WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Bloomsburg University men's soccer team dropped its third straight contest by a 4-2 margin at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) on Saturday evening. The Huskies rallied late, scoring twice in the second half, but three first-half goals by the Firebirds proved to be too much to overcome. Bloomsburg dropped to 3-6 overall while UDC improved to 3-6 on the year.
 
The Huskies could not find an answer for the scoring tandem of Malik Thom and Vitor Gomes. Thom netted his first goal of the opening half just under six minutes into regulation as the Firebirds took a 1-0 advantage. Gomes followed with a penalty kick goal in the 18th minute to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. The duo then collaborated on the final goal of the half, with Gomes feeding the pass to Thom who put it past Bloomsburg freshman goalkeeper Nolan Michaels (Independence, Ohio/St. Vincent - St. Mary).
 
Early in the second half, the Huskies gained some traction in the contest as junior Carter Luckenbaugh (York, Pa./Central York) put the team on the board with his fourth goal of the season in the 51st minute. Junior Thomas King (West Chester, Pa./B. Reed Henderson) had the assist - his second of the season. Bloomsburg then cut the UDC lead to one at 3-2 when senior Evan Novian (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) scored his second goal of the year in the 70th minute after a pass from freshman Olly Whitham (Clitheroe, Lancashire, England/Settle College). The tally gave the senior a career high in goals from his defensive position. Although maintaining the momentum through most of the second half, it was not enough to overcome the Firebirds' early lead.

However, Gomes' second goal of the game in the 88th minute erased any thought of Bloomsburg completing the comeback.

The Huskies led UDC in shots, 16-10, and had the only corner kick opportunity in the contest. Michaels suffered the loss as he dropped to 3-4 on the season after allowing three goals in the opening half. Redshirt freshman Nathan Slotnick (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) played the second half and allowed the late goal to Gomes. The duo combined to make two saves. Meanwhile, Milton Diaz turned aside six shots for UDC as he improved to 1-1 on the year.
 
Bloomsburg looks to bounce back when West Chester comes to Steph Pettit Stadium on Wednesday, October 9, at 7:00 p.m. The Huskies lead the all-time series against the Golden Rams, 6-3, including a 2-1 win last season at Steph Pettit Stadium behind a pair of goals from Tyler Madeira (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland).