Cullowhee, N.C. – Fresh off a 4-0 victory over Charleston Southern in its exhibition season debut, the Western Carolina women's soccer team closes out its two-match preseason exhibition slate as the Queens Royals make the trip to the Catamount Athletic Complex on Friday, under the lights at the Catamount Athletics Complex. The August 8 matchup is set to begin at 6 p.m.
Following the match, returning members of WCU's 2024 Southern Conference Regular Season Championship squad will take part in a celebratory ceremony, where the reigning Southern Conference champions will receive their rings for an outstanding season. For those who are unable to attend the event, the ceremony will be streamed LIVE on WCU's Athletics Facebook page and through the department's YouTube Channel.
Admission to the Friday evening's exhibition – and each of the nine regular-season home matches in Cullowhee – is free of charge, courtesy of First Bank.
Friday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (0-0-0, SoCon 0-0-0) vs Queens (0-0-0, ASun 0-0-0)
Cullowhee, N.C. | 6:00 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex
NOTE: * Neither a live stream nor live stats are available for the exhibition match; though a livestream will be made available for the ring ceremony following the exhibition *
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Royals – a recent addition to the NCAA Division I ranks – have met twice in the last two seasons, with both matches proving to be difficult for the two-time defending SoCon regular-season champion Catamounts during their two championship seasons. The two squads battled to a 0-0 draw in 2023 in Cullowhee, with the Royals defending their home pitch with a 2-1 win last season.
The Royals return a veteran goalkeeper to the mix in Kelsey Jargstorf, who racked up 101 saves last season, including a season-high nine against the Catamounts. The Idaho State transfer weathered a barrage of shots last season, facing 321, but maintained a .732 save percentage despite the offensive pressure. Queens lost its top two point scorers from last season, but does see the return of five of their individual goal-scorers from a year ago.
Off to a tremendous start by lighting the lamp four times in Tuesday's exhibition match, Western Carolina looks to keep up the pace from last season's record-setting offensive campaign. Forwards Milla Syska and Isabella DeMarco are expected to build off their 26 (11 goals, 4 assists) and 25 (8 goals, 9 assists) point seasons, respectively. Defensively, the Catamounts will use the preseason to find a way to fill the hole created by Becca Campbell's graduation, with Abbie Wise, Samantha Whitaker, and Mary Mueth each anticipated to reprise their roles in front of anchor Leanne Trudel.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
Following their second exhibition, the Catamounts have a few days to look back on their preseason performances before hosting arch-rival Appalachian State for the 2025 home opener on August 14. WCU then hosts the High Point Panthers in a "Welcome Back" event on August 17 before closing out the initial home stretch on August 21 with the Georgia Southern Eagles.
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).
