STORYLINE
The Bloomsburg University women's soccer team looks to build off of its magical 2018 campaign as it opens the 2019 season with a conference crossover matchup against Edinboro on Thursday afternoon at Steph Pettit Stadium. The Huskies, who finished 2018 with a 17-3-3 overall record, enter the contest ranked fifth in the United Soccer Coaches Division II preseason poll after advancing to the Elite Eight last year. Bloomsburg lost to eventual national champion, Bridgeport, in the NCAA Quarterfinals last November at Steph Pettit Stadium.
NEW LOOK
With the addition of Shepherd to the PSAC, the sport of women's soccer will be split into an Eastern and Western Division for the first time since 2009. Both divisions will consist of nine teams while the top four teams of each division will earn a spot in the PSAC postseason.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Huskies are 10-9-2 lifetime against the Fighting Scots. Last season, the Huskies clinched the regular season PSAC crown on the final day of the year with a 1-0 road victory over Edinboro.
Taylor Sneidman (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) scored the lone goal for the Huskies while
Jenna Hawkins (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood) preserved the shutout with one save.
PRESEASON POLLS
The Huskies captured eight first-place votes in the east to claim the top spot in the division according to the league's head coaches. Kutztown and West Chester were picked second and third, respectively, while East Stroudsburg was given the other first-place nod and was picked fourth. Millersville rounded out the top five with Lock Haven, Shippensburg, Shepherd, and Mansfield finishing off the division. Out west, Slippery Rock had six first-place votes and was picked to win the division. Gannon had the other three first-place votes and was picked second.
SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG
Bloomsburg will look to defend its crown as it won last year's PSAC Championship with a 2-1 overtime victory over East Stroudsburg on November 4. It was the program's fourth overall conference title but first since 2002. The Huskies were then awarded the top seed in the Atlantic Region - the program's first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2010 and eighth overall - and went on to win the regional title with a 2-1 win over West Virginia Wesleyan on November 16. That victory sent them to the NCAA quarterfinal round for the third time in school history and first since 2000. Bloomsburg's 17 wins were one shy of the school record of 18 set during the 1996 season. Bloomsburg did set a school record with 15 shutouts during the campaign and finished sixth among all Division II teams in shutout percentage (.652). The Huskies return Third Team All-American in senior defenseman
Tayah Naudascher (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan). Naudascher anchored a defensive unit that allowed only 12 goals on the season - tied for 12th fewest in the country. The Huskies allowed only 77 shots on goal all year (3.35 per game) - fewest in the PSAC - and conceded only 157 (6.83 per game) shot attempts all season long. Naudascher started all 23 matches last season for the Huskies and has appeared in all 59 games in her collegiate career (55 starts). Junior defenseman
Natalie Holmes (Laurel, Md./Archbishop Spalding) earned Second Team All-Region and Second Team All-PSAC honors last season after recording 10 points in 2018. Juniors
Lauren Hoelke (Blackwood, N.J./Highland Regional) and
Mackenzie Gebhardt (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) are also back after strong sophomore seasons. Hoelke led the team in points with 18 on three goals and a school-record tying 12 assists and was named the PSAC Tournament MVP. Gebhardt, meanwhile, was tied for second on the team with five goals and is the leading returning goal scorer from last year. In goal, redshirt junior
Jenna Hawkins (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood) broke the single-season school record with 13 shutouts and finished the season with a 16-3-3 overall record, a 0.53 goals-against average, and an .831 save percentage. She finished 15th in the country in goals-against average and narrowly missed breaking the single-season school-record of 0.52. She has 19.5 shutouts in only two seasons with the Huskies - fifth on the school's all-time list.
SCOUTING EDINBORO
Edinboro posted a 6-11-0 record a year ago and was picked to finish sixth in the PSAC Western Division this season. Edinboro returns its top four scorers including leading scorer Danielle Chatten. The senior forward finished with seven goals and an assist for 15 points. BrittnieSpithaler added five goals and two assists for 12 points while Rebecca Manns had three goals and a team-leading five assists. Cameron Bujnoski earned Third Team All-Region honors as a defender and is expected to lead the defensive corps again this season. In goal, Anna Voelker returns after a solid first season. She started all 17 matches and finished with a 1.51 GAA, and 109 saves - second-most in a single season in school history.
UP NEXT
The Huskies travel to Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday, September 7, for an out-of-conference matchup against the Lightning of Goldey-Beacom College. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Bloomsburg will return home on Wednesday night, September 11, against East Stroudsburg in a rematch of last year's PSAC Championship game. Kickoff from Steph Pettit Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
