Western Carolina wins regular-season title; earn No. 1 seed

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina claimed the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship after posting an 8-0-1 league mark this season.

The Catamounts won their second straight outright SoCon regular season championship this season, clinching the title on Oct. 24 with a 2-0 win at Furman. Western Carolina will be looking for its second consecutive and fourth overall SoCon Tournament crown.

The tournament begins on Tuesday, Oct. 29, with a pair of first-round matches on campus sites. The quarterfinal round follows on Nov. 1 with the semifinal round set for Nov. 3, both hosted by top-seed Western Carolina and No. 2 seed Samford. The championship will be played at the highest remaining seed on Nov. 9 or 10.

Samford went 6-1-2 in league play to earn the No. 2 seed. The Bulldogs await the winner of the matchup between No. 7 UNCG and No. 10 The Citadel. Samford topped UNCG in dramatic fashion on Sunday in the regular-season finale, winning 2-1 on a goal scored in the 89th minute. Samford defeated The Citadel, 1-0, back on Oct. 3.

Furman is the No. 3 seed. The Paladins will play No. 6 ETSU in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 1. Furman topped the Bucs, 1-0, on Oct. 13.

The No. 4 seed is Mercer, who will face fifth-seeded Chattanooga on Friday, Nov. 1, at 4 p.m. The Bears were victorious in the teams’ first contest against each other this season on Oct. 3, winning 2-0.

UNCG and The Citadel’s first round match will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. The two teams played a scoreless draw on Oct. 17 in their first meeting this season.

Wofford, who is the No. 8 seed for the third straight year, will host No. 9 VMI on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. The Terriers and Keydets tied 1-1 on Oct. 17.

Western Carolina will host the winner of Wofford and VMI on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.

 
The tournament winner earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship.
 
2024 Women's Soccer Championship
Tuesday, Oct. 29
First Round (at higher seeds)
Match 1: No. 9 VMI at No. 8 Wofford, 6 p.m.
Match 2: No 10 The Citadel at No. 7 UNCG, 6 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 1
Quarterfinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 3: Winner Match 1 at No. 1 Western Carolina, 7 p.m. (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 4: No. 4 Mercer vs. No. 5 Chattanooga, 4 p.m. (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 5: Winner Match 2 at No. 2 Samford, 4 p.m. CT (Birmingham, Alabama)
Match 6: No. 3 Furman vs. No. 6 ETSU, 7 p.m. CT (Birmingham, Alabama)

Sunday, Nov. 3
Semifinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 7: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 2 p.m. (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 8: Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6, 1 p.m. CT (Birmingham, Alabama)

Saturday, Nov. 9, or Sunday, Nov. 10
Final (Highest remaining seed, location TBD)
Match 9: Winner Match 7 vs. Winner Match 8, TBD

*all times Eastern unless otherwise noted