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Western Carolina wins 2023 SoCon Women's Soccer Championship
Catamounts win their first conference tournament title in 15 years
CULLOWHEE, North Carolina – The top-seeded Western Carolina Catamounts won their first Southern Conference Championship in 15 season as the Catamounts outlasted the No. 3 seed Samford, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletics Complex in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
Sunday’s championship win for Western Carolina was the program’s third SoCon tournament title. The other two came in 2005 and 2008. During this season’s championship run, the Catamounts did not surrender a goal in the conference tournament.
The intensity of a championship game began early in the match as two time stoppages occurred in the first minute of the contest. When the action resumed, both teams were able to make a run deep into their opponents’ end of the field. Samford drove the ball into Western Carolina’s end of the field, but the Bulldogs were unable to get a shot on goal.
The Catamounts countered by moving the ball deep into Samford territory. After three corner kicks over the span of one minute, Western Carolina midfielder Naya Marcil, a first-team all-conference selection, scored off a scramble, putting the Catamounts up 1-0 in the 11th minute.
Both teams had strong scoring opportunities that were turned back later in the first half. For Samford, first-team all-conference forward Kyla Reynolds took a shot towards the bottom right corner of the goal, but the shot was saved by second-team all-league goalkeeper Leanne Trudel. One minute later, Marcil had a header saved by Bulldog goalkeeper Zoe Clevely.
Western Carolina outshot Samford 6-3 in the first half. The Catamounts had four corner kicks to the Bulldogs’ three in the opening half.
The second half saw Western Carolina try to deliver knockout punches early in the frame. Two and half minutes in the second half, Catamount forward Milla Syska had a shot on goal that was blocked by Clevely. In the 61st and 62nd minute, SoCon Player of the Year Isabella DeMarco had shots on goal turned back by Clevely, keeping the match at 1-0.
Samford’s last gasp at tying the game came in the 76th minute. The Bulldogs had three shots blocked over 10 seconds of game action, including a shot on goal by second-team all-conference performer Mary Raymond that was kept out by Catamount defender Paige McAra, the 2023 SoCon Championship Most Outstanding Player.
Western Carolina outshot Samford 12-9. The Bulldogs held the advantage in corner kicks 8-6.
The Catamounts (13-4-3), who earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, will find out where they play next during the NCAA Selection show, which airs on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. ET.
2023 SoCon Women’s Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team
Grace Duncan, The Citadel
Grace Eatz, ETSU
Madi Hook, ETSU
Camryn Bolick, Furman
Addison Corn, Furman
Jamie Hlebec, Mercer
Taylor Mentzer, UNCG
Lindsay Origliasso, Samford
Mary Raymond, Samford
Jennifer Seward, Samford
Birna Johannsdottir, Chattanooga
Barrett Callejo, VMI
Alexis DeMarco, Western Carolina
Naya Marcil, Western Carolina
Paige McAra, Western Carolina
Ava Robitaille, Western Carolina
Meara Kelly, Wofford
Most Outstanding Player
Paige McAra, Western Carolina
Pinnacle Award (highest cumulative GPA among championship-eligible student-athletes on winning team)
Katelyn Galbraith and Maggie Lloyd, Western Carolina
2023 Women's Soccer Championship
Tuesday, Oct. 24
First Round (at higher seeds)
Match 1: No. 8 Wofford 2, No. 9 VMI 1
Match 2: No. 7 Mercer 1, No 10 The Citadel 0
Friday, Oct. 27
Quarterfinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 3: No. 1 Western Carolina 5, No. 8 Wofford 0 (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 4: No. 4 Furman 2, No. 5 UNCG 2 (FUR 3-1 PKs) (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 5: No. 2 ETSU 1, No. Mercer 0 (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Match 6: No. 3 Samford 3, No. 6 Chattanooga 2 (2OT) (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Sunday, Oct. 29
Semifinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 7: No. 1 Western Carolina 1, No. 4 Furman 0 (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 8: No. 3 Samford 2, No. 2 ETSU 0 (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Sunday, Nov. 5
Final (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 9: No. 1 Western Carolina 1, No. 3 Samford 0
Sunday’s championship win for Western Carolina was the program’s third SoCon tournament title. The other two came in 2005 and 2008. During this season’s championship run, the Catamounts did not surrender a goal in the conference tournament.
The intensity of a championship game began early in the match as two time stoppages occurred in the first minute of the contest. When the action resumed, both teams were able to make a run deep into their opponents’ end of the field. Samford drove the ball into Western Carolina’s end of the field, but the Bulldogs were unable to get a shot on goal.
The Catamounts countered by moving the ball deep into Samford territory. After three corner kicks over the span of one minute, Western Carolina midfielder Naya Marcil, a first-team all-conference selection, scored off a scramble, putting the Catamounts up 1-0 in the 11th minute.
Both teams had strong scoring opportunities that were turned back later in the first half. For Samford, first-team all-conference forward Kyla Reynolds took a shot towards the bottom right corner of the goal, but the shot was saved by second-team all-league goalkeeper Leanne Trudel. One minute later, Marcil had a header saved by Bulldog goalkeeper Zoe Clevely.
Western Carolina outshot Samford 6-3 in the first half. The Catamounts had four corner kicks to the Bulldogs’ three in the opening half.
The second half saw Western Carolina try to deliver knockout punches early in the frame. Two and half minutes in the second half, Catamount forward Milla Syska had a shot on goal that was blocked by Clevely. In the 61st and 62nd minute, SoCon Player of the Year Isabella DeMarco had shots on goal turned back by Clevely, keeping the match at 1-0.
Samford’s last gasp at tying the game came in the 76th minute. The Bulldogs had three shots blocked over 10 seconds of game action, including a shot on goal by second-team all-conference performer Mary Raymond that was kept out by Catamount defender Paige McAra, the 2023 SoCon Championship Most Outstanding Player.
Western Carolina outshot Samford 12-9. The Bulldogs held the advantage in corner kicks 8-6.
The Catamounts (13-4-3), who earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, will find out where they play next during the NCAA Selection show, which airs on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. ET.
2023 SoCon Women’s Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team
Grace Duncan, The Citadel
Grace Eatz, ETSU
Madi Hook, ETSU
Camryn Bolick, Furman
Addison Corn, Furman
Jamie Hlebec, Mercer
Taylor Mentzer, UNCG
Lindsay Origliasso, Samford
Mary Raymond, Samford
Jennifer Seward, Samford
Birna Johannsdottir, Chattanooga
Barrett Callejo, VMI
Alexis DeMarco, Western Carolina
Naya Marcil, Western Carolina
Paige McAra, Western Carolina
Ava Robitaille, Western Carolina
Meara Kelly, Wofford
Most Outstanding Player
Paige McAra, Western Carolina
Pinnacle Award (highest cumulative GPA among championship-eligible student-athletes on winning team)
Katelyn Galbraith and Maggie Lloyd, Western Carolina
2023 Women's Soccer Championship
Tuesday, Oct. 24
First Round (at higher seeds)
Match 1: No. 8 Wofford 2, No. 9 VMI 1
Match 2: No. 7 Mercer 1, No 10 The Citadel 0
Friday, Oct. 27
Quarterfinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 3: No. 1 Western Carolina 5, No. 8 Wofford 0 (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 4: No. 4 Furman 2, No. 5 UNCG 2 (FUR 3-1 PKs) (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 5: No. 2 ETSU 1, No. Mercer 0 (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Match 6: No. 3 Samford 3, No. 6 Chattanooga 2 (2OT) (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Sunday, Oct. 29
Semifinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 7: No. 1 Western Carolina 1, No. 4 Furman 0 (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 8: No. 3 Samford 2, No. 2 ETSU 0 (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Sunday, Nov. 5
Final (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 9: No. 1 Western Carolina 1, No. 3 Samford 0