WILMINGTON, Del. – The Bloomsburg University women's soccer team wasted no time getting the 2021 season underway as senior Paige Harris (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) scored the first goal of the season just 36 seconds into action as the Huskies ran away with a 6-1 win over Goldey-Beacom College, Thursday afternoon. The Huskies begin the season 1-0 for the fourth-straight year, while Goldey-Beacon starts the year 0-1.
 
Because the Huskies were the earliest game of the day, Harris' first-half strike was the first goal scored by any Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) women's soccer player this season. Senior Nicole Varano (Mt. Carmel, Pa./Mt. Carmel) lent a hand to Harris' goal as she stole the ball right outside the 18-yard box and got it over Harris for the tally.
 
The Huskies continued to pressure the Lightning defense as they were awarded three corner kicks in just two and half minutes of gameplay. After a shot by senior Kate Schlotter (Fountainville, Pa./Central Bucks East) was saved, Bloomsburg regrouped on offense, and senior Natalie Holmes (Laurel, Md./Archbishop Spalding) sent yet another corner kick into the box for the Huskies at the 11:29 mark. As both teams vied for possession, Schlotter tucked a header just inside the post to give Bloomsburg a 2-0 lead in the 12^th minute.
 
With just under 20 minutes left in the first half, sophomore keeper Alexa Ryan (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) sent a ball up to junior Abby Groff (Sellersville, Pa./Pennridge), who pushed the through ball into the box for Varano, who placed her shot inside the left post to give Bloomsburg a 3-0 lead at the 24:20 mark.
 
After a slew of substitutions on both sides, Goldey-Beacom got its first shot off in the 35^th minute, but Ryan was there for her first save of the game. The Lightning's second shot just four minutes later did find the back of the net as Tayler Owen put home a 20-yard strike to cut the lead to 3-1.
 
The score held at 3-1 at the break despite a last-second corner kick for the Huskies.
 
Groff got in on the scoring just under nine minutes into the second half with her first of the year off an assist from junior Campbell Power (Souderton, Pa./Souderton Area) to push the Huskies' lead to 4-1 in the 54^th minutes. As Bloomsburg continued to control the pace of play, Varano put home her second of the game thanks to a cross from the right side from redshirt junior Emily Clauss (Scranton, Pa./Abington Heights) to give Bloomsburg a 5-1 lead. Freshman Brooke Foster (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) subbed in the 70^th minute and immediately made her presence known as she buried a pass from Clauss for her first career goal as a Husky and sealed the 6-1 win for Bloomsburg.
 
As a team, the Huskies out-shot Goldey-Beacom 9-4 and held a commanding 8-1 lead in corner kicks.
 
Ryan made three saves in her first game in net for the Huskies, including a pair of stops in the second half.
 
The Huskies get back on the pitch on Saturday as they play at Steph Pettit Stadium for the first time since 2019. Bloomsburg welcomes Ashland University for a 2:00 p.m. non-conference contest.