Cullowhee, N.C. – As the regular season enters its critical final weeks, Western Carolina women's soccer looks to get back on track Thursday afternoon when the Catamounts travel to Lexington, Va., to face VMI in a Southern Conference matchup at Patchin Field. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
Thursday afternoon's matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available through CatamountSports.com.
Thursday Matchup:
Western Carolina (3-9-2, 1-4-1 SoCon) at VMI (0-14-1, 0-6-0 SoCon)
Oct. 15, 2026 | Lexington, Va. | 3 p.m. | Patchin Field
Watch on ESPN+
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This Week Around the Southern Conference (10/15/26):
Western Carolina at VMI (Lexington, Va.) | 3 p.m.
UNCG at Furman (Greenville, S.C.) | 6 p.m.
Mercer at Wofford (Spartanburg, S.C.) | 6 p.m.
Samford at Chattanooga (Chattanooga, Tenn.) | 7 p.m.
The Citadel at Tennessee Tech (Cookeville, Tenn.) | 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Keydets meet for the 14th time in series history, with WCU holding a 13-0 record, having outscored VMI 39-1 in the relatively short series. The Catamounts have scored 18 goals in their last three meetings. WCU is 5-0 all-time in Lexington, outscoring the Keydets 13-0 on their pitch in northern Virginia.
WCU enters the midweek matchup looking to get back on track, having most recently fallen at home to The Citadel. Despite striking first in two of their last three matches, the Catamounts have been outscored 12-2 in that same stretch, including 3-1 against ETSU, 5-0 at Chattanooga, and the 4-1 decision against the Bulldogs.
WCU has netted a goal in four of its last five outings and in five of its last seven after being held scoreless in four straight matches early in the non-conference schedule.
VMI comes into the matchup amidst a 10-match losing skid, with a 1-1 draw with Gardner-Webb on Aug. 30 breaking up their 14 defeats on the season. The Keydets have been outscored at home 15-2 in that stretch, most recently blanked by ETSU, 3-0. VMI is scoreless in their last three games, with their most recent goal coming in the 10th minute of a 7-1 loss at Furman, with the Paladins scoring seven unanswered after the early VMI lead.
The two teams have faced five common opponents this year, including Winthrop, The Citadel, UNCG, Chattanooga, and ETSU. The Catamounts have a pair of wins over Winthrop and UNCG, while the Keydets fell 1-0 and 4-2 in those matches, respectively. Both teams lost to The Citadel, Chattanooga, and ETSU.
Players to Watch:
Gabriela Vatrano netted her team-leading fourth goal of the season in WCU's loss to The Citadel, recording her eighth point of the year. Darien Vita's 25 shots lead the team, while Vatrano leads the team with 13 shots on goal. Carolina Simpkins is tied for the second most shots on goal in the SoCon season, as she and Vatrano have taken five each and trail only Vita's eight.
Amara Yetka played the full 90 minutes for WCU the last time out, conceding four goals to The Citadel. The sophomore has collected 55 saves this season, allowing 24 goals. Freshman Elizabeth Rupert now leads the team in save percentage with an even .700 mark, and last saw action in WCU's road loss to Chattanooga, where she conceded two goals in 68 minutes of action.
VMI is led offensively by freshman Jordan Davis, who has notched three of the Keydets' nine goals this season. Isabella Franco leads the team in total shots with 16 but is in a three-way tie for first in shots on goal with Davis and Ella Peterson.
Incumbent goalkeeper Maren Ryberg has recorded the lion's share of minutes between the posts, seeing the pitch for 1,115 minutes of action. She has recorded 98 saves this season while conceding 39 goals. In conference play, Ryberg has recorded 35 saves while allowing 18 goals for a .660 save percentage.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
Western Carolina hosts back-to-back matches to conclude October, as the Catamounts take on the Mercer Bears on Friday, Oct. 23, as part of Homecoming 2026 festivities, before battling the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in the home finale on Oct. 29.
The Catamounts close out the 2026 regular season in Greenville, S.C., at Furman on Nov. 1 before the Southern Conference Championship begins on Nov. 6.
