Cullowhee, N.C. – In a rematch of last year's Southern Conference Women's Soccer Championship match on the same pitch at the Catamount Athletic Complex, Western Carolina posted markers in both halves while extending its scoreless streak to six-straight matches Thursday evening with a league-opening 2-0 victory over the Samford Bulldogs.
WCU extended its unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches including a program-record six straight shutouts.
After enduring a brief lightning delay that halted play, Milla Syska and Alexis DeMarco connected for the eventual game-winner over the Bulldogs in the 41st minute of the first half. DeMarco fired a cross from the left wing of the pitch that Syska headed past Samford's Peyton Hull into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. The Catamounts carried their slim lead into the break and only added to it as Naya Marcil capitalized on her second penalty kick attempt of the season in the 59th minute to put the home team up 2-0.
The Catamounts led the way in shots and scoring opportunities, posting 15 shots to Samford's seven and registered six shots on goal compared to the Bulldog's total of three, all of which were denied by WCU keeper Leanne Trudel in her sixth shutout effort of the season. The box score is deceiving in terms of how tight the final 45 minutes were played as the stalwart Catamount backline of Abbie Wise, Becca Campbell, Mary Mueth, and Samantha Whitaker repeatedly turned away an aggressive Bulldog offense attack as all four defenders played the full 90 minutes.
Western Carolina moved to 6-2-2 on the season with the win, riding that seven-match unbeaten streak dating to the 2-2 draw with Longwood. The Purple and Gold were one of four teams to earn the crucial three points in conference play, joined by Chattanooga, ETSU, and UNCG in the winner's circle. The Catamount's next two opponents – Mercer and Furman – were the only schools in the conference to battle to no decision through 90 minutes, both earning one point after their 1-1 draw in Macon.
The Citadel, VMI, Wofford, and Samford all took one on the chin in their respective conference openers, being outscored 15-2 collectively in their matches.
How it Happened:
Outside of an early blocked shot attempt by Alexis DeMarco in the second minute of the match, the two teams played rather conservatively over the first 20 minutes, though the Catamounts consistently peppered Samford's defense with four shots through the first chunk of play. In fact, play was relatively tight until the lightning delay with roughly 13 minutes to go in the first half.
Once play resumed after the unplanned intermission, both teams pushed for the upper hand though the Catamounts outshot the Bulldogs 4-1 in the final stretch of the first half with Milla Syska collecting her seventh goal of the season that would eventually prove to be her third game-winner in the 41st minute.
Samford looked to even the match early in the second half and controlled the pace of play, keeping pressure on the Catamount backline which repeatedly rose to the occasion. Despite the Bulldogs continually keeping the ball in play on the Catamount's defensive third, the backline only conceded a single shot through the first ten minutes after the break which sailed high above the net.
In the 59th minute, Milla Syska was on the attack for her second goal of the night before being taken down by a Bulldog defender just inside the left hash of the box. The Catamounts were awarded a penalty try after the foul, which Naya Marcil took and capitalized giving the Purple and Gold a 2-0 lead which they would not relinquish.
The final thirty minutes were a physical bout played primarily through the air as Samford provided Leanne Trudel the opportunity to collect a trio of saves in the final third of play and the Catamounts were content to tamp down their own aggressive offense in exchange for whittling more time off the clock. The Purple and Gold's best scoring opportunity in the final thirty minutes of play came from Isabella DeMarco in the 84th minute, who looked to cap off the night with a longshot from outside the box, which sailed just high of the net.
The last six minutes of play ticked away as the Catamounts claimed their sixth straight shutout and third consecutive shutout victory over the Bulldogs.
Catamount Notables:
· The 2024 Western Carolina Women's Soccer Team now holds the longest shutout streak in program history, going six-straight matches and 540 minutes of play without allowing a goal … Thursday's 2-0 win over the Bulldogs broke a five-match tie with the eventual 2008 SoCon championship team;
· The 2-0 win over Samford is the largest win for the Catamounts in series history and the first result to go WCU's way that wasn't a 1-0 victory ... the two goals scored against the Bulldogs tied for the most scored by the Catamounts in a match in the series;
· Goalkeeper Leanne Trudel has not allowed a goal to a SoCon opponent at the Catamount Athletic Complex in seven outings, giving her 630 minutes of uninterrupted shutout action dating back to last season's 4-0 win over UNCG ... the Catamounts have gone 4-0 in conference play during that span and 3-0 in last season's SoCon tournament;
· Milla Syska and Alexis DeMarco connected once again on the game-winning goal in the 41st minute of play ... Both players are on a three-match points streak with Syska recording three goals (two game-winners) and DeMarco assisting Syska on all three goals in that span;
· Naya Marcil has earned two penalty goals on the season and is tied with Mercer's Larkin Thomason and VMI's Barret Callejo for the most in the Southern Conference;
Up Next for The Catamounts
The Catamounts can't rest on their laurels after their big win Thursday as they host a strong Mercer (6-2-2, 0-0-1 SoCon) team on Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletic Complex. Kick for the pivotal SoCon battle is set for 2 p.m. Sunday and has been billed Youth Soccer Day with all young area soccer players invited out to the match. Admission to all WCU women's soccer matches this season is free, courtesy of First Bank in support of women's athletics.
