Western Carolina sophomore Jordan Howell scored two goals in the opening 18 minutes to lead the Catamounts to a 4-0 victory over the Bucs on last Friday afternoon at Schrader Field.
Western Carolina, ranked 10th in the Southeast Region in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas Women’s Division I rankings, improved to 9-0 in home matches and 13-4 overall, including 7-2 in the Southern Conference.
The Bucs fell to 2-12 and 1-7 in the SoCon.
The Catamounts opened the match with the ball and set the stage early for an offensive attack, getting a shot on goal less than a minute into the contest.
Howell put Western Carolina on the board at the 8:10 mark of the first half off a Kelly Barker assist.
Just over nine minutes later, Howell dribbled around the Bucs’ defense to nail an open look at the net from 10 feet out, for her team-leading 12th goal of the season.
Western kept the pressure on the Bucs, scoring a third goal less than nine minutes later.
Sophomore Lauren Bramlett scored an unassisted goal for her eighth of the season.
Bramlett also provided the final 4-0 margin, scoring a break-away goal off a Tami Piscott pass with only 10 minutes left in the contest.
Catamounts’ goal keepers Mandi Tirsley and Tina Weaver combined for the shutout.
The Bucs were led by Elizabeth Smith, who recorded all three of her team’s shots on goal. Bucs’ goal keeper Heather Sanden was credited with 12 saves on Western’s 23 shots.
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The Buccaneer soccer team was shut out by the Lady Mocs of UT-Chattanooga on Sunday night in the Lady Mocs’ senior day.
Chattanooga’s goals were scored by sophomore Oddbjog Haugen and freshman Brooke Crandall.
Crandall scored UTC’s first goal just 4:40 into the game with an assist from teammate Nicole Sampier.
The Lady Mocs’ other goal came in the first half also, with Haugen scoring off a pass from Crandall at the 37:48 mark.
Several Buccaneer players took shots during the game, but junior Elizabeth Smith tried to bring life to the ETSU offense.
Smith took three shots with two being on goal.
ETSU’s Katherine Gentry, Lisa Gallagher, Andrea Brown, Ashley Richards, Kristin Redfern and Melissa Wilder each had one shot on the night.
The Bucs shot the ball nine times while Chattanooga took 13 shots.
Three of ETSU’s shots were on goal and Chattanooga had seven shots on goal.
The Lady Mocs committed 10 fouls and the Bucs were charged with five fouls.
Buccaneer goalkeeper Heather Sanden earned five saves on the evening. Last week, Sanden was ranked ninth in the nation in saves per game with 8.08 saves per game this season.
The Bucs return home to celebrate senior day and take on Wofford at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Liberty Bell Soccer Complex.

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