JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 1, 2026) – The East Tennessee State University women's soccer team closed out the 2026 regular season in convincing fashion Sunday afternoon, defeating The Citadel, 3-0, at Summers-Taylor Stadium on Senior Day.
Caroline Wawak,
Natalie Capannelli, and
Bailey Coston each found the back of the net for the Buccaneers, while ETSU's defense limited the Bulldogs to just two shots throughout the contest.
With the victory, ETSU improved to 9-6-2 overall and 6-3-1 in Southern Conference play, securing the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Southern Conference Women's Soccer Championship. The Buccaneers will host a first-round matchup between the No. 6 and No. 11 seeds on Friday, Nov. 6, before welcoming the winner to Summers-Taylor Stadium for a quarterfinal contest Sunday, Nov. 8.
The Citadel fell to 8-6-4 overall and 3-5-2 in conference action.
The Buccaneers wasted little time establishing control, striking just 2:13 into the match. Wawak opened the scoring with her first goal of the season, giving ETSU an early 1-0 advantage.
ETSU continued to apply pressure throughout the opening half, outshooting The Citadel 13-0.
Reagan Fitzgerald, Capannelli, and
Ava Duffey each generated multiple opportunities, while
Hannah Dawson and
Alex Beck forced consecutive saves from Bulldogs goalkeeper Zoe Santos in the 37th minute.
Despite the offensive pressure, ETSU carried a 1-0 lead at the half.
The Buccaneers maintained their momentum after the break, with Beck putting two shots on goal in the opening nine minutes of the second half. The Citadel registered its first shot of the afternoon in the 56th minute, but the ETSU defense kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.
ETSU doubled its advantage in the 80th minute when Capannelli found the back of the net off an assist from Fitzgerald. The goal marked Capannelli's third of the season and gave the Buccaneers a 2-0 lead.
Just over seven minutes later, Coston put the finishing touches on the victory, scoring her second goal of the season in the 87th minute to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Buccaneers finished with a commanding 22-2 advantage in shots, including an 8-0 edge in shots on goal. Capannelli led ETSU with five shots, while Beck added four, including three on target. Fitzgerald contributed three shots and an assist in the victory.
Defensively, goalkeeper
Addison Yelton played all 90 minutes and recorded a shutout without needing to make a save. The Buccaneers held The Citadel without a shot in the first half and allowed no shots on goal throughout the contest.
Up Next
As the No. 3 seed in the 2026 Southern Conference Women's Soccer Championship, ETSU will host a portion of the first two rounds of the tournament at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
The No. 6 and No. 11 seeds will meet Friday, Nov. 6, in Johnson City, with the winner advancing to face the Buccaneers in the quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 8 at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
The winner of ETSU's quarterfinal matchup will advance to the semifinals, scheduled for Nov. 12 or 13, with the championship match set for Sunday, Nov. 15. The highest remaining seed will host the semifinal contests and championship match.
