SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - The Bloomsburg women's soccer team dropped its weekend road contest to Shepherd, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies could not keep pace with the Rams in their second matchup of the season. Shepherd was aggressive from the opening whistle, finishing the matchup with 21 shots total and 12 on goal.

The Huskies drop to 7-4 overall and 5-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. Shepherd improves to 7-1-3 on the season and remains atop the PSAC East with a record of 7-1-1 in conference play.

How It Happened:
Samantha Merklin (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley) was in a highly competitive battle with the East's top goalscorer all afternoon in Shepherdstown, W.Va. The Huskies shot stopper sprung into action early, securing Gable's first shot of the contest for her first save. Gable got off another attempt that found its way into the hands of Merklin to keep the threat off the board.

Brooke Foster (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) generated Bloomsburg's best effort just inside 30 minutes with a shot on goal, an effort saved by Shepherd goalkeeper Hannah Wilt. The Huskies could not maintain their efforts in the attacking third to mount pressure on Wilt or the Rams' defense for much of the afternoon.

Merklin helped Bloomsburg keep the match scoreless heading into halftime, recording another three saves in the final 12 minutes to give her five entering the break. One of the Huskies' main advantages this season has been generating corner kicks. Bloomsburg was shut out in the category through the opening 45 minutes, with the hosts holding a 3-0 advantage in the category.

The second half replicated the first, as the Huskies struggled to establish a rhythm. Shepherd found its breakthrough goal in the 53rd minute, with Gable turning provider for Sarah Peternel to give the Rams a lasting 1-0 lead. 
As the Huskies managed to find ways to generate corner chances, the Rams kept firing off shots in their attacking third. Merklin rattled off another four stops following the lone goal to give Bloomsburg a chance through its final corner in the 87th minute before the final whistle blew in favor of the hosts. 

Numbers of Note: 
11 - Merklin's efforts between the sticks kept the Huskies in Saturday's contest. The junior recorded 11 saves in the match, a season-best total, and first game with double digits this season. Merklin now has eight career games with double-digit stops. 

On the Horizon: 
The Huskies wrap up a two-game road stretch on Wednesday, October 16, at 4:30 p.m. as Bloomsburg takes on East Stroudsburg.