Cullowhee, N.C. – Southern Conference play begins Thursday evening for the Western Carolina women's soccer team as the Catamounts travel to Greensboro to face UNCG in a rematch of last season's thrilling SoCon Tournament quarterfinal matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
Thursday's conference opener will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available through CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (2-5-1, 0-0 SoCon) at UNCG (4-3-1, 0-0 SoCon)
Sept. 17, 2026 | Greensboro, N.C. | 6 p.m. | UNCG Soccer Stadium
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/2esd93c9
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/mryt6mdf
Around the Southern Conference (Sept. 17)
VMI at The Citadel | Charleston, S.C. | 4 p.m.
Mercer at ETSU | Johnson City, Tenn. | 6 p.m.
Wofford at Furman | Greenville, S.C. | 7 p.m.
Western Carolina at UNCG | Greensboro, N.C. | 7 p.m.
Chattanooga at Tennessee Tech | Cookeville, Tenn. | 8 p.m.
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Spartans meet for the 38th time in series history, with UNCG holding a 25-8-4 advantage all-time over the Catamounts, though WCU has claimed the last four meetings and five of the last seven. The lengthy series is the longest in program history for the Catamounts and the second-longest for the Spartans. WCU claimed the last meeting in Greensboro 2-0 during the 2024 season, with the Spartans securing a 1-0 win in 2021.
WCU enters Thursday's matchup after most recently falling to Miami (OH) 3-0 in the non-conference finale. The Catamounts have picked up a pair of wins this season, with one coming at home vs. Winthrop in the season opener and most recently recording a 1-0 shutout victory against West Georgia.
UNCG comes into their SoCon opener after most recently downing the Campbell Fighting Camels in a 2-1 decision. The Spartans have conceded the third-most goals by a SoCon team so far this season, allowing 14 goals through their eight games this season.
The two teams have one common opponent in the East Carolina Pirates. UNCG posted a 2-2 draw with the American Conference opposition, while the Catamounts fell 2-0. The Spartans outshot the Pirates 11-7, posting six attempts on frame to ECU's four, whereas the Catamounts were outshot 16-12, with both teams putting seven shots on frame.
Players to Watch:
Gabriela Vatrano leads a Catamount attack that is yet to see a consistent contributor step up, as the Denver, N.C. product has posted 11 shots and two goals this season. She is the only Catamount with more than three shots on goal so far, posting eight. Erika Gariepy is WCU's most recent goalscorer, notching an Olimpico in a 1-0 win over West Georgia.
Amara Yetka and Elizabeth Rupert both saw action in WCU's road loss to Miami (OH), with Yetka starting the match but conceding three goals, two of which came in the second half. Rupert entered in the 73rd minute, picking up two saves in her first action since the first half of the East Carolina matchup.
UNCG has been led this season by Laney Smith, who has posted three goals and three assists for a team-high nine points. The sophomore has posted 17 shots, putting seven on frame. Madison Bass and Avery Barr are the only other Spartans who have more than one goal this season.
Freshman Spartan Blythe Clark has seen 675 minutes of game action between the posts for UNCG this season, collecting 31 saves on a .705 save percentage. However, Cara Robell finished UNCG's match against James Madison, picking up five saves and allowing one goal to the Dukes.
Up Next for The Catamounts
Western Carolina returns home Sunday, Sept. 20, to host Samford in a 1 p.m. SoCon matchup at the Catamount Athletic Complex. The Catamounts then travel to Spartanburg, S.C., on Sept. 25 for a 6 p.m. meeting with Wofford.
