Lexington, Va. – Western Carolina women's soccer was efficient in Thursday afternoon's Southern Conference road victory at VMI, as the Catamounts posted their eighth consecutive shutout in explosive 5-0 fashion at Patchin Field. Four different players recorded goals including a career-best two by Abbie Lainhart as WCU's defense continued its program-long shutout streak.

WCU improved to 3-0-0 in conference play, currently the only team in the SoCon without a league loss or draw on the record. The Catamounts improved to 8-2-2 overall and 2-2-1 on the road. The Purple and Gold have gone 2-0-1 on the road since their 3-0 road win over Georgia State on Sept. 1. VMI fell to 5-6-1 including a 1-3-0 mark in the conference.

Catamount goalkeeper Leanne Trudel and WCU's defensive backline extended "Shutout September" into October, as Trudel added two more saves to her total with the combination of Mary Mueth, Samantha Whitaker, Abbie Wise, sophomore defender Maddie Lopez, and freshman Rylie Niemeyer held the home team to just four shots through the full 90 minutes.

Naya Marcil notched the game-winning goal for the Catamounts in the eighth minute on the Purple and Gold's first shot of the day as Isabella DeMarco earned the assist on Marcil's fifth tally of the season. The star of the day though was Lainhart, who recorded her first goal of the season in the 39th minute. She then recorded her second marker just 69 seconds later, putting WCU up 3-0 before the halftime horn.

In the second half, Naya Marcil assisted on Isabella Demarco's goal with the conference's top preseason player collecting a goal of her own in the 61st minute. Kirsten Hahn was the beneficiary of Christina Layton's first career assist in the 78th minute as the Catamounts cruised to the 5-0 victory.  

How it Happened: 

The home team rattled off the first shot of the match in the sixth minute as both teams looked to find their footing early in the day. Leanne Trudel recorded her first of two saves, both coming in the first half, as she denied the attempt from Cameron Jones. The Catamounts responded with the next six shots of the game, starting with Naya Marcil's eventual game-winning goal in the ninth minute.  

VMI's Riley Boucher broke up the Catamount attack with a shot on goal in the 28th minute before the WCU responded with seven straight shots including Abbie Lainhart's incredible, two-goal run in the 38th and 39th minutes.  

The Catamounts outshot the Keydets 5-1 to open the final 45 minutes, with Isabella DeMarco recording her third goal of the season to put WCU up 4-0. A pair of seniors – Kirsten Hahn and Christina Layton – teamed for the fifth and final goal in the 78th minute as Hahn blasted a shot for her fifth goal of the season.  

Catamount Notables: 

• The Catamounts posted their eight-consecutive shutout, a streak dating back to the 3-0 win over Georgia State … WCU is 7-0-1 in that stretch, outscoring the opposition 20-0 in those outings;
• Abbie Wise, Mary Mueth, and Maddie Lopez went the full 90 minutes in the shutout victory, anchoring the Catamount defensive backline. Samantha Whitaker and freshman Rylie Niemeyer saw 64 and 26 minutes respectively in the shutout;
• Eight Catamounts took at least two shots on the day, with Naya Marcil, Sofia Goclowski, Isabella DeMarco, and Abbie Lainhart all posting two shots on goal;
• WCU has found its offensive swing this season, having now scored three or more goals in five matches this season.

Up Next for the Catamounts: 

Western Carolina returns home to host their "Kick Cancer!" game against SoCon foe The Citadel on Sunday, Oct. 6, with kickoff at 2 p.m. Pink will be a predominant color as part of October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.

Also of note on Sunday, following the match, the 2023 Southern Conference champions will receive their championship rings in a special ceremony. Catamount Athletics is making arrangements to stream the post-match celebratory moment through the department's official Facebook page (FB.com/catamountsports) and shared through the Catamount soccer's page.

Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's soccer and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @Catamountsoccer)