Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer closes its 2025 regular season on Sunday afternoon, hosting the Chattanooga Mocs in Southern Conference action looking to keep its hopes alive for a share of the conference regular-season crown. Kick is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the on-campus Catamount Athletic Complex, with fans encouraged to wear purple for the annual 'Purple Out' match.  

Much still hangs in the balance entering the finale weekend as the Catamounts (9-4-4, SoCon 5-1-2) enter the weekend in second place in the standings, still in the hunt for a share of the SoCon regular season championship pending Samford's result at UNC Greensboro. Chattanooga (9-4-4, SoCon 3-2-3) enters with a chance to move up to the No. 3 seed, with the Mocs additionally needing help for a result to go their way in the ETSU vs VMI matchup.

Sunday's regular-season finale features two of the highest-powered offenses in the Southern Conference, with the Catamounts (33) and Mocs (35) combining for 68 goals on 587 shots, with 273 of those being put on frame.

Admission to WCU's home regular-season 'Purple Out' finale is free, courtesy of First Bank. Sunday's matchup will be livestreamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with a link and live stats available on CatamountSports.com.

Sunday's Matchup:

Western Carolina (9-4-4, SoCon 5-1-2) vs. Chattanooga (9-4-4, SoCon 3-2-2)

Cullowhee, N.C. | Catamount Athletic Complex | 2 p.m.

Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/h5f6ysca

Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/3zk3e32c

Quick Cuts:

The Catamounts and Mocs meet for the 28th time in series history, with WCU holding a 15-9-3 edge. WCU earned two wins over the Mocs last season, picking up a 1-0 road win to polish off an undefeated SoCon record before rolling to a 2-0 win in the SoCon semifinals. WCU has won three straight home matches against Chattanooga, outscoring the Mocs 7-0 in Cullowhee since 2021.

WCU enters Sunday's match on a five-game unbeaten streak, its second of the season. The Catamounts have gone 4-0-1 in that span, taking down VMI (9-0), The Citadel (3-0), Wofford (1-0), ETSU (0-0), and UNC Greensboro (4-2), ultimately outscoring the opposition 17-to-2. Already having secured the No. 2 seed, a win against Chattanooga and a loss by Samford at UNCG would secure WCU a share of the SoCon regular season crown for the third consecutive year.

Chattanooga is pushing for its second 10-win season in the last three years and is hoping to close out the regular season with momentum. The Mocs are on a two-game unbeaten streak, with a 1-1 draw against Furman and a 3-0 win over VMI. Chattanooga's most recent loss came in a 2-1 decision favoring The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

The Catamounts and Mocs shared only one common nonconference opponent in the regular season, with both teams earning shutout wins over the Winthrop Eagles. UTC rolled to a 4-0 season-opening victory over the Big South foe while the Catamounts claimed a 2-0 road win over the Eagles.

Both teams wrap up conference play in Sunday's match, with the Mocs posting a 3-2-3 mark in SoCon play. Chattanooga's two losses are to Samford (2-0) and The Citadel (2-1), while their wins came against Wofford (4-0), Mercer (4-2), and VMI (3-0). They hold the third-best goal differential in SoCon play at +6, behind only WCU's +15 and Samford's +18.  

Around the SoCon – Oct. 26

#1 Samford (9-2-5, 6-0-2) at #7 UNCG (3-10-3, 2-3-3) | Greensboro, N.C. | 2 p.m.

* Already having locked in home-field for the quarterfinals and semifinals, any points with a win or a tie for the Bulldogs would lock in a regular-season title

#2 Western Carolina (9-4-4, 5-1-2) vs #4 Chattanooga (9-4-4, 3-2-3) | Cullowhee | 2 p.m.

* Already having locked in a Top 2 seed and home-field advantage for the quarterfinals and semifinals, a victory AND a Samford loss would secure WCU a share of the SoCon regular-season title; any points by the Bulldogs on Sunday secure the crown

#3 ETSU (8-3-6, 3-1-4) vs #10 VMI (1-15-1, 0-8-0) | Johnson City, Tenn. | 2 p.m.

* Chattanooga needs a win at WCU and a VMI victory in Johnson City to climb into third

#5 Mercer (8-6-2, 3-3-2) vs #9 Wofford (5-8-5, 2-4-2) | Macon, Ga. | 2 p.m.

#6 Furman (8-3-5, 2-2-4) vs #8 The Citadel (5-7-3, 2-4-2) | Greenville, S.C. | 2 p.m.

SoCon Standings – (Entering Oct. 26/ Remaining Schedule):

^  – Locked Seeds

1 – Samford ^ – 20 points – (6-0-2) – at #7 UNCG (10/26)

2 – Western Carolina ^ – 17 points – (5-1-2) – vs. #4 UTC (10/26)

3 – ETSU – 13 points (3-1-4) – vs. #10 VMI (10/26)

4 – Chattanooga – 12 points (3-2-3) – at #2 WCU (10/26)

5 – Mercer – 11 points (3-3-2) – vs. #9 WOF (10/26)

6 – Furman – 10 points (2-2-4) – vs. #8 CIT (10/26)

7 – UNCG – 9 points (2-3-3) – vs. #1 SAM (10/26)

8 – The Citadel – 8 points (2-4-2) – at #6 FUR (10/26)

9 – Wofford – 8 points (2-4-2) – at MER (10/26)

10 – VMI ^ – 0 points (0-8-0) – at ETSU (10/26)

Players to Watch:

Western Carolina's sensational senior Isabella DeMarco is enjoying another strong season as the fourth-year forward has posted her third consecutive season with at least 25 points. She's only two points away from matching her career high of 27, which she achieved in her 2023 SoCon Offensive Player of the Year campaign. DeMarco posted her third multi-goal game of the season last time out, netting a brace and an assist on Lucie Bertrand's game-winning goal.

Both Lucie Bertrand and Milla Syska recorded their first goals in conference play, with Bertrand's doubling as her first goal as a Catamount. Syska tapped in a loose ball for her third goal of the season while Bertrand slid one past UNCG's keeper in the 59th minute.  

Defensively, Leanne Trudel remains one of the Southern Conference's top keepers despite conceding two goals to the Spartans. In her eight SoCon starts this season, Trudel has the best GAA (.75) and save percentage (.854) among goalkeepers in the conference. She's collected a career-high 73 saves this season, the most by a single Catamount goalkeeper in a season since Jacquelyn Gnassi had 90 in the 2017 season.

The Mocs are led by a two-directional attack from Caroline Richvalsky and Paige Thomas. The two have eight goals apiece this season and have combined for 110 shots (61 on goal), though freshman Quinn Johnson leads the team with five goals in SoCon play.

Senior goalkeeper Caroline Ekern is looking to close out the season on a high note as she's collected 40 saves and allowed 20 goals, half conceded in SoCon play (10) and has only 14 saves, but most recently shut out VMI. She's allowed at least one goal in every SoCon matchup outside of Chattanooga's 3-0 win over the Keydets and their SoCon opening 4-0 win over Wofford.  

Up Next for The Catamounts:

Already confirmed to be hosting one half of the Southern Conference Tournament, the Catamounts will wait to see their Oct. 31 quarterfinal opponent come out of the #7 vs #10 first-round match on Oct. 29. If current seeds hold, the Catamounts will face the winner of the UNCG vs VMI, though standings are subject to change with seven seeds still up for grabs heading into play on the regular season finale.