GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's soccer team will host Western Carolina University (WCU) on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. for its final home regular season match of the season at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
 
The Spartans enter the contest 3-1-4 in the last eight games.
 
UNCG and Chattanooga are tied for third in The Southern Conference (SoCon) standings with 12 points. Western Carolina and Samford are tied for first with 16 points each. Furman and Mercer follow with 11 points each to round out the top six of the conference.  
 

 
SERIES HISTORY
UNCG leads the all-time series, 22-5-3. The Catamounts claimed the last game, 4-0, on Sept. 28, 2023 in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The Spartans last won on Oct. 28, 2022 in a SoCon Tournament quarterfinal game with a score of 2-1.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS
UNCG and The Citadel played to a scoreless draw on Thursday in Charleston, South Carolina. The Spartans held the advantage in shots, 7-3, and corner kicks, 5-1.
 
ABOUT THE SPARTANS

• Ava Kiss paces the team with eight points, scoring three goals and two assists this season.
• Merle Greulich is second on the team with three goals and one assist for seven points.
• Taylor Mentzer and Morgan Brubaker each have scored three goals for six points.
• Mel Herrera, Bailey Gourdine, Rachel Poplin and Azumi Oka have each chipped in one goal.
• Along with Kiss, Nicole Hutchinson, Mairead Gayer and Ryen Ortiz each have two helpers.
• In net, Emma Malone has started in 14 games and played in 15 giving up 15 goals for 1.04 goals against average.
• The Spartans have the edge over their opponents in shots, 174-139, while UNCG and its foes are tied for corner kicks, 67-67.
• UNCG had 25 shots against the Keydets and it was the first game since Sept. 7, 2023, when the Spartans had 20 or more shots. The Spartans had 20 shots against Coastal Carolina that day and won 3-0.
• UNCG has lost five games by one goal this season, which included when then-ranked No. 22 Colorado defeated the Spartans, 1-0, in August.
• Among the SoCon, UNCG is second in goals against average (1.00), third in goal differential (1), save percentage (.762) and shutout percentage (.333).
• Malone was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 1 for a 1-0 clean sheet against Chattanooga. This was her second career weekly award.
• She earned her first honor on Sept. 3. This was the Spartans' first SoCon Player of the Week since Oct. 28, 2022, when Nadia Wilson earned the award and first SoCon Defensive Player of the Week since Sept. 27, 2022, when Abby Buchholz earned the recognition.
• Head Coach Stefani Workman is in her first year at the helm of the Spartans and eighth year overall with the Blue & Gold.
• The Spartans were voted to finish seventh in the 2024 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Spartans added six freshmen and one graduate transfer to the 2024 roster.

 
SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA

• WCU was voted to take the title in the 2024 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll and the Catamounts also took eight of the 10 first-place votes.
• Isabella MeMarco, Naya Marcil and Becca Campbell were named to the Preseason All-Conference team.
• The Catamounts are currently on a 12-game unbeaten streak with their most recent game being a 0-0 draw to ETSU.
• Ten of the 12 games have been shutouts.
• Milla Syska is pacing the Catamounts' offense with 10 goals and two assists for 22 points, which is 33^rd in the nation.
• DeMarco (5g, 6a) and Marcil (6g, 4a) are second on the team with 16 points, while Kirsten Hahn (6g, 3a) follows with 15 points.
• In net, Leanne Trudel has started and played in 15 games, giving up just eight goals for 0.55 goals against with 43 saves.
• Trudel's eight shutouts is 13th in the nation.
• The Catamounts are outshooting opponents, 308-120, and have the advantage in corner kicks, 94-53.
• Among the nation, WCU is in the top 50 in multiple categories, including shots on goal per game (4^th/10.27), goal differential (7^th/31), shots per game (7^th/20.53), shutout percentage (8^th/.667), goals against average (9^th/.533), total goals (10^th/39), scoring offense (12^th/2.6), total points (12^th/114), points per game (13^th/7.6), total assists (16^th/36), assists per game (20^th/2.4), save percentage (26^th/.846), won-lost-tied percentage (.767), corner kicks per game (39^th/6.20) and shot accuracy (48^th/.500).

 
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UP NEXT
The Spartans will conclude their regular season slate with a road trip against Samford on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. CST at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
Following that match, UNCG and the rest of the SoCon will learn their fate in the 2024 SoCon Tournament which begins on Oct. 29 and runs through Nov. 10.