ERIE, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University football team closed the 2022 on Saturday, Nov. 12 with a hard-fought, 16-13, victory over host Mercyhurst University in Week-11 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern-Western Division crossover action.
 
With the win, the Huskies moved to 4-7 overall, and Mercyhurst fell to 2-9 (0-8 PSAC West).
 
Bloomsburg kicker Brendan McGonigle (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) was a huge reason behind the road-win, as he was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts. As time expired in the first half, he hit from 24 yards out to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Owen Anderson (Cogan Station, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) hauled in a 39-yard pass from quarterback KJ Riley (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) early in the third quarter and Bloomsburg led 10-3.
 
McGonigle's boot from 30-yards out late in the third put the Huskies up 13-3, but Mercyhurst knotted the game at 13-13 with 10:27 left to play in the contest.
 
McGonigle was once again on the stop, and provided the game's ultimate difference-maker when he kicked a 22-yard chip-shot field goal with 1:58 left in the game. The kick put Bloomsburg up for good as the Huskies earned the hard-fought 16-13 victory on the road.
 
Riley did all he could to spark the offense, throwing for 215 yards (19-28, 1TD), and John Ayres (Mt. Carmel, Pa./Mt. Carmel) provided a spark in the run game.
 
Defensively, Quentin Gaskill (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro), Nate Capers (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) and Ryan D'Ambra (Southampton, Pa./Archbishop Wood) all made seven tackles apiece.
 
Saturday's victory officially closed the 2022 season, the second for head coach Frank Sheptock. Overall, Bloomsburg went 4-7, and two of the four wins came in PSAC East play, thanks to an upset-win over West Chester and a hard-fought win on the road at Lock Haven.