THE DETAILS
#7 Bloomsburg (6-2, 0-0 PSAC) vs Mercyhurst (0-6, 0-0 PSAC)
Saturday, September 24, 2016 - 12:00 p.m.
Steph Pettit Stadium - Bloomsburg, Pa.

GAME COVERAGE
Live Stats - http://www.sidearmstats.com/bloomu/fhockey/

RELATED LINKS
Bloomsburg - Schedule | Roster | Statistics
Mercyhurst - Schedule | Roster | Statistics

STORYLINE
The seventh-ranked Huskies open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play with a home contest against winless Mercyhurst. Bloomsburg enters with a 6-2 overall record and have allowed only four goals in eight games. This will also be the first conference match of the season for the Lakers who enter with an 0-6 overall record.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Saturday's contest will mark the 20th meeting between the Huskies and the Lakers with Bloomsburg winning all 19 of the prior matchups. Last season, the Huskies defeated the Lakers twice, winning 4-1 in Bloomsburg on September 12 before hanging on for a 1-0 win in Erie on October 24.

LAST TIME OUT
Bloomsburg got back in the win column on Tuesday afternoon with a 3-0 shutout win over visiting Slippery Rock at Steph Pettit Stadium. Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Cassel (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) recorded her fifth shutout of the season with four saves while sophomores Erica Krebs (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia), Abby Sauder (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal), and Annie Klinger (Klingerstown, Pa./Line Mountain) posted the goals in the win.

Mercyhurst remained winless after dropping a 3-2 decision, at home, against Seton Hill on Tuesday afternoon. The Griffins scored the game-winning goal with 38 seconds left in regulation to keep the game from going to overtime. Jessica Brandon and Emily Burns scored while Sam Takac suffered the loss in goal.

LAST MEETING
In the second of two meetings against the Lakers last season, Bloomsburg hung on for a 1-0 win at Mercyhurst on October 24, 2015. Whitney Kowski (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills Regional) scored, what proved to be, the lone goal in the contest off of an assist from Stephanie Halsted (Fairfax Station, Va./South County) in the 24th minute. Goalkeeper Lindsay Cassel (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) turned aside seven shots to preserve the shutout. Mercyhurst goalkeeper Sam Takac had eight saves in the loss. Earlier in the year, the Huskies defeated the Lakers, 4-1, at Steph Pettit Stadium.

SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG
The Huskies dropped from third to seventh in the latest Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll released on Tuesday afternoon. After suffering a 2-1 loss at IUP last Saturday, Bloomsburg bounced back with a 3-0 win over Slippery Rock on Tuesday to improve to 6-2 on the season. The Huskies have outscored their opponents by a 24-4 margin through eight games and have outshot their opponents, 136-61. Bloomsburg currently leads the PSAC in scoring average (3.0 goals per game) and is tied for second in the league by allowing only 0.50 goals per game. Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Cassel (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) has been the beneficiary in goal as she is 6-2 with a 0.50 goals against average, an .892 save percentage, and five shutouts. She ranks tied for first in the PSAC in shutouts, second in save percentage, and third in goals against average. Freshman Ali McKay (Dover, Del./Polytech) leads the team in scoring with four goals and two assists for 10 points. Senior Sam Peters (Harrisburg, Pa./Mifflin County) has four goals and an assist for nine while senior Stephanie Halsted (Fairfax Station, Va./South County) and sophomore Abby Sauder (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal) each have seven points on the season.

SCOUTING MERCYHURST
Mercyhurst enters looking for its first victory of the 2016 season as the Lakers are 0-6 and have been outscored 27-8. The Lakers are last in the PSAC in goals allowed per game (4.50) and scoring margin per game (-3.17). Mercyhurst has allowed at least three goals in all six games this season and twice has allowed seven goals in a contest. Katie Lechner leads the team in scoring with one goal and three assists for five points. Emily Burns, Jessica Brandon, and Bryna Cook lead the team with two goals apiece. Senior Sam Takac has played every minute in goal and is 0-6 with a 5.77 goals against average and a .645 save percentage.

UP NEXT
The Huskies return home on Wednesday, September 28 for Faculty Appreciation Day against Mansfield at Steph Pettit Stadium. Start time is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.