Women’s Soccer Welcomes Georgia State for Thursday Contest

Western Carolina women’s soccer closes out the month of August with a nonconference visit from Georgia State on Thursday evening. Kickoff from the Catamount Athletics Complex is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Thursday’s match will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with free live stats available on CatamountSports.com. The Catamounts and Panthers meet for the fourth time overall and the first time since 2004 when Georgia State earned a 4-1 win in Atlanta.

WCU is 2-1-1 following a 2-1 setback in a lightning-shortened contest at UT Martin on Sunday afternoon. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Naya Marcil netted her third goal of the season to tie the match in the 52nd minute before the Skyhawks netted the game-winning goal at the 84:16 mark. A lightning strike with 2:23 remaining forced a delay and the match was ultimately ended before reaching full time.

Thursday’s match with Georgia State is the second home regular-season game for the Catamounts, the first coming on Aug. 20 in a scoreless draw with Queens. WCU did win a pair of exhibition matches at home earlier this month, downing Marshall 2-1 and blanking Davidson, 4-0.

Georgia State heads to Cullowhee with a 3-0-1 record following a 1-0 home win over Presbyterian College on Sunday evening thanks to a goal by Maddie Johnston. In addition to its win over the Blue Hose, Georgia State has seasonal victories against South Carolina State and Murray State to go along with a 1-1 tie against Southern Conference foe Mercer. Aaliyah Faddoul was named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 22 and is currently tied for first in the league with four goals this season.

Picked sixth in the 14-team Sun Belt Conference, the Panthers landed two on the preseason all-conference team in Spanish-born senior midfielder Elena Diaz and fellow Spaniard, graduate student defender Eva Diez Lois.

Following Thursday’s short stop at home, the Catamounts face a stiff test on Sunday, venturing to No. 11 Clemson for a 6 p.m. match at Historic Riggs Field. That contest will be streamed on ACC Network Extra with live stats available on CatamountSports.com.