Women's Soccer | 10/16/2014 10:20:00 AM

 
STORYLINE
The Huskies hope to take momentum from last Saturday's 1-0 win at Mansfield into a pair of difficult PSAC road matches this weekend at Slippery Rock and California (PA).

LAST MEETING VS. SLIPPERY ROCK
The Rock, then ranked No. 24 in the country, scored a 2-0 win at Bloomsburg on Oct. 11, 2013. Crysta Gunter scored the first goal in the 16th minute and Nicole Krueger added a second tally in the 49th minute. Slippery Rock held a narrow 10-9 edge in shots.
 
SCOUTING SLIPPERY ROCK
The nationally ranked Rock come into the match red hot as winners of five straight matches. Since an 0-1-1 start to the season, Slippery Rock has rolled to an 8-1-0 mark over the past nine contests with wins over Mercyhurst (4-0), Gannon (3-0), Pitt-Johnstown (10-0), Seton Hill (2-1) and Kutztown (2-0) included in the current five-game winning streak.

Slippery Rock is the defending Atlantic Regional champion after defeating California (PA), 3-0, in the 2013 Atlantic Regional Championship game and finished the year at 15-4-2 with the 18th straight winning season for the program. Returning from that team are All-Americans Allison Harbart (midfield) and Andrea Felix (forward).

Slippery Rock ranks second in the PSAC in scoring (2.45 goals per game) and second in goals allowed (0.42 per game). Felix leads the team with five goals while Krueger and Ali Brosky each add four. Goalkeeper Annabelle Hegeman ranks among the conference leaders with a 0.45 GAA in 988 minutes of action.
 
LAST MEETING VS. CALIFORNIA (PA)
Bloomsburg took then-No. 13 Cal U to the wire before dropping a 2-1 decision on Oct. 12, 2013 at home. After a scoreless first half, Cal took the lead in the 51st minute with a goal from Danielle Kearns. Bloomsburg tied the score at the 57:27 mark when Tara Huber (Orefield/Parkland) scored unassisted. The Vulcans tallied the game-winner in the 71st minute when Stephanie Thompson headed in a ball off a corner kick. Goalkeeper Ashley Magruda made a save on a one-on-one breakaway in the 87th minute to secure victory.
 
SCOUTING CALIFORNIA (PA)
Cal U ranks fifth in the PSAC in goals this season with 1.9 per game and also fifth in goals allowed per game, just 0.83 per contest.

Chelsea Crockett leads the team and is tied for the conference lead in goals with eight on the year while Janelle McCann adds the second half of a potent scoring duo with six goals to rank fourth in the PSAC. Goalkeeper Meghan Jayes has recorded a 0.62 GAA in over 1,000 minutes in net.

A PSAC soccer power, Cal U was selected second in the preseason coaches poll behind Slippery Rock and finished last season at 18-3-2 and has been especially strong at home with an 8-0 record vs. PSAC teams on home turf last year and a 5-1 mark overall at home so far this fall.
 
CARROLL'S GREAT WEEK
Redshirt sophomore Megan Carroll (Middletown/Middletown Area) entered last week with one career goal and doubled that total last week alone with a pair of scores to help the Huskies to a 1-1 week. Carroll fought through a scrum in front of the net for the Huskies' tally in a 2-1 double overtime heartbreak vs. Edinboro and then scored the game-winner in the 72nd minute at Mansfield. Now with three goals on the year, Carroll leads the team in scoring – also with seven total points.
 
DEFENSE RULES THE PSAC
The Huskies defense has been solid all year, allowing opponents just over one goal per game. Bloomsburg has surrendered more than two goals just twice on the season, but the Huskies still rank ninth in goals allowed per game. Five teams – West Chester, Slippery Rock, East Stroudsburg, Kutztown and California (PA) – all allow on average less than one goal per game as the PSAC remains one of the toughest conferences in the nation.
 
PLAYING THEM CLOSE
Bloomsburg has been oh-so-close a number of times this season. Nine matches have been decided by one goal or tied this year including three overtime contests.
 
NEXT UP
The Huskies return home to host the regular season home finale and Senior Day on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. vs. Millersville.