Cullowhee, N.C. – Trailing by a goal in the second half, the Western Carolina women's soccer team mounted a furious comeback effort against Georgia Southern on Thursday night but was unable to find an equalizer in suffering a 1-0 setback against the Eagles at the Catamount Athletics Complex.

With the loss, the Catamounts fall to 1-2-0 to start the season, while the Eagles advance to a 2-1 mark with a second victory over a Southern Conference opponent after handing Samford a 3-2 decision.

Western Carolina dominated offensive statistics in the hard-fought, physical match, taking 23 shots in the match to Georgia Southern's nine. Of the 23 offerings, WCU put eight shots on goal while the Eagles managed five.

Sofia Goclowski again led the Catamount attack, credited with five shots on the night and putting two on goal. Ava Robitaille also had two shots on net, a season high for the senior, while Milla Syska and Madison Gellner both took three shots apiece.  

Bolstered by the first start of the season by incumbent goalkeeper Katie Oakley, the Eagles weathered an initial offensive surge by the Catamounts, who posted the first four shots of the match in the opening minutes. WCU held a 7-1 edge in shots through the first 17 minutes of play, but neither team produced offensive opportunities until the final moments of the half.

Georgia Southern put two more shots on goal before Paisley Cathey arched a header off an Erin Wilkins corner kick to the back post, bouncing it on the cage where it careened off a trio of WCU defenders and into the net for the first goal and eventual game-winner.

The Eagles opened the second half strong offensively, forcing Leanne Trudel to pick up another two saves, including a highlight reel diving stab, with another clanging off the woodwork in the first 13 minutes. The Catamounts responded down the stretch, though, pushing for the matching marker.

WCU outshot the Eagles 14-to-2 over the final 30 minutes of the match, with several golden opportunities. With 22 minutes remaining, Isabella DeMarco took a through ball from Milla Syska that turned into a breakaway and would have notched a goal had it not been for backchecking by the GSU defense and Oakley cutting down the space and angle. Two minutes later, Gabriela Vatrano slipped behind the Eagle defense and let loose a left-footed offering that nearly skipped over the head of Oakley. However, the veteran keeper got her fingertips on the ball and corralled the orb before it fell across the goal line, denying WCU.

With time dwindling, the Catamounts had two last opportunities to knot the match, first with just over four minutes remaining. Abbie Wise and Lucy Bertrand played a give-and-go game from the midline to the right side before the ball bounced right in front of the net to the toe of Kylie White, who delivered a low shot on goal that Oakley slid to deflect, and GSU cleared. The final flurry came with 90 seconds to play as the Catamounts earned a corner kick. The entry on the set piece was placed nearly perfectly in the box where two – if not three – Catamounts attempted to flick the header on net, but Georgia Southern managed to escape.

Ava Robitaille fired a final shot on target as the clock hit zero, but Oakley picked up her eighth save on the clean sheet as Georgia Southern held on for the 1-0 win.  

Catamount Notables:

• The Catamounts are 1-2-0 to start the season for the second year in a row. Last year, the Catamounts fell on the road to Florida and Queens, sandwiched around a 6-1 victory over UNC Asheville between the road losses.
• The 23 shots taken by the Catamounts were the most in a loss since last year's 2-1 defeat at Queens.
• Sofia Goclowski had her third consecutive match with at least three shots, taking five against the Eagles. The junior Catamount leads the team in shots (12) and shots on goal (6).
• As a whole, the Southern Conference has opened with a difficult stretch for the 2025 season. The SoCon is 5-16-3 through the opening week and a half of the season. The only teams with wins are Chattanooga (2-1), ETSU (1-1-1), Furman (1-2), and the Catamounts (1-2).

Up Next for The Catamounts:

WCU hits the road for the first time this season, and the competition to open the second consecutive title defense remains stout. The Catamounts travel to Nashville, Tenn., to battle the reigning ASUN champions Lipscomb. The first road match of the season is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT.

The Catamounts remain on the road for an August 27 match in the City of Oaks against the NC State Wolfpack with a 6 p.m. start before returning home on Sunday, Aug. 31, to host the Tennessee Volunteers at 6 p.m. on "Beach Night," as part of First Bank First Weekend. The first 300 fans through the gates will receive a FREE pair of WCU Malibu sunglasses.