Cullowhee, N.C. –Hannah Farr and Nieva Gaither netted goals and senior Nora Sampson secured the Paladins' third clean sheet in the last four matches with a penalty kick save as the Furman women's soccer team blanked Western Carolina, 2-0, Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletics Complex in Cullowhee, N.C.
 
With its fourth consecutive victory, Furman improved to 7-4-0 on the season and 2-0 in Southern Conference play. The Catamounts slipped to 2-4-4 overall and 1-1 in the league.
 
"It was a great weekend for Nieva with another goal and an assist today," said Paladin head coach Andrew Burr. "Nora also played well and came up with the big save to for us late. I'm proud of the progress we've made as a team, and we will work to build on that going into this coming weekend."
 
Furman took the lead at the 30:29 mark on Farr's second goal of the season. Gaither received a pass in the midfield and dribbled down the left side and into the box before sliding a low cross towards the far post. Farr ran onto the cross and tapped in a one-timer to give Furman a 1-0 lead.
 
Just 35 seconds into the second half, Farr served a left-footed cross into the box that Stella Garcia nodded towards goal. A Western Carolina defender cleared the ball out of the six-yard box, but Gaither was run over by a Catamount defender as she attempted to play the ball on the left side of the box. The reigning SoCon Player of the Year stepped to the penalty spot and finished into the top shelf for her fifth goal of the season at 45:35 to stake Furman to a 2-0 advantage.
 
Western Carolina threatened to halve the lead when they Catamounts were awarded a penalty kick with just over four minutes remaining, but Sampson made a diving save on Naya Marcil's spot kick to preserve the shutout. The Atlanta, Ga., native finished the match with four saves to notch her fourth consecutive win in goal.
 
The Catamounts outshot Furman, 9-8, however, the Paladins managed a 5-4 edge in shots on target. Eden Reece took the loss in goal for Western Carolina.
 
Gaither, a native of Lilburn, Ga., who assisted on Valentina Mosquera's match-winning score at ETSU on Friday night, added a goal and an assist on Sunday to up her season totals to five goals and seven assists through 11 matches.
 
The Paladins conclude their three-game SoCon road swing on Friday night when they travel to Spartanburg, S.C., to face the Wofford Terriers at Snyder Field.