Greensboro, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer opened Southern Conference play with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over UNC Greensboro on Thursday night, breaking through in the 75th minute after a Spartan defensive miscue resulted in the lone goal of the match.
With the lead in hand, WCU's defense kept the door shut as freshman goalkeeper Elizabeth Rupert and the Catamount back line turned away UNCG's final attacking pushes to preserve the shutout.
For nearly a full 75 minutes, neither side could find a way to crack a defensive deadlock. The break finally arrived in WCU's favor when Catamount forward pressure forced a costly Spartan miscue. An attempted pass back toward the goalkeeper found the back of the net on an own goal, supplying all the offense Western Carolina would need in the gritty 1-0 conference-opening victory.
Rupert secured her first career win, shutting out the Spartans and picking up a pair of saves in a 90-minute effort.
UNCG threatened first, with Rupert collecting her first of two opening-half saves in the fourth minute, denying a would-be goal from Laney Smith. WCU registered its first shot of the night in the 26th minute as Darien Vita put a strike on frame, though UNCG's Blythe Clark collected the save.
Rina Ogimoto registered UNCG's final on-target attack of the match in the 34th minute, with Rupert again denying the score. Maddie Lopez took WCU's final shot of the half in the 41st minute, with the two teams hitting the locker rooms scoreless.
The teams traded shots early in the second half, with Rylie Niemeyer deflecting a corner kick in the 66th minute for WCU's only on-target attack of the final 45 minutes. The breakthrough finally came in the 75th minute in a match where chances were few and every possession mattered. Applying some pressure deep in the attacking third, the Catamounts forced an errant touch by the Spartan defender Bailey Gourdine. A misplayed ball toward the goalkeeper skipped into the net, providing the lone goal of the evening and giving WCU a 1-0 advantage.
Both squads combined for three more shots in the final minutes of the match, none of which were put on target as the Catamounts anchored down defensively to hold on for the 1-0 win.
In total, the two teams combined for 14 total shots, though only four were on target in the defensive bout. Both teams collected two saves while UNCG rattled off six corner kicks to WCU's two.
Catamount Notables:
- The Catamounts have won their last five Southern Conference opening matches.
- WCU is on a five-match winning streak against UNCG, outscoring the Spartans 15-5 in that span … the Catamounts earned just their ninth series victory over the perennial league power, including their second straight on the road.
- Goalkeeper Elizabeth Rupert recorded the first shutout win of her career, playing the full 90 minutes for only the second time this season.
- Outside of Rupert, three more Catamounts went the distance vs. UNCG as Samantha Whitaker, Emma Soucy, and Alexe Drolet played the full 90.
- Senior Maddie Lopez made her return to the Catamount lineup, recording her first game action since leaving WCU's matchup with Winthrop due to an injury.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
Western Carolina returns home in SoCon action as the Catamounts host the Samford Bulldogs on Sunday, Sept. 20 for a 1 p.m. match in Cullowhee. The Catamounts then travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to face the Wofford Terriers on Sept. 25 before returning home to host the ETSU Buccaneers on Oct. 1 for a 7 p.m. kick.
