Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina women's soccer team returns home on Thursday evening as the Catamounts host Blue Ridge Border rival East Tennessee State for the squad's annual 'Blackout' game. Kickoff with the Buccaneers is set for 7 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the on-campus Catamount Athletic Complex.
Thursday night's matchup will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available through CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (3-6-2, SoCon 1-1-1) vs ETSU (6-3-1, SoCon 3-0-0)
Oct. 1, 2026 | Cullowhee, N.C. | 7 p.m. | Catamount Athletic Complex
Watch on ESPN+
Follow along with the Live Stats
This Week Around the Southern Conference (10/1/26 - 10/4/26)
Thursday, Oct. 1:
Chattanooga at VMI | Lexington, Va. | 4 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at UNCG | Greensboro, N.C. | 6 p.m.
The Citadel at Mercer | Macon, Ga. | 7 p.m.
ETSU at Western Carolina | Cullowhee, N.C. | 7 p.m.
Wofford at Samford | Homewood, Ala. | 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 4:
Samford at ETSU | Johnson City, Tenn. | 1 p.m.
Mercer at UNCG | Greensboro, N.C. | 1 p.m.
Furman at The Citadel | Charleston. S.C. | 2 p.m.
Western Carolina at Chattanooga | Chattanooga, Tenn. | 2 p.m.
VMI at Tennessee Tech | Cookeville, Tenn. | 2 p.m.
Quick Cuts:
The Catamounts and Buccaneers meet for the 24th time in series history, with WCU holding a narrow 10-9-4 advantage all-time. The last two meetings between have been defensive bouts, resulting in scoreless draws. ETSU claimed the last decision in the series with a 2-1 win in Johnson City in 2023. The Catamounts, though, are on a three-match unbeaten streak against the Bucs in Cullowhee with a 2-0-1 record, outscoring the Bucs 4-0 in those meetings. WCU hasn't fallen to ETSU in Cullowhee since a 1-0 defeat in 2018.
WCU enters the week winless in its last two Southern Conference matches, going 0-1-1 falling to Samford and rallying late to tie Wofford.
Last time out, the Catamounts rallied against the Terriers, netting the game-tying goal in the 86th minute in Spartanburg, S.C. Despite the recent results, the Catamounts are in a three-way tie for third in the Southern Conference standings, holding four points and trailing only league-leader ETSU (nine points) and second-place Furman (seven points).
ETSU enters the match riding a trio of SoCon shutout wins to open the schedule. The Bucs most recently recorded a 3-0 win over Tennessee Tech and have a 1-0 win over Mercer and a 2-0 decision over Wofford under their belt.
The two squads have faced three common opponents this season, both facing Appalachian State, West Georgia, and Wofford. The Catamounts went unbeaten against those foes, posting a 1-0 road win over West Georgia and two draws, 0-0 in Boone and a 1-1 against the Terriers. ETSU went 2-1 against the same slate, posting 1-0 and 2-0 wins over West Georgia and Wofford, but falling 2-0 at home to Appalachian State.
Players to Watch:
Six Catamounts have posted at least one goal this season, with Gabriela Vatrano recording a team-high three scores for six points. Caroline Simpkins is WCU's most recent scorer, netting her first goal in a Catamount uniform in the draw at Wofford. Freshman Darien Vita has created the most opportunities for the Catamounts in SoCon play, posting seven shots, with five on net, though the Burke, Va. product is still searching for her first collegiate goal.
Defensively, the Catamount backline saw little change in their most recent outing at Wofford, with Emma Soucy, Samantha Whitaker, Alexandra Grammenopoulos, and Rylie Niemeyer all recording at least 84 minutes against the Terriers. Freshman defender Piper Mathers saw nine minutes of conference action, while defensive mainstay Alexe Drolet did not see the pitch after leaving WCU's match with Samford due to injury.
In goal, Amara Yetka has logged 180 of a possible 270 minutes in the Southern Conference season. The sophomore keeper recorded 11 saves in her last two matches, conceding a combined three goals to Samford and Wofford.
ETSU is led offensively by Reagan Fitzgerald, who has six goals and an assist on 31 total shots this season. The Buccaneer senior has netted a goal in her last four matches, three of which were against SoCon foes.
Addison Yelton has maintained her position between the posts for the Bucs and has captained her backline to a shutout start in the conference season. Yelton has recorded five saves in her three SoCon matches, posting three shutout wins.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
Western Carolina is back in action on Sunday, Oct. 4 as the Catamounts travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., to take on the Mocs. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
The Catamounts then return home on Oct. 11 to host The Citadel on Senior Day. Kickoff with the Bulldogs is set for 2 p.m. at the on-campus Catamount Athletic Center as seniors Emma Soucy, Malia Roberts, Samantha Whitaker, Mary Mueth, Maddie Lopez, Mackenzie Megill, and Ovella Ariail are honored for their careers in Cullowhee.
