Box Score

BLOOMSBURG – Katie Walczuk (Long Valley, NJ, West Morris Central) scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season, but the Bloomsburg University women's soccer team tied the Lakers of Mercyhurst, 1-1, in double overtime Saturday afternoon at Sports Stadium.

After a defensive struggle through the first 30 minutes of action and only two Kelsey Stoka (Langhorne, Neshaminy) shots, the Huskies finally got on the board.

At the 33:25 mark, Natalie Adams (Wilkes-Barre, Holy Redeemer) took the corner kick and lofted the ball right in front of the box. In the pack of players in front of Mercyhurst goalkeeper Rachel Griepsma was Walczuk, who headed the goal into the top of the net for a 1-0 BU lead. The assist was Adams' fourth of the season.

The Lakers evened the match at 1-1 early in the second half when Paige McDowell slipped her ball into the left corner of the net and past Bloomsburg goalkeeper Frances Nicoletti (Haddonfield, NJ, Haddonfield). The goal was McDowell's ninth on the year.

The game remained 1-1 for the remainder of regulation, but both teams had opportunities to win the match.

Bloomsburg had two golden opportunities to take the lead, but both shots went wide off the foot of Stoka.

Mercyhurst's Aina Torres tried to give the Lakers the advantage at the 54:47 mark, but her shot sailed high and hit the crossbar. Teammate Sarah Slezak also airmailed a shot that hit the crossbar at the 70:56 mark.

In the first overtime period, neither team attempted a shot on goal.

In the second overtime period, Bloomsburg's Tara Huber (Orefield, Parkland) took a shot at the 106:00 mark, but Griepsma stopped the shot and kept the game deadlocked at 1-1.

The Lakers took three shots on Nicoletti in the second overtime, but all three were denied.

Bloomsburg held a 15-12 shots and a 7-6 corner kick advantage over Mercyhurst (6-4-1, 3-4-1 PSAC).

Nicoletti made six saves on the day, as Griepsma also made six saves.

Bloomsburg (5-1-2, 4-1-1 PSAC) returns to the field tomorrow afternoon, traveling to Millersville for a 4 p.m. start. This is a makeup game from Sept. 22.