HTML BOX SCORE

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The ninth-ranked Bloomsburg University field hockey team fell to visiting Lindenwood University in a contest decided in a shootout on Sunday afternoon at Steph Pettit Stadium. Tied at 1-1 at the end of two overtime periods, the Lions outscored the Huskies, 4-3, in seven rounds of the shootout to come away with the victory. Bloomsburg dropped to 6-6 overall while Lindenwood improved to 8-2 on the season. It marked the final non-conference game of the regular season for the Huskies.

The Lions cracked the scoreboard first when Graycen Dave beat freshman goalkeeper Dana Sheply (Maple Shade, N.J./Maple Shade) for her third goal of the season with just under seven minutes left in the opening half. Sheply was credited with an initial save on a shot taken by Nicole Johnston, but Dave was there to bang home the rebound for the only goal of the opening stanza.

Lindenwood outshot Bloomsburg, 7-4, in the first half but the Huskies held a slight, 3-2, edge in penalty corners during the first 35 minutes of action.

Senior MacKenna Mahan (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) was able to knot the contest at 1-1 with just over five minutes left in regulation as she buried a rebound for her team-leading eighth goal of the season. Junior Brooke Zeiders (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) took the first shot that was stopped by Lindenwood goalkeeper, Skylar Starbeck, but Mahan was on the doorstep to knock the rebound into the empty goal. Zeiders was credited with the assist - her third helper of the season.

Zeiders had an opportunity to send the Huskies' crowd home happy late in the first overtime as Bloomsburg was awarded a penalty stroke as a shot was kicked in the crease by a Lindenwood defensive player. Zeiders lifted the shot and got it on goal but Starbeck made a great blocker save to keep the score deadlocked.

Both teams had scoring chances in the second overtime but neither team was able to break the stalemate.

In the shootout, each team scored three times during the opening five shooters to force extra attempts. During the round of five attempts, junior Tali Wehner (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg), sophomore Rachael Strockbine (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley), and junior Jackie Shragher (Holland, Pa./Council Rock South) all beat Starbeck while Lindenwood countered with good attempts from Greta Banholzer, Caro Theunisz, and Maroussia Buysschaert.

Wehner started the extra attempts with a miss but Banholzer could not beat Sheply to send the shootout to a seventh round. Starbeck stopped Strockbine to give the Lions their second straight chance at the game-winner and, this time, Theunisz cashed in as she beat Sheply to give the visitors the win.

The Lions finished the contest with a 22-16 shot advantage and a 10-8 margin in penalty corners. Sheply was credited with six saves as she fell to 5-5 on the season. Starbeck stopped seven shots to improve to 8-2. The Huskies also had four defensive saves on the afternoon - two from Shragher and one each from Wehner and senior Sally DeLuca (West Pittston, Pa./Wyoming Area).

Bloomsburg will be back in action on Wednesday, October 11, when it heads to Mansfield University. Start time is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.