Cullowhee, N.C. -- Gabriela Vatrano pulled the Western Carolina women's soccer team within one of Samford with eight minutes remaining in the match, but the Catamount comeback bid fell just short as the Bulldogs held on for a 2-1 win. All three goals were scored following a near-three-hour lightning delay.
Amara Yetka received the start in net for WCU and was active early in the afternoon. The Bulldogs nearly capitalized on a corner kick in the first minute, but Yetka made a diving save to deny an opening goal from Samford's leading goalscorer Brinley Murphy.
The Bulldogs held a 3-1 advantage in shots, putting one on frame when play halted due to lightning in the area. Play resumed at 4:30 p.m., nearly three and a half hours after the original kickoff time with the Bulldogs quickly striking to take a 1-0 lead.
Samford's Anne McBride fired an on-target shot which Yetka saved but was unable to fully control. The loose ball popped into the air, with Sam De Luca – who was playing her first minutes since Samford's 4-1 win over Jacksonville State on Aug. 27 – charging in to clean up the spill with a goal-scoring header.
The Bulldogs closed the half with four more shots, holding a 1-0 advantage at the break. Samford outshot the Catamounts 9-1 in the first half.
WCU ramped up the pressure in the final 45 minutes of play. Yetka and the Catamount backline withstood an early barrage of shots from the Bulldogs before
Darien Vita put WCU's first attack on frame in the 48th minute.
The Catamounts pushed the Samford backline for much of the second half, with
Erika Gariepy recording one of WCU's best scoring opportunities in the 66th minute. The junior corralled a loose ball in front of the net, nearly coming away with a close-range 1-on-1 opportunity with goalkeeper Peyton Hull, but a quick close by the Samford backline forced a tight shot, which was deflected away from the net.
Samford's Anne McBride netted the eventual game-winner in the 75th minute, sending home a tight cross from Caroline Smith to take a 2-0 lead.
The Catamounts continued to push late into the match, with
Gabriela Vatrano eventually securing her third goal of the season early in the 83rd minute.
Samantha Whitaker lobbed a pass just outside the 18-yard box, with Vatrano outracing the Samford defenders and putting a shot just outside the outstretched hand of Hull for the score.
The Bulldogs played to maintain possession and whittle away the clock over the final eight minutes, with the Catamounts mounting a final offensive possession in the last seconds.
Caroline Simpkins lobbed a well-placed shot to the Bulldog net with 30 seconds to play, but the ball rode the crossbar before skipping out of play for a goal kick.
Samford outshot WCU 18-11 on the day and put nine shots on frame to WCU's three. However, the Catamounts outshot the Bulldogs 10-9 in the final 45 minutes of play.
Amara Yetka recorded seven saves while Peyton Hull notched two, with Samford taking 11 corner kicks to a single set-piece try for WCU. Notably, the Bulldogs were charged with 14 fouls and a yellow card to WCU's five fouls.
Catamount Notables:
- Six of the last eight matches with Samford have been decided by one goal. The Catamounts are 2-4 in those six matches with the Bulldogs.
- WCU is now on a three-match winless skid against Samford, with a pair of losses at home and a 2-2 draw in Birmingham
- WCU is the first team from outside the state of Alabama to record a goal against the Bulldogs and only the fourth team to do so this season, joining Alabama, Jacksonville State, and UAB
- Notable teams to not record a goal against Samford include, at the time, second-ranked Notre Dame and Auburn.
- Gabriela Vatrano recorded her third goal of the season, matching her total from last season.
- Samantha Whitaker recorded her fifth career assist on Vatrano's goal.
- Amara Yetka, Emma Soucy, Samantha Whitaker, and Alexandra Grammenopoulos all went the distance against the Bulldogs, recording 90-minute efforts.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU hits the road on Sept. 25 to take on the Wofford Terriers in Spartanburg, S.C. for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Catamounts will return home on Oct. 1 to host the ETSU Bucs for the annual blackout game before hitting the road to take on the Chattanooga Mocs on Oct. 4.
