CULLOWHEE, N.C. — #2 Western Carolina survived a second-half collapse and overtime heroics from #7 UNC Greensboro to advance in the Southern Conference Championship with a 4-3 victory Friday night. Gabriela Vatrano scored the golden goal in the 98th minute, sending the Catamounts past the seventh-seeded Spartans in a back-and-forth thriller that tested both teams' tournament credentials.
Isabella DeMarco opened the scoring for Western Carolina in the 29th minute off a Sofia Goclowski assist, giving the second-seeded hosts an early advantage. The Catamounts controlled possession through the first half, but UNC Greensboro responded with resilience. Rina Ogimoto converted a penalty kick in the 34th minute to cut the deficit to one before halftime.
Merle Greulich equalized just 17 seconds into the second half, assisted by Ava Kiss, to level the match at 2-2. The momentum shifted dramatically as the Spartans took their first lead when Kiss scored in the 67th minute with Mairead Gayer providing the assist. Western Carolina appeared vulnerable, trailing a lower seed in a conference tournament match with less than 25 minutes remaining.
Vatrano answered immediately, tying the contest at 3-3 in the 85th minute from a corner kick delivery by Milla Syska and DeMarco. The goal forced overtime and set up a frantic extra period where both teams pressed for the decisive advantage. Western Carolina dominated possession