Western Carolina women’s soccer rode a quick start, rocketing out to a 1-0 advantage inside the opening four minutes of Sunday afternoon’s meeting with Georgia State before ultimately putting the home-standing Panthers away in the first half, leaving little doubt in a 3-0 blanking of the Sun Belt Conference foe.
The Catamounts dominated all facets of the field in the initial 45 minutes, highlighted by a stretch in the opening six minutes of the match where the Purple and Gold fired off six shots with Milla Syska scoring the first – and eventual game-winning – goal in the fourth minute. Syska capitalized off a cross from Isabella DeMarco, who earned her first point of the 2024 season on the assist.
The Catamounts kept up the pressure in the first 20 minutes, conceding just one shot to the home team in the 17th minute of play which Leanne Trudel turned aside for her first of two saves on the day. The Catamounts responded with seven unanswered shots as Syska recorded her second goal of the first half, depositing a helper from Ava Robitaille to give the Catamounts insurance they would never truly need.
The stifled Panthers offense would muster one more shot in the 41st minute to close out the first half as WCU went into the halftime break holding a 2-0 lead and a 16-2 advantage in shots.
Not content with the two-goal lead, Isabella DeMarco and the Catamount offense kept up the pressure to open the second period of play. WCU rattled off the first six shots of the second half before Georgia State’s Aaliyah Faddoul granted Leanne Trudel her second and final save of the afternoon in the 60th minute.
The final 30 minutes saw both teams combine for eight total shots, though the Panthers strung together several good opportunities deep in Catamount territory. Becca Campbell and the stalwart Catamount backline consisting of Mary Mueth, Samantha Whittaker, Abbie Wise, and Rylie Niemeyer kept the pressure away from Trudel, allowing only seven shots total, two of which were on goal.
Catamount striker Isabella DeMarco broke through for the first time this season in the 90th minute, knocking a shot past veteran keeper Jaddah Foos for the Purple and Gold’s third goal of the day, securing the 3-0 road victory.
Western Carolina led in all statistical categories outside of saves, taking 26 shots with 11 on goal compared to Georgia State’s seven attempts with just two on cage. The Catamounts additionally had seven corner kicks with the Panthers earning just four.
Sophomore forward/midfielder Sofia Goclowski returned to the Catamount starting lineup for the first time since the season-opener versus Florida … Despite not appearing in the box score, Goclowski immediately made her presence felt in the first half, cutting off Panther passes to create offensive opportunities for the Catamounts;
Milla Syska recorded her first career multi-goal game with a brace, scoring both goals in the first half … Syska led the team in shots with seven and shots on goal with two … Syska has more goals in the 2024 season (4) than she did in her career coming into the season (3) combined;
Isabella DeMarco recorded her first points of the season, registering an assist and a goal at Georgia State … the Catamount star has four career games recording at least one goal and one assist … She leads the team with 23 shots and is tied for the team lead in shots on goal with Milla Syska as both Catamounts have put 11 shots on target;
Naya Marcil connected with Milla Syska for her third assist of the season and the nineteenth in her career … A twentieth assist would move her into a five-way tie for second in the Catamount record books … Lauren Bramlett currently sits atop the record book with 25 career assists;
Becca Campbell, Leanne Trudel, and Mary Mueth each continued their streak of 90-minute matches, with the trio playing all 450 possible minutes of the season … Fellow Catamount backliner Samantha Whitaker has gone the distance in three consecutive games this season;
The Purple and Gold were the first team to put up three goals and 20+ shots on the Panthers … Georgia State had previously lost to the Ole Miss Rebels 2-0 (15 shots) and the Florida Gators 2-0 (19 shots) before the Catamounts came to town.
Western Carolina returns to action at the Catamount Athletic Complex as they host the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs on Thursday, Sept. 5, for a 7 p.m. kick. The Catamounts then hit the road for a Sunday afternoon matchup at East Carolina on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m.
