolina downed Chattanooga 2-0 in a key SoCon match at the Catamount Athletic Complex on Thursday night.
 
WCU improves to 7-3-3 overall and 4-1 in the Southern Conference. The win by the Catamounts combined with a tie between Samford (3-1-1) and Furman (1-0-4) gives WCU sole possession of first place in the league standings ahead of a three-way tie for second. Chattanooga drops to 8-4-1 and 2-2-1.
 
"It was big to get the two early goals," said head coach Chad Miller. "I think we had a lot of things to figure out tonight in terms of what Chattanooga was doing and I think those two goals early allowed us to get comfortable and settle down a bit. It was unfortunate to not get another goal in the second half which would have made our job a little bit easier, but credit Chattanooga. They just kept coming at us at times and it was a battle. It wasn't pretty at times, but our third shutout in a row speaks volumes about our back four, our goalkeeper, and our team as a unit."
 
Marcil's eighth goal of the season got the Catamounts on the board in the 11th minute. Sarah Engen played a ball into the box to Marcil, who buried a shot to the lower left corner for a 1-0 lead. Trudel stopped three shots to keep the Catamounts ahead. In the 28th minute, Marcil made a pass to a waiting Isabella DeMarco in the center of the field. DeMarco then dribbled her way through the Chattanooga defense and beat the keeper for her team-leading ninth goal of the year. The Catamounts held an 11-9 edge in shots in the opening half.
 
Both teams had opportunities to score in the second half. The Mocs threatened in the 63rd minute as Clarrisa Salina crept along the right side of the goal and collided with Trudel after taking a shot, but the Longueuil, Quebec native controlled the ball to keep Chattanooga scoreless. Trudel added saves in the 68th and 69th minutes to maintain the blemish-free scoreboard.
 
In the 73rd minute, Sofia Goclowski narrowly missed scoring the third goal of the match on a cross by Alexis DeMarco, but Mocs goalkeeper Caroline Ekern tipped the ball just over the crossbar.
 
Trudel made nine saves as the Mocs attempted 15 shots while earning her third straight shutout and the seventh of the season.
 
"Leanne has grown up a lot this season," said Miller, "She came in last year as a 17-year-old freshman and kind of got thrown to the wolves last year. From last year until now, she has grown a lot. Confidence is a big part of that. I'm really proud of her growth and her composure and confidence."
 
Ekern made eight saves for Chattanooga as WCU held a 20-15 edge in shots.
 
WCU opens a two-match road trip on Sunday, venturing to third-place Mercer for a 2 p.m. match. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with free live stats available on catamountsports.com. WCU faces The Citadel in Charleston one week from today.
 
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