Early Offensive Explosion Propels WCU to SoCon Semifinals

Catamounts score six first-half goals in ousting No. 8 seed Wofford, 6-1

Cullowhee, N.C. – After sitting and watching Friday's first Southern Conference Women's Soccer Championship Quarterfinal play its way into overtime before fifth-seeded Chattanooga tallied the game-winning golden goal, Western Carolina head coach Chad Miller would not have to wait long to see how his homestanding squad would react.

Naya Marcil scored just 107 seconds into Friday's nightcap and the Catamounts blitzed eighth-seeded Wofford for six first half goals in blasting the Terriers 6-1 for the second time this season to punch their ticket into Sunday's semifinal match. Friday marked WCU's third 6-1 victory of the 2024 season.

Marcil and Sofia Goclowski both recorded braces with two goals apiece with the latter credited with the game-winning goal just five and a half minutes into regulation. WCU scored three goals in the first seven minutes of the match with Isabella DeMarco and Goclowski's second marker putting the Purple and Gold ahead 4-0 in the 12th minute of the match. Marcil added another score in the 14th minute and Samantha Vibberts collected her first penalty kick goal as WCU cruised to the victory.

WCU improved to 8-0-2 on the home pitch at the Catamount Athletic Complex with four of those wins coming against SoCon opposition. The last loss for the Catamounts in their home stadium came in September 2023 against the Furman Paladins.

The 5-0 lead allowed the Catamounts to turn to their depth early in the quarterfinal match, as 28 Catamounts saw the pitch in the victory. Freshman Samantha Vibberts recorded the second goal of her young career in the 25th minute, capitalizing on a penalty kick to put the Purple and Gold up 6-0 in the first half.  

The lone blemish of the dominating effort came in the 85th minute, as Wofford's Megan Childress put a shot just outside the reach of Leanne Trudel for the Terriers sole goal of the night. Trudel collected five saves in the tournament opener, tying her third-most in a match this season. Trudel and Becca Campbell were the only Catamounts to see the field for the whole 90 minutes, holding the Terriers to only 10 shots, with only six threatening to score.  

Catamount Notables: 

• Western Carolina's 14 seasonal wins represent the third most in a single season in program history behind only the 18 and 16 victories earned by the 2005 and 2001 teams respectively; 
• The last four matches WCU has played against the Terriers have been decided by five goals – 5-0 2023 regular season, 5-0 2023 Quarterfinals, 6-1 2024 regular season, 6-1 Quarterfinals … All told, the Catamounts have managed to outscore Wofford, 22-2 over the past two seasons; 
• WCU put up 20+ shots for the 12th time this season ... the Purple and Gold are 10-1-1 when taking 20 or more shots in a match and are 9-1-1 when putting double-digit shots on frame; 
• The six goals scored by the Catamounts to open the tournament are the most since the Samford Bulldogs earned a 6-1 victory over the Mercer Bears in the Spring 2021 season;
• Naya Marcil and Sofia Goclowski posted braces in the 6-1 victory ... Their multi-goal efforts were the sixth and seventh such efforts for the Catamounts this season ... Goclowski's two goals match her total scored against the Terriers in the regular-season meeting; 
• Isabella DeMarco posted a goal and an assist in the lopsided victory while Milla Syska chipped in an assist of her own ... the duo are now tied for the most points on the team with 24 apiece; 
• SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Ava Robitaille doubled her assist total for the season in Friday's win, helping out on Naya Marcil's opening goal of the night and on Sofia Goclowski's second goal of the evening in the 12th minute.

Up Next for The Catamounts: 

Western Carolina faces the fifth-seeded Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletic Complex after Chattanooga battled to the 3-2 overtime victory over the Mercer Bears in the quarterfinals. WCU and UTC just met one week ago in the regular-season finale for both teams with the Catamounts edging the Mocs 1-0 at Finley Stadium / Davenport Field in the Scenic City.

The winner of Sunday afternoon's match faces the winner of #2 Samford versus #3 Furman matchup for the conference championship and NCAA automatic bid the following weekend. The highest remaining seed will host the title bout.

Samford and Furman both advanced thanks to 2-1 victories in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday – Samford upended seventh-seeded UNCG 2-1 thanks to consecutive goals in the final six minutes of regulation as all three tallies came in the second half and after the 80th minute. Furman made a 2-0 lead midway through the second half stand as ETSU scored in the 77th minute and threatened over the final 14 minutes but was unable to find the equalizer.

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