Cullowhee, N.C. – Fueled by a first-half natural hat trick from senior forward Isabella DeMarco and a second-half brace from redshirt sophomore Malia Roberts, Western Carolina erupted offensively for a dominant 9-0 shutout victory over VMI in Southern Conference play on Thursday night at the Catamount Athletics Complex.

The win puts the Catamounts at 6-4-3 on the season and 2-1-1 in the SoCon, while the Keydets fell to 1-11-1 and 0-4-0 in conference play.  

A combined 13 different Catamounts recorded points on Thursday night, including six different goal scorers. DeMarco finished with three goals and an assist,  with Rylie Niemeyer and Ava Robitaille both scoring and dishing out an assist in the victory.

The two teams remained scoreless through the first 13 minutes of the match, though the Catamounts put five shots on the board, including four on frame. Freshman goalkeeper Maren Ryberg collected four of her career-high 10 saves in that span before Emma Soucy notched the eventual game-winning goal in the 14th minute. Lucie Bertrand connected with Soucy, whose shot bounced off the glove of Ryberg and into the net for the go-ahead score.  

Isabella Demarco's career night began only a few moments later as the senior notched her first of three goals in the 17th minute. She added her second marker just a minute later, with assists by Addison Davis and Rylie Niemeyer on the play. The Catamounts kept the pedal down, outshooting the Keydets 4-1 before DeMarco recorded her third career hat-trick and first career natural hat-trick in the 32nd minute to put WCU up  4-0 heading into the break.  

Leanne Trudel recorded her first of six saves on the night in between DeMarco's goals, denying a shot from Taliyah Headman. VMI was limited to only eight shots in the match, but six of those found their way on net with Trudel denying every chance for her 27th career shutout.  

Out of the halftime locker room, the Catamounts kept the pressure on throughout the second half, lighting the scoreboard for five more goals in the final 45 minutes. Niemeyer posted her second goal of the season to put WCU up 5-0, with DeMarco recording an assist on the play to total seven points on the night. Sofia Goclowski scored only a minute later on a long shot from well outside the box as WCU took a 6-0 lead.  

Malia Roberts added onto the night, scoring both her first career goal in the 66th minute and her second tally in the 70th, her first career multi-goal game.

WCU settled in after posting the eighth score of the night, but senior Ava Robitaille notched her fourth goal of the season in the 83rd minute as the Catamounts scored their ninth goal in the win, their most against an NCAA Division-I opponent in program history.

The Catamounts dominated the box score, outshooting VMI 36-8 and putting 20 shots on goal to VMI's six. WCU took 16 corner kicks against two by VMI. The Catamounts finished the night with a SoCon-leading total of 86 corners this season.  

Catamount Notables:

• Western Carolina's nine goals scored in the win over VMI are the most in a single match against an NCAA Division-I school in program history  … It also represented the second most scored against any competition … Thursday's nine goals trail only the 10 scored by the 1999 Catamounts in a home match against Columbia College.  
• WCU's nine goals are also the most against a Southern Conference opponent in program history – the most since WCU put up six against The Citadel in 2022.
• The 28 total points (9 goals, 10 assists) are tied for the most in a match in program history.
• Isabella DeMarco's hat trick is the third of her career and the eighth in program history … Scoring all three goals in the opening 45 minutes, DeMarco recorded just the third hat trick in a single half in program history and the first since Natasha Moore did so against FIU in 2002.
• Her first-half hat trick is only the second in program history and the first since WCU Hall of Famer Jordan Howell Dunn's in 2000 against Indiana State.
• Thanks to her natural hat trick – three consecutive goals scored without any other player from either side scoring in between – DeMarco tied her own program record for points in a match with seven, chipping in an assist on Rylie Niemeyer's goal in the 57th minute.
• With her one assist, DeMarco is now only one assist away from tying the program record for career assists.
• Malia Roberts scored both her first career goal and the first career multi-goal game of her collegiate career.
• Lucie Bertrand dished out her first assist in a Catamount uniform.
• With the shutout victory, WCU senior GK Leanne Trudel tied the career record for shutouts as she now has 28 in 68 game appearances … Trudel matched program leader Caitlin Williams … the victory also moved her to within eight wins shy of matching former GK Mandi Tinsley (44, 1999-02)  
• Freshmen Kylie White and Addison Davis both recorded their first career assists in the winning effort.

Up Next for The Catamounts:

Western Carolina hits the road for a Sunday afternoon tilt at The Citadel on Oct. 5, with kickoff in Charleston, S.C., scheduled for 2 p.m. The Catamounts then return home on Friday, Oct. 10, to host the Wofford Terriers in a 7 p.m. kick as WCU celebrates its Senior Night. Isabella DeMarco, Leanne Trudel, Abbie Wise, Milla Syska, and Ava Robitaille will each be honored for their outstanding careers in Cullowhee before the match begins.