BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – It took some drama, but the Bloomsburg field hockey team won its fourth-straight game to improve to 4-0 to start the year, matching the program's best start to a season since 2012. The Huskies took Pace to a shootout and ended with a 3-2 victory over the Setters. Pace dropped to 1-2 for the season.
 
For the second straight year, a victor could not be decided in regulation between Bloomsburg and Pace. Last season, the Setters got the better of the Huskies with a 2-1 win in Pleasantville, N.Y.. However, this season favored the Huskies as they battled back from a pair of one-goal deficits to tie the game in regulation. Bloomsburg and Pace went scoreless through the two overtime periods, and the Huskies won the shootout 2-0 to seal the victory.
 
The Huskies tied the game early in the fourth as senior Madeline Newman (Lehman, Pa./Lake-Lehman) doinked a pass into the circle for classmate Emily Swineford (Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa./Selinsgrove Area), who slipped it under the goalie's pads for her second goal of the game. Pace was awarded a penalty corner just three minutes after the Huskies knotted it up, but the Bloomsburg defense stepped up to the plate and cleared the ball before the Setters could put together a scoring chance.
 
Bloomsburg got a penalty corner with 1:48 to play, but Jasmine Fink's (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area) shot was saved. After another corner just 12 seconds later, the Huskies got a pair of shots off, but Aydan McFarland's (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area) first attempt was blocked, and Sophie Lawler's (Newport, Pa./Newport) went just wide.
 
With eight seconds to play in regulation, Newman ripped a shot that scooted just outside the cage, and the game headed to overtime.
 
After 1:12 of action in the first overtime period, Sam Schaffer (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) put a shot on the cage but was turned away by Celeste Pagliaroli. The Setters answered with a penalty corner at the 63:06 mark, and the Huskies' defense blocked Krista Deitz' shot.
 
Miranda Moshang got a final shot off in the first overtime, but her attempt went wide, and the two teams headed into 10 more minutes of action.
 
Two minutes into the second extra period, Bella Culp (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) ripped off a spectacular shot headed for the far corner of the cage, but Pagliaroli made an equally impressive save to keep the game going. Culp had another chance to put the game away with 2:56 to go in overtime, but once again, Pagliaroli managed to keep the ball out of the back of the cage. Neither team got another shot off, and the two teams prepared for the shootout.
 
Pace went first, and Noelle Meij could not get the ball into the cage after goalie Jackie Nevel (Nescopeck, Pa./Berwick Area) made an initial stop. Culp stepped up for the Huskies in the first round and drew the Pace goalie off her line to challenge her, and Culp went to her right and sunk a shot to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead.
 

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Nevel made a pair of kick saves on the next Setters' attempt, and Bloomsburg's Meg Barnard's (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) last-ditch effort was just a hair late to keep the advantage to just one in favor of Bloomsburg.
 
Francesca Fava could not get around Nevel on Pace's third attempt, and Kate Ferguson (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) was turned away for the Huskies. After Nevel stopped Anne Kopec's attempt, the Huskies needed one more goal to put the game away with a 2-0 lead. Elena Snodgrass (Lansdale, Pa./Methacton) stepped up to the plate, went right, and bounced a shot into the cage for the 3-2 Bloomsburg victory.
 
The Setters struck first back in the first quarter as Deitz buried a penalty stroke at 11:53. The stroke was the Setters' only shot of the first half.
 
Both teams were held scoreless in the second before the Huskies tied the game in the third quarter. The Huskies got a penalty corner at the 36:00 mark, and McFarland put a perfect insert into Sam Schaffer (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal), who one-timed it to Culp. Culp put a shot on cage, and Swineford had the final tip on it to tie the game 1-1.
 
Pace answered just a minute and a half later on another penalty stroke goal to take the 2-1 lead. Swineford's second game-tying goal of the game came with 11:19 to play in regulation.
 
The Huskie dominated the offensive side of the field, out-shooting the Setters 30-8 for the game, including a 14-6 advantage in shots on goal. Bloomsburg held an 18-5 advantage in penalty corners.
 
Nevel made four saves in her fourth win of the season for Bloomsburg.
 
The Huskies return to action next Wednesday when they host Roberts Wesleyan at Steph Pettit Stadium for a 4:00 p.m. non-conference contest.