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Schedule

Full
Kylie White vs Lipscomb 2025
Reily Rogers
2
Western Caro. Catam. (1-2-1, 0-0-0)
2
Lipscomb Bisons (2-0-1, 0-0-0)
Western Caro. Catam.
(1-2-1, 0-0-0)
2
Final
2
Lipscomb Bisons
(2-0-1, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Western Caro. Catam. 1 1 2
Lipscomb Bisons 2 0 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Josh Ragsdale, Director of Media Relations

Kylie White's First Career Goal Forces 2-2 Draw at Lipscomb

Nashville, Tenn. – Western Carolina women's soccer bookended Sunday's first road match of the season with goals, battling for a hard-fought 2-2 tie with defending ASUN champion Lipscomb. Milla Syska opened the match with a goal in the 9th minute, while freshman Kylie White recorded her first career goal to even the score in the 83rd minute of the nonconference draw.

The Catamounts are now 1-2-1 on the season, with a trip to Raleigh to face the NC State Wolfpack looming, while the Bisons remain unblemished with a 2-0-1 record.

The two squads opened the match relatively slowly, with the Bisons firing the first two shots of the day from Hailey Johnson and Maddy Rhodes. Leanne Trudel collected her first of a season-high six saves off the latter in the 8th minute.

Senior Abbie Wise took the first shot for the Catamounts, lobbing a ball into the box with Lipscomb goalkeeper Kaina Cesar coming off her spot to make an aggressive save. However, Cesar was unable to control the rebound, and Milla Syska capitalized on the loose ball to give the Catamounts the 1-0 advantage on just its second shot of the day.

Lipscomb came to life offensively following the Catamount goal, though, going on to outshoot WCU 9-to-1 over the final 40 minutes of the half. Chloe Iliff evened the match in the 38th minute, just tucking a shot inside the far post before Skylar Cole gave Lipscomb the lead in the 41st minute, fighting through tight spacing to tap a shot past the Catamount defense.

The Catamounts were outshot 12-to-3 in the first half, with the Bisons putting five of their 12 shots on target.

Isabella DeMarco led the Catamount second-half surge, with all four of her shots in the match coming in the final 45 minutes as the senior trio of DeMarco, Syska, and Ava Robitaille put early pressure on Lipscomb's defense. Freshman Addison Davis contributed to WCU's flurry as well, taking the first shot of her career.

Both teams began trading shots from the 57th minute to the 73rd,  with Leanne Trudel collecting two more saves in the stretch, though the Catamounts were unable to threaten a score.  

Maddy Rhodes forced another Trudel save in the 82nd minute, before freshman Kylie White evened the match for the Catamounts a minute later in the 83rd. Like the first goal scored by the Catamounts, Samantha Whitaker lobbed a ball into the box, where Cesar charged and defended the initial attempt. However, as the ball careened away, White quickly took possession of the loose orb, launching a shot behind the out-of-position keeper for the first goal of her career and tying the match at two.

WCU wasn't done after the equalizer, though, as the Catamounts had several opportunities to net a game-winner in the final moments of the match. Isabella DeMarco and Milla Syska both had near-misses in the 2-2 draw.

For the first time this season, the Catamounts were outshot 18-12 (8-5 SOG), though WCU did take nine shots in the second half to Lipscomb's six. The Catamounts held a 9-8 edge in corner kicks, taking eight of those in the second half.  

Catamount Notables:

  • The 2-2 draw is the second tie in WCU's series with Lipscomb ... the previous four matchups with the Bisons have gone to overtime or resulted in draws.
  • The two goals conceded by the Bisons are the most allowed so far this season
  • Freshman Kylie White recorded the first goal of her career, while defenders Abbie Wise and Samantha Whitaker recorded their first assists of the season.
  • Milla Syska recorded her second goal of the season and the 16th of her career.
  • Freshman Addison Davis and junior Emma Soucy recorded their first starts of their careers.
  • Leanne Trudel collected a season-high six saves in the match

Up Next for The Catamounts:

The Catamounts remain on the road for a midweek matchup with the in-state ACC foe, the North Carolina State Wolfpack, on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. in Raleigh. WCU then returns home on Sunday, Aug. 31 to host the nationally-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols at 7 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.

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