Cullowhee, N.C. – Sixth-seeded Mercer scored the lone goal of Sunday's Southern Conference semifinal match on a penalty kick awarded with less than three minutes remaining in the second overtime session as No. 2 seed Western Carolina saw its 2025 season come to an end as the Bears advanced with their second upset on the pitch at the Catamount Athletics Complex.
Mercer upended both third-seeded ETSU on Friday and second-seeded WCU on Sunday to punch its improbable ticket to next weekend's conference championship match. The Bears will meet top-seeded Samford, which likewise advanced on a PK whistled by officials in double-OT in ousting No. 5 seed Furman in Birmingham, Ala.
Western Carolina's season ends with a 10-6-4 mark, with the Catamounts going 5-2-2 in Southern Conference play. The Catamounts posted the program's first unbeaten season on the road, going 5-0-4 away from Cullowhee with wins over NC State (3-2), Winthrop (2-0), UNC Wilmington (2-0), Mercer (2-1), and The Citadel (3-0).
Individually, Isabella DeMarco enjoyed one of the single most outstanding seasons in program history with 13 goals, including three in Friday's overtime SoCon tournament win over UNCG, and six assists for 32 points. She set records for career assists (26), shots (253), and shots on goal (123). She ends her career tied with Nardia Moore (1999-03, 38 goals, 20 assists) for the all-time points record with 96 and is second for career goals at 35, trailing only Moore's 38.
GK Leanne Trudel also wrapped up an outstanding career, setting the WCU record for shutouts with her 31st clean sheet against ETSU. She had a career-high 87 saves this season, placing her third on the all-time list with 247.
Milla Syska also enjoyed a tremendous season, setting the single-season record for assists with 10 helpers on the year. Seven of her assists came on DeMarco tallies, with Syska also netting three goals on the year.
Sunday's semifinal in Cullowhee was evenly played through full-time as neither the Catamounts nor the Bears produced many strong offensive chances throughout regulation. The two teams combined for only 14 shots with six on target through the first 90 minutes, and Mercer managed a single shot on goal in the match before overtime.
With 24 minutes remaining before intermission, Isabella DeMarco took a feed from Abbie Wise between the circles, turned up field and uncorked a shot from just outside the box though it sailed high wide to the left. Just under the 12-minute mark, a free kick opportunity from a similar location was pushed towards the net by Lucie Bertrand that was saved and the rebound shot attempt blocked to keep the sheet clean.
WCU's best final chance of the opening 45 minutes on a set piece from the left-side corner kick that Rylie Niemeyer headed on target but was knocked off the line.
Just 10 minutes into the second half, Wise chipped one from distance into the box looking for two Catamounts making a run on the net, but back-up keeper Avery Parker punched the attempt out of harm's way. Then, with time dwindling in the second half and overtime looming, WCU floated a corner kick to the nearside post, almost curling one into the goal with the carom touching several players before being cleared out of danger.
Less than two minutes into the second overtime session, the Catamounts had their best scoring opportunity of the extra session with multiple chances to find the golden goal. Dribbling around the defense on the right side, Syska delivered pass across the face of the cage through the box where Mercer's Maggie Rolins just got a piece of it with the ball dangerously spinning in the goalbox before it was ultimately cleared.
Recoiling on offense, the Bears grabbed their opportunity when they were awarded a penalty try in the 109th minute. Catamount keeper Leanne Trudel seemingly deflected a scoring run by Mercer's Sydney Farr off the back line. The initial call of a penalty was sent to VAR to be reviewed, with the call on the pitch standing as a penalty.
Morganne Eikelbarner then stepped to the line and took the game-winning try as the Bears took the match 1-0 on the Golden Goal.
WCU took 14 shots to Mercer's nine in the match, putting six on net to the Bears' four. The Catamounts also took nine corner kicks in the match, with Mercer taking only one.
Sunday afternoon's disappointing loss denied the Catamounts a third-straight appearance in the SoCon Women's Soccer Championship match. Those four-year seniors helped the Catamounts to 43 victories and two SoCon championships, including a tournament title (2023) and regular-season (2024).
