Cullowhee, N.C. – Regular-season competition returns to campus on Thursday, Aug. 13, as the Western Carolina women's soccer team opens the fall semester by hosting the Winthrop Eagles to open 2026. Kickoff against the Big South foe is set for 6 p.m. at the on-campus Catamount Athletic Complex.
Admission to Thursday's season-opening match – and each of the remaining regular season matches in Cullowhee – is free of charge. Additionally, Thursday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (0-0-0, 0-0-0 SoCon) vs Winthrop (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big South)
Cullowhee, N.C. | 6 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex
Live Stats: Winthrop at Western Carolina
ESPN+: Winthrop vs. Western Carolina 8/13/26 - Stream the Match Live - Watch ESPN
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Eagles continue a series that includes meetings in each of the last three seasons, with the Catamounts taking all three. Overall, the Catamounts are 7-0-1 against Winthrop, though the one draw was a 1-1 decision in Cullowhee in 2015. Of the last four meetings in the series, only one has been in Cullowhee as the Catamounts claimed a 4-0 win in 2024.
WCU enters the 2026 campaign selected fourth in the Southern Conference preseason coaches' poll, garnering 68 total points. The total put the Catamounts just ahead of Chattanooga (67) and Mercer (66), but behind reigning champion Samford (100), Furman (80), and ETSU (80).
The Catamounts have taken some time to get rolling in the regular season as of late, dropping their last two season openers, falling to App State, 3-2, in 2025 and 2-0 at SEC-foe Florida in 2024. The last time WCU opened against a Big South foe, the Catamounts claimed a 1-0 win, downing mountain rival UNC Asheville in 2023.
Picked sixth in the Big South preseason poll, Winthrop enters the 2026 season after closing 2025 on a four-match unbeaten streak, posting wins against Longwood and Radford and draws with Presbyterian and High Point. The Eagles have opened each of their last three seasons with Southern Conference opposition, going 0-2-1 in those matches with a 4-0 loss to Chattanooga last year, a 2-0 loss to The Citadel in 2024, and a 1-1 draw with The Citadel in 2023.
Players to Watch:
The 2026 Catamounts will have plenty of opportunities to earn in-game minutes as only three starters return from the 2025 squad in preseason all-conference selection Mary Mueth, Samantha Whitaker, and team captain Emma Soucy. Several key bench players such as fellow team captain Malia Roberts and Maddie Lopez will have opportunities to secure greater playing time this season as well.
As for the newcomers, USC Upstate transfer Caroline Simpkins has endeared herself to her new squad, as the striker was named WCU's third team captain. Simpkins and Gabriela Vatrano will look to provide a veteran presence on the Catamount frontlines, though game experience is at a premium among the forward group, with freshmen Katarina Schmidler and Alexandra Zents earning minutes in the preseason.
Mueth and Whitaker reprise their roles along the backline, with Rylie Niemeyer, Louisiana Tech transfer Alexe Drolet, and South Alabama transfer Alexandra Grammenopoulos also vying for playing time. The WCU backline will look to keep their goalkeepers clean as Amara Yetka, Sara Sanders, and Elizabeth Rupert compete for the position between the posts.
Additionally, WCU will see several Catamounts return from injury, as Erika Gariepy, Samantha Vibberts, and Mackenzie Megill make their 2026 debuts.
Winthrop is led by four returners, who were named to the Big South's "Preseason Players to Watch" for the upcoming season. The Eagles boast two veteran midfielders in Monssi Avila-Gutierrez and Cordelia McIntosh, as well as an experienced defender in junior Mia Silber, with sophomore Lindsay Sheets also earning the honor. Avila-Gutierrez, McIntosh, and Lindsay Sheets led the Winthrop attack a season ago, posting five, two, and two goals respectively. McIntosh and Sheets also posted three assists apiece, tying for second on the team in total points.
The Eagles will be relying on a freshman goalkeeper for the season in Mia Ruffalo. The Irvine, Calif. native is the only goalkeeper listed on the roster for Winthrop.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts close a four-match homestand that included a pair of exhibitions on Sunday, Aug. 16, hosting the reigning Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) champs in UNC Wilmington. Kick with the Seahawks is set for 1 P.M. at the Catamount Athletic Complex. The Catamounts will then hit the road for the first time this season as they take on arch-rival Appalachian State on Aug. 20 in Boone, N.C. Kick with the Mountaineers is set for 6 p.m.
