Cullowhee, N.C. – The fall sports seasons are fast approaching for Western Carolina, and the Catamount women's soccer team raises the curtain on competition this week with its first of two exhibition matches on Wednesday evening. WCU opens its exhibition slate against the Sun Belt Conference foe, the Georgia State Panthers, at 7 p.m. at the on-campus Catamount Athletic Complex.
WCU remains at home this Saturday afternoon to host Wright State at 2 p.m. as part of four-straight matches in Cullowhee, two as exhibitions. As with all home matches in the regular season, admission to both Wednesday night's match and Saturday's 2 p.m. tilt exhibition with Wright State is free of charge.
Wednesday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (0-0-0, 0-0-0 SoCon) vs Georgia State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Sun Belt)
Cullowhee, N.C. | Aug. 5 @ 7 P.M. | Catamount Athletic Complex
Note: * Neither a live stream nor live stats are available for the exhibition matches. Additionally, concessions are not available for the exhibition matches.*
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Panthers have met five times in official competitions, though the exhibition matchup is the first since 2024. Georgia State leads the overall series with three wins, though all its victories came in the first three matchups in 2001, 2003, and 2004. The two teams battled to a 2-2 draw in Cullowhee in 2023, before the Catamounts scratched out their first win against Georgia State in 2024 with a 3-0 road victory.
WCU faced a pair of Sun Belt foes last season in true competition, falling 3-2 to App State in the 2025 season opener and 1-0 to Georgia Southern. Despite losing both matchups last season against the SBC opponents, the Catamounts outshot both teams 39-22, with a 17-10 edge in shots on target. WCU's last win against the Sun Belt came in 2024, when they downed Georgia State 3-0, outshooting the Panthers 26-7, including an 11-2 on goal advantage in Atlanta.
Georgia State faced three SoCon teams in the regular season last year, finishing 0-2-1 in those matches. The Panthers fell 2-1 in Greenville, S.C. to Furman early in the season, before falling 3-0 to Samford at home. GSU earned its first win over an SEC opponent since 2005 with a 2-1 win in Gainesville over the Florida Gators before wrapping up their run against SoCon opponents with a 1-1 draw at Wofford. Their last win over a SoCon team came in 2021, when the Panthers triumphed 1-0 on the road over the Chattanooga Mocs.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts close out their preseason exhibition slate on Saturday, Aug. 8, as they host the Wright State Raiders for a 2 p.m. kick. WCU then opens the 2026 regular season campaign on Aug. 13, hosting the Winthrop Eagles at 6 p.m. before the UNCW Seahawks come to Cullowhee on Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. Both regular season matchups will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).
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).
Important Dates in Catamount Athletics & Catamount Football:
Wednesday, Aug. 5 – Women's Soccer Exhibition – vs. Georgia State (CAC, 7 p.m.)
Saturday, Aug. 8 – Women's Soccer Exhibition – vs. Wright State (CAC, 2 p.m.)
Thursday, Aug. 13 – Women's Soccer Season-Opener – vs. Winthrop (CAC, 6 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 14 – WCU Freshman Convocation (Ramsey Center)
Monday, Aug. 17 – First day of classes for the 2026 fall semester – Cullowhee
Friday, Aug. 21 – Volleyball Exhibition – vs. Anderson (Ramsey Center, 6 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 21 – Catamount Shootout Golf Tournament (Marion Lake Club, Nebo, N.C.)
Saturday, Aug. 29 – Catamount Football season-opener vs. Eastern Kentucky (7 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 4 - Cross Country season-opener at Duel in The Valley (Bryson City, N.C.)
Tuesday, Sept. 8 – Volleyball Home Opener – vs. Gardner-Webb (Ramsey Center, 6 p.m.)
Sept. 13-15 – Men's Golf – JT Poston Invitational – (Waynesville Inn & Golf Club)
Friday, Oct. 2 – Bob Waters Memorial Golf Tournament – (Sequoyah National, Cherokee)
