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 a 7-2-0 league mark this season.
 
The Catamounts won their first outright SoCon regular season championship this season, clinching the title on Oct. 15 with a 4-0 win over VMI. Western Carolina last won a share of the regular-season crown in 2001.
 
The tournament begins Tuesday, Oct. 24, with a pair of first-round matches on campus sites. The quarterfinal round follows on Oct. 27 with the semifinal round set for Oct. 29, both hosted by top-seed Western Carolina and No. 2 seed ETSU. The championship will be played at the highest remaining seed on Nov. 4 or 5.
 
ETSU went 6-1-2 in league play to earn the No. 2 seed. The Bucs await the winner of the matchup between No. 7 Mercer and No. 10 The Citadel. Mercer gave ETSU its only conference loss on Oct. 1, winning by a score of 1-0. The Buccaneers defeated The Citadel, 1-0, on Oct. 5 when the teams met earlier this season.
 
Defending tournament champion Samford is the No. 3 seed. The Bulldogs will play No. 6 seed Chattanooga in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27. Samford topped the Mocs, 2-0, on Sunday as the two teams are set to play for the second time over a five-day span.
 
The No. 4 seed is Furman, who will face fifth-seeded UNCG on Friday, Oct. 27, at 4 pm. The Spartans were victorious in the teams’ first contest against each other this season on Oct. 8, winning 1-0.
 
Mercer and The Citadel’s first round match will take place in Macon, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. The Bears won 2-0 over the Bulldogs on Sunday in the regular-season finale.
 
Wofford, who is the No. 8 seed for the second straight year, will host No. 9 VMI on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. The Terriers topped the Keydets by a score of 2-0 back on Sept. 21, a game that served as the conference opener for both squads.

Western Carolina will host the winner of Wofford and VMI on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m.
 
The tournament winner earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship.
 
2023 Women's Soccer Championship
Tuesday, Oct. 24
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 Mercer, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 27
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 Furman vs. No. 5 UNCG, 4 p.m. (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 5: Winner Match 2 at No. 2 ETSU, 4 p.m. (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Match 6: No. 3 Samford vs. No. 6 Chattanooga, 7 p.m. (Johnson City, Tennessee)

Sunday, Oct. 29
Semifinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 7: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 1 p.m. (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 8: Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6, 2 p.m. (Johnson City, Tennessee)

Saturday, Nov. 4, or Sunday, Nov. 5
Final (Highest remaining seed, location TBD)
Match 9: Winner Match 7 vs. Winner Match 8, TBD

*all times Eastern unless otherwise noted