North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Western Carolina
Pack to Face Western Carolina on the Road
9/2/2026 1:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - NC State heads to Western Carolina for its penultimate nonconference match on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. The match will air on ESPN+.
The Wolfpack enters Thursday's match at 6-0 and looks to start a season 7-0 for the first time since 2008 with a win over the Catamounts.
A Win Would …
- Mark Gary Higgins' 12th victory as head coach at NC State.
- Be the 414th win in program history.
- Be Higgins' 122nd win in his coaching career.
- Mark the program's fourth all-time win over Western Carolina.
- Mark the seventh win of the season for NC State.
- Move NC State to 7-0 to start a season for the first time since 2008.
Last Time Out
Jade Bordeleau recorded her second career hat trick as NC State dominated Davidson, 6-1, on Sunday evening at Dail Soccer Stadium. Bordeleau now has eight goals through six matches, while the Wolfpack's six goals marked its most in a game since 2018 and the most under Higgins. The win moved NC State to 6-0 for the first time since 2008 and surpassed its win total from the entire 2025 season.
Madison Casteen opened the scoring just over two minutes into the match before Bordeleau found the back of the net in the 34th minute to spark a four-goal first half. Carly Montgomery and Yuna Aoki also scored before halftime, and Bordeleau added two more goals in the second half to complete her hat trick. Davidson scored its lone goal in the 71st minute as NC State went on to secure the 6-1 victory.
Bordeleau's Back at It
Bordeleau has picked up where she left off in 2025, when she scored 10 goals to become the first NC State player to reach double figures in a season since 2019. Through six matches in 2026, Bordeleau is already up to eight goals, which ranked second in the nation as of Monday, Aug. 31.
Bordeleau is coming off a nine-point week, scoring four goals and adding an assist to lead the Wolfpack to wins over High Point and Davidson. Against the Wildcats, the Terrebonne, Quebec, native recorded a career-best seven points with a hat trick and an assist, marking the second three-goal performance of her career.
Her breakout 2025 campaign earned Bordeleau preseason recognition from IWSOC and United Soccer Coaches, which named her a forward to watch on its NCAA Division I Women's Players to Watch list. She was also ranked No. 52 on Top Drawer Soccer's preseason Top 100. Bordeleau was named ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1, earning her second career conference weekly honor.
Scouting the Catamounts
Western Carolina enters Thursday's contest at 1-3-1 through five matches, with its lone win coming against Winthrop. The Catamounts have scored five goals from four different players, led by Gabriela Vatrano with two. Amara Yetka and Elizabeth Rupert have split time in goal, appearing in four and three matches, respectively.
Head coach Chad Miller is in his 16th season at Western Carolina and has guided the Catamounts to 137 wins, along with two Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors. Last season, Miller led WCU to its first-ever win over an ACC opponent with a 3-2 victory over NC State in Raleigh. The win helped spark a historic road campaign, as the Catamounts finished the season undefeated away from Cullowhee for the first time in program history.
Series History
Thursday's match marks the sixth all-time meeting between NC State and Western Carolina, with the Wolfpack holding a 3-1-1 advantage in the series. The Catamounts earned their first win in the series in the teams' most recent meeting, taking a 3-2 victory at Dail Soccer Stadium last season.
The Wolfpack will make its first-ever trip to Cullowhee on Thursday evening, with each of the previous five meetings between the programs having been played in Raleigh. NC State is looking for its first win in the series since a 3-0 victory in 2017.
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