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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University women's soccer team posted its second consecutive shutout win to open the 2018 season as it blanked IUP, 2-0, on Saturday afternoon at Steph Pettit Stadium. The Huskies improved to 2-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) standings while the Crimson Hawks suffered their first loss of the season as they dropped to 1-1-0 overall and 1-1-0 in league play.

In an early season matchup featuring two teams picked to make the PSAC tournament, the contest was evenly matched throughout and remained scoreless until freshman Rachel Clouser (Grantville, Pa./Lower Dauphin) scored in the 33rd minute to give the Huskies a 1-0 advantage. Clouser's first collegiate goal came off of a penalty corner taken by sophomore Natalie Holmes (Laurel, Md./Archbishop Spalding). Holmes played the ball perfectly into the box and Clouser was able to chip a one-timer just over the outstretched hand of IUP goalkeeper Madeline Smakulski into the top-left corner of the net.

The score remained intact until Holmes notched her first goal of the season on a penalty kick with just over two minutes left in regulation. The sophomore finished the afternoon with a goal and an assist - her first points of the young season after scoring a goal and leading the Huskies with seven assists as a freshman last year.

After IUP out-shot the Huskies, 4-2, in the first half, Bloomsburg returned the favor by holding a 9-4 margin in shots in the second half to finish with an 11-8 edge in that department for the contest. The Huskies also held a 7-3 edge in corner kicks on the afternoon.

Redshirt sophomore Jenna Hawkins (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood) recorded her second consecutive shutout to improve to 2-0 on the season. After not registering a save against Mansfield on Thursday night, Hawkins was credited with two saves on Saturday afternoon. Smakulski suffered the loss and finished the day with three saves.

Bloomsburg will be on the road for the first time in 2018 when it heads to Millersville University on Wednesday, September 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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