INDIANA, Pa. – The #9 Bloomsburg field hockey team relied on its stingy defense and used a pair of timely goal to power its way past IUP in a key Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) match up, Saturday night. The Huskies improved to 9-3 and 2-3 in PSAC action while the Crimson Hawks dropped to 6-4 and 3-2 in the conference.
 
IUP held a 14-7 advantage in shots for the game, including an 8-4 edge in shots on goal but 10 of the Crimson Hawks' shots came in the fourth quarter. The Huskies held a 7-4 edge and 3-2 advantage in shots on goal through the first three quarter.
 
Junior goalie Jackie Nevel (Nescopeck, Pa./Berwick Area) made seven of her eight saves for the game in the last quarter.
 
With a little more than five to play in the second quarter, senior Sam Schaffer (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) broke the scoreless tie as she took a pass from Bella Culp (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) who received it from Aydan McFarland (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area) on a penalty corner. The Huskies took the 1-0 lead into half time after both teams were held without a shot in the final minutes of the quarter.
 
The Huskies opened the third with a penalty corner but Emily Swineford's (Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) shot was stopped by the Crimson Hawk goalie to keep it a one-run game. IUP got three shots off before McFarland pushed Bloomsburg's lead to 2-0 with 7:51 to play in the quarter. Bloomsburg had three shots in the final five minutes of the quarter but could not find the back of the cage.
 
The Crimson Hawks sent a flurry of shots on goal in the opening seven minutes of the fourth but all five where stopped by Nevel. With 29 seconds to play, the Crimson Hawks earned a penalty corner but Cara Betancourt's shot was blocked and the Huskies walked away with the 2-0 win.
 
Schaffer led the Huskies with a pair of shots.

Bloomsburg returns to action on Tuesday when the Huskies host East Stroudsburg for a 4:00 p.m. contest at Steph Pettit Stadium.