Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer opens the 2025 season on Thursday (Aug. 14) with the renewal of a historic rivalry as the Catamounts host mountain archrival Appalachian State at the Catamount Athletics Complex for a 6 p.m. kick.
Admission to Thursday's season-opening match – and each of the eight remaining regular-season home matches in Cullowhee – is free of charge, courtesy of First Bank. Thursday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (0-0-0, SoCon 0-0-0) vs App State (0-0-0, Sun Belt 0-0-0)
Cullowhee, N.C. | 6 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/3zk3e32c
ESPN+ (paid subscription required): https://tinyurl.com/ddha9he4
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Mountaineers resume a historic rivalry on the pitch after a 12-year hiatus, with the last match between the two mountain foes coming in 2013 with a Western Carolina 1-0 win in Cullowhee. WCU leads the all-time series between the two teams, holding an 11-3-1 advantage overall and a 7-0 record in matches played in Cullowhee. The last six matches in the series have been decided by a single goal, including an explosive 3-2 Catamount victory in Boone in 2008 and one tie in 2010. Only two matches in the series have had a larger margin of victory than one goal, the first being App State's series-opening 2-0 win in 1999 and the second being WCU's 3-0 rout in 2007.
Chosen as the favorites to claim a third consecutive Southern Conference regular-season title, the Catamounts look to build early momentum going into the 2025 campaign that features a difficult nonconference slate. Western Carolina posted an impressive 7-0-2 record at the Catamount Athletic Complex during the regular season last year, outscoring opponents 24-3 in Cullowhee.
App State scrapped for a tough 7-7-5 record last year, posting a 4-3-2 record in their road matches. The Mountaineers opened the 2024 season strong, going 2-0-2 in their opening four games, including a 0-0 draw with NC State to start the season. They also posted a six-game run in the middle of the season, going 3-0-3 in that stretch with three road wins over FGCU (2-1), Georgia Southern (2-1), and Louisiana (1-0).
Players to Watch:
The Preseason All-SoCon awards were littered with Catamounts, as WCU claimed six of the 11 spots on the preseason all-conference team. Forwards Isabella DeMarco and Milla Syska enjoyed dominant seasons a year ago, combining for 51 total points on 19 goals and 13 assists. They were joined by dominant midfielder and reigning Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year Ava Robitaille on the preseason list, who enters the 2025 season after picking up a career-high four assists a year ago.
Defensively, the Catamounts return a staunch backline in preseason all-conference honorees Mary Mueth and Abbie Wise, along with Samantha Whitaker. The trio combined for 4,800 minutes of game action last year, limiting the opposition to only 8.1 shots per game. The final line of defense and final Catamount member of the preseason team, Leanne Trudel, is expected to reprise her role tending the twine after setting program records in goals against average (.49) and posting career-best marks in save percentage (.863) and goals against (10).
The Mountaineers return offensive firepower of their own, led by graduate student Izzi Wood. The Hickory native scored 11 goals a year ago, including three game-winners. She blasted 80 shots last season, putting 41 on net, while the rest of the team combined for 50. Wood was one of two Mountaineers named to the preseason All-Sun Belt team, with the other being sophomore Ellie Garrison, the second-leading scorer for the Apps. Garrison posted four goals and five assists a year ago.
The Mountaineers' most experienced returning defender in terms of game action is Shannon Studer, who collected 1,051 minutes of game action in an injury-plagued season a year ago. The Waxhaw, N.C. product contributed offensively as well, posting two goals and two assists with one of each coming against the Wofford Terriers in a 5-0 rout.
Additionally, App State will start a goalkeeper without any true game action in Thursday's match, with redshirt sophomore and Cincinnati transfer Molly Coles, redshirt freshman Anna Claire Jacobi, and true freshman Hannah Skogsfors having yet to make their respective collegiate debut.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts remain at home on Sunday, Aug. 17, as they host the High Point Panthers for the annual WCU Athletics' annual Welcome Back Event, with classes set to begin for WCU students the following day. The Catamounts then close out their initial five-match (including two exhibitions) home stretch against another former SoCon rival in Georgia Southern on Thursday, Aug. 21. The Georgia Southern matchup is Golden Goal Night, with fans encouraged to wear gold to the match. A fan in attendance will receive a golden soccer ball if the Catamounts light the cage within the first 10 minutes of the match.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's soccer and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @Catamountsoccer).
