Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina women's soccer team is back at home for the first time in September as it hosts the Furman Paladins at the on-campus Catamount Athletics Complex on Friday evening. Kick for the third Southern Conference matchup of the season is set for 7 p.m.
WCU and Furman are currently locked in a three-way tie for second in the SoCon, with the Catamounts, Paladins, and Samford Bulldogs each posting a 1-0-1 record through the first two matches of their respective conference slate. The Catamounts enter the match after recording a 3-0-2 record in their last five road matches, while the Paladins ride in with a 7-1-2 record and a 7-0-2 run in their last nine matches.
Admission on Friday – and for each of the four remaining regular-season home matches in Cullowhee – is free of charge, courtesy of First Bank. Friday's matchup will be livestreamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available on CatamountSports.com.
Friday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (5-3-3, SoCon 1-0-1) vs. Furman (7-1-2, SoCon 1-0-1)
Cullowhee, N.C. | 7 p.m. | Catamount Athletics Complex
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/45fjvbbx
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/3zk3e32c
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Paladins square off for the 35th time in program history, with WCU trailing in the overall series, 10-23-1. WCU claimed the regular season matchup last year, with Isabella DeMarco and sister Alexis DeMarco recording goals as the Catamounts claimed the 2024 SoCon regular-season championship. The Paladins have won the last two regular-season meetings in Cullowhee, including a 2-1 win over the eventual conference tournament champion Catamounts in 2023.
WCU enters Friday's matchup fresh off a five-match road swing, its longest of the season. The Catamounts have rolled to an impressive 4-0-3 record on the road, but are 1-3 in Cullowhee this season, with their last home win being a 1-0 shutout over High Point (Aug. 17).
The Paladins boast the best overall record in the Southern Conference, carrying a 7-1-2 mark into the pivotal SoCon bout. Only two of Furman's seven wins have come against opponents with winning records, though, as the Paladins downed Georgia State (6-4-1) and Davidson (4-3-1) in a pair of 2-1 victories.
The two squads have only one common opponent in the regular season this year, with the two teams already battling the Mercer Bears. The Paladins leapt out to a 2-0 lead over the Bears in their SoCon opener before Mercer battled back to force a 2-2 draw. The Catamounts overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to secure the 2-1 road win their last time out.
Furman and WCU have both faced Charleston Southern as well, though WCU's matchup came in a preseason exhibition. The Catamounts earned a 4-0 win over the Bucs in that exhibition, while the Paladins notched a 2-0 win in the nonconference slate.
Around the SoCon – Sept. 26:
#1 ETSU (7-2-2, SoCon 2-0-0) at #7 Mercer (5-4-1, SoCon 0-1-1) Macon, Ga. | 6 p.m.
#2 Furman (7-1-2, SoCon 1-0-1) at #4 Western Carolina (5-3-3, SoCon 1-0-1) | Cullowhee | 7 p.m.
#3 Samford (4-2-4, SoCon 1-0-1) at #9 Wofford (3-5-4, SoCon 0-1-1) | Spartanburg, S.C. | 6 p.m.
#5 Chattanooga (7-3-1, SoCon 1-1-0) at #6 UNCG (2-8-0, SoCon 1-1-0) | Greensboro, N.C. | 6 p.m.
Sept. 28
#8 The Citadel (3-4-2, SoCon 0-1-1) at #10 VMI (1-9-1, SoCon 0-2-0) | Lexington, Va. | 1:00 p.m.
Players to Watch:
The Catamounts were led by a pair of defenders last time out against Mercer, with Abbie Wise notching the game-tying goal and assisting Rylie Niemeyer on the game-winner in the 69th minute. The duo, along with 90-minute efforts from Mary Mueth, Addison Davis, and Samantha Whitaker, limited the Bears to 10 total shots and only five attempts on target. GK Leanne Trudel collected four saves in the 2-1 win with the senior Catamount seeing the pitch for all 990 minutes of action this season.
Isabella DeMarco is nearing several Catamount records this season as the senior is only two assists away from tying Lauren Bramlett's all-time assists record at 25. DeMarco is on a four-game points streak with two goals and two assists in that span.
Furman is led by reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Week Norah Roller, with the junior Paladin leading the team with five goals and two assists for 12 total points this season. The Birmingham, Ala. product notched a goal in Furman's SoCon opener against Mercer and posted a brace against VMI in a 2-1 win. Additionally, Furman's Maddie Massie and Emma Sexton have four goals each.
Incumbent goalkeeper Reese DeJong has started every match for the Paladins this season, collecting 30 saves and allowing only eight goals on 92 total shots. DeJong has a strong .789 save percentage this season, but that number drops to .625 in SoCon play as the sophomore has allowed three goals on 19 total shots to SoCon foes.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
Western Carolina has an extended break before its next match as the Catamounts host the VMI Keydets on Thursday, Oct. 2, for a 7 p.m. kick. WCU then returns to road action to take on The Citadel on Oct. 5 for a 2 p.m. start in Charleston, S.C.
