Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer looks to net some home markers as it hosts the VMI Keydets in Southern Conference action Thursday evening at the on-campus Catamount Athletic Complex. Kick is scheduled for 7 p.m. as the Catamounts battle their fourth conference foe of the season.
The fifth-place Catamounts enter Thursday's matchup with a 5-4-3 record overall and a 1-1-1 mark in conference play after most recently falling 1-0 to the Furman Paladins at home. VMI enters the match with a 1-10-1 mark and is 0-3-0 in its SoCon matches. The Keydets most recently dropped a 2-0 contest with rival The Citadel.
Admission on Thursday – and for each of WCU's three remaining regular-season home matches in Cullowhee – is free of charge, courtesy of First Bank. Thursday's matchup will be livestreamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with a link and live stats available on CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (5-4-3, SoCon 1-1-1) vs. VMI (1-10-1, SoCon 0-3-0)
Cullowhee, N.C. | 7 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/4c78zvs7
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/3zk3e32c
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Keydets play for only the 13th time in series history, with the Catamounts unbeaten in the previous 12 matchups. WCU has outscored the Keydets 30-1 in those matches, with VMI's lone goal coming in a 4-1 Catamount win in Cullowhee in 2022. Of WCU's 11 shutout victories in the series, six have been 1-0 decisions, with the most recent coming in a road win in the 2021 fall season.
WCU enters the home contest looking to find momentum on its home pitch this season, as the Catamounts are just 1-4-0 at the Catamount Athletic Complex. The Catamounts have been outscored 8-3 in those five home contests, with their last goal coming against High Point on August 17. However, WCU is recording plenty of opportunities to score in those home contests, posting 85 shots and putting 38 on goal in those matches. The Catamounts – while taking an average of 17 shots per home game – are limiting their opponents to 11.4 shots per game at home but are conceding a goal on .140 percent of those attempts.
The Keydets roll into the match on a three-match losing skid, falling to SoCon foes UNCG (4-0), Furman (2-1), and The Citadel (2-0) in that span. VMI has been shut out in eight of its matches this season and has been outscored 38-8 on the year.
The two squads have two common foes in the nonconference slate, as the Catamounts and Keydets battled the Winthrop Eagles and the Longwood Lancers. The Catamounts went 1-0-1 in those two matches, downing Winthrop 2-0 and battling the Lancers to a scoreless draw. VMI and Longwood had an explosive, eight-goal match in August, with the Lancers coming away with a 5-3 victory. The Keydets and Eagles drew 0-0 in Lexington.
Both teams faced Furman in the SoCon slate and fell to the Paladins. WCU dropped the contest 1-0 at home while the Keydets battled to a 2-1 loss on their home pitch.
Around the SoCon – Oct. 2:
#1 Furman (8-1-2, 2-0-1) at #7 UNCG (2-8-1, 1-1-1) | Greensboro, N.C. | 6 p.m.
#2 ETSU (7-2-3, 2-0-1) vs. #9 Wofford (3-6-4, 0-2-1) | Johnson City, Tenn. | 6 p.m.
#3 Samford (5-2-4, 2-0-1) vs. #6 The Citadel (4-4-2, 1-1-1) | Homewood, Ala. | 5 p.m. ET
#4 Chattanooga (7-3-2, 1-1-1) vs #8 Mercer (5-4-2, 0-1-2) | Chattanooga, Tenn. | 6 p.m.
#5 Western Carolina (5-4-3, 1-1-1) vs #10 VMI (1-10-1, 0-3-0) | Cullowhee, N.C. | 7 p.m.
Players to Watch:
Five Catamounts had three or more total shots in a 30-shot effort against Furman, with Isabella DeMarco and Sofia Goclowski leading the charge with seven and six shots, respectively. Goclowski led all players with four shots on goal, while DeMarco and Madison Gellner put three shots on frame apiece. Before the shutout loss, DeMarco had put together a four-match points streak and will have an opportunity to start a new run of success against the Keydets as she posted a goal and an assist in the 5-0 win last season.
VMI is led offensively by Taliyah Headman and Madeline Karsonovich, who are tied for the team lead in goals with two each. Karsonovich netted VMI's one goal against Furman and was assisted by Mackenzie Hobik on the score. Isabella Franco leads the team in scoring chances, posting 18 shots and eight on goal.
Freshman goalkeeper Maren Ryberg has seen the lion's share of minutes between the posts for the Keydets, recording 889 minutes of action on the backline. She leads the conference in saves with 71, but also has the most goals allowed this season, conceding 32 in her 11 games played.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU hits the road to take on The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., on Oct. 5 for a 2 p.m. kick before returning home to host Wofford on Oct. 10 for Senior Night. Five Catamounts – Isabella DeMarco, Abbie Wise, Milla Syska, Ava Robitaille, and Leanne Trudel – will each receive recognition for their outstanding WCU careers.
