EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - No. 25 Bloomsburg men's soccer came away with a 1-0 win on the road in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division showdown against East Stroudsburg Wednesday evening.

After chasing the Warriors' possession style for the first half, the Huskies flipped the switch for the final 45 minutes, playing with renewed energy. The up-and-down effort from all 11 players paid off in the second half with a sensational connection between Braden Alicea (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) and Sam Blumberger (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) for the deciding goal. Off-balanced throughout the final 45 minutes, East Stroudsburg could only muster a few meaningful chances in the failed comeback attempt.

Bloomsburg improves to 9-2-1 on the season with a 4-1-1 record in conference action. East Stroudsburg stumbles to 4-4-2 overall and 2-3-1 in the East. 

How It Happened:
The Warriors dictated the pace early on by building from the back. As the home side passed its way forward, they converted possession into chances. East Stroudsburg outshot Bloomsburg 5-0, with the Warriors able to keep the Huskies out of structure. 

Brady Rimple (Cherryville, Pa./Northampton Area) made his lone save in the opening half amongst a flurry of feet in the box, eventually leading to a successful clearance for the Bloomsburg defense. After 45 minutes played, East Stroudsburg additionally held a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks.

The proverbial switch allowed the Huskies to shine and play to their strengths in the second half, nearly coming to fruition in the 49th minute. With a beautiful lofting ball over the middle of the pitch to Owen Hollobaugh (State College, Pa./State College), the sophomore was through on net. The forward made an aerial adjustment for a leaping kick, losing the power necessary to beat ESU goalkeeper Helgi Hermannsson. 

Bloomsburg did not miss its next chance, this time redirecting play from the middle to the wings. After a long throw-in from Teagan Wallace (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional), the ball bounced around between several players from both sides. A failed pass from East Stroudsburg fell right to the feet of Alicea, one-timing the cross and connecting perfectly with Blumberger for a header into the top right corner for the 1-0 lead.

The onslaught of full-field pressure continued to weigh on the Warriors, lending further attacking opportunities for the Huskies and rushed attempts from the Warriors with the fleeting time. Bloomsburg had a further chance to double its advantage moments later after a scramble in the box led to several shots from the Huskies before being corralled by Hermannsoon.

Rimple made the save of the night in the 66th minute from an ESU free kick. The Warriors delivered a ball into a mass of bodies, with the ball finding East Stroudsburg's Hunter Stites. Stites angled a header to the bottom right corner and unsuccessfully met the reflexes of Rimple, with the Bloomsburg shot-stopper winning in a pivotal one-on-one battle.

Both sides continued their search for second-half fireworks, wth a long-range efforts from Alex Wilsterman (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) and Ryan Kiernan narrowly missing the mark for their respective sides. In a chippy closing moments to the game, the cooler heads prevailed as the Huskies walked away from the contest with the win. 

Numbers of Note:
16 - Rimple's ascension up the record books continues, as the graduate student has sole possession of second place with 16 career shutouts. 

6 - Scoring has been a team effort this season for the Huskies, with six different players having scored multiple goals this season.

On the Horizon: 
The Huskies return to Steph Pettit Stadium on Saturday, October 19, at 2:00 p.m., with a PSAC East No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup against West Chester.