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SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The eighth-ranked Bloomsburg University field hockey team got second-half goals from senior Geneka Mahan (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) and sophomore Tesa Hoffman (Freeburg, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) but could not complete the comeback as second-ranked Shippensburg University held on for a 3-2 win over the Huskies at the Robb Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies fell to 5-4 overall and 1-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action while the Raiders improved to 8-1 overall and 3-0 in league play.

Despite outshooting Shippensburg, 6-5, in the opening half and holding a 6-1 edge in penalty corners during the first 35 minutes, the Huskies found themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 score at halftime. Shippensburg's Emily Barnard beat her sister, Bloomsburg freshman Hannah Barnard (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal), for her PSAC-leading 12th goal of the season just over 14 minutes into the contest gave the Raiders the only goal of the first half. Mary Spisak had the helper on the tally.

Just under three minutes into the second half, Spisak gave the Raiders a 2-0 lead with her fifth goal of the year before senior Geneka Mahan (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) buried her third goal of the season past Shippensburg goalkeeper, Ally Mooney, to cut the deficit to 2-1 with just under 24 minutes left in regulation. Spisak answered with her second goal of the game just 90 seconds later to regain the two-goal lead for the Raiders at 3-1.

Hoffman made things interesting when she scored her second goal of the season, on a penalty corner, with 1:13 left in regulation to cut the Shippensburg lead to 3-2. Junior Abby Sauder (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal) picked up her first assist of the year on the marker.

The Huskies, however, could not mount any more offensive pressure the rest of the way and the comeback bid fell short.

Bloomsburg outshot Shippensburg, 12-10, in the second half and finished the contest with an 18-15 edge in shots. The Huskies also attempted 15 penalty corners on the afternoon as opposed to just five for the Raiders.

Freshman Hannah Barnard (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) suffered her first collegiate loss as she was credited with six saves on the day. She fell to 1-1 on the season. Mooney, meanwhile, improved to 8-1 on the season for Shippensburg as she turned aside seven Bloomsburg shot attempts.

The Huskies will be back on the road on Tuesday, October 3, when they head to top-ranked East Stroudsburg University. Start time is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.