BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's soccer team recovered after conceding an early first-half goal to force a 1-1 draw against Millersville Saturday evening.

The Marauders scored on a breakaway in the 14th minute to go up 1-0, forcing the Huskies to chase for a majority of the contest. Brooke Foster (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) found the equalizer in the 59th minute off a long-range effort, forcing both sides into a mad dash for a deciding goal that did not come to fruition.

Bloomsburg stands at 7-4-2 on the season and 5-4-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. Millersville is now 6-3-3 overall and is 5-3-3 in conference action.

How It Happened:
The Marauders entered Saturday with a plan to keep the Huskies on their heels with their direct style of play and managed to do so throughout the first half. The visitors finished the opening 45 minutes with a 5-1 shot advantage and the first goal of the match.

Millersville was quick to pull the trigger in their offensive end, recording three shots through the first 10 minutes of action. From a goal kick, Aubrey Strohecker sliced a long pass over the top of the heart of the Bloomsburg defense to send Aalivia Wainwright through on net. The forward raced past everyone in her way to put the Marauders up 1-0. 

Millersville would get one last shot in the first half in the 18th minute for a chance at a second, but Lia Francis' opportunity sailed high and right. Neither side managed to challenge the opposing goalkeeper for the remainder of the half, as the visiting Marauders entered the break up one. 

Needing a change, the Huskies began to find their footing in the second half. Averie Doughty (Souderton, Pa./Souderton Area) gave Bloomsburg its first clean look in the second half, controlling a throw-in from Aubrey Hondros (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock South). Collecting the second ball, Doughty turned to open up her body for an attempt at net; her attempt went high, providing early momentum in the half for her team. Millersville continued playing to their strengths, nearly responding to the Huskies' efforts with a shot from Strohecker that cleared the crossbar.

Bloomsburg found its equalizer with the help of aggressive play and untimely touches from the Marauders' defense. Samantha Merklin (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley) released a goal kick in Millersville's half that bounced backward off the head of a midfielder. As the Huskies' front three rallied to the ball, the Marauders' goalkeeper, Emma Moss, came off her line in an attempt to clear. A Millersville defender beat her to the ball, only able to get a minor touch on the ball. The ensuing roll hit Foster in stride, as the senior struck the ball for a first-time shot on an open goal over 30 yards out to knot the match at 1-1. 

Despite both sides being able to make their way into the opposing box, the frequency of shots remained low due to the defensive efforts of both teams. Each side put a shot on goal in the 76th minute, with neither challenging the dueling goalkeepers enough to cause concern, eventually leading to the draw.

Numbers of Note: 
5 & 14 - Foster extended her team-high goal total to five with her second-half strike against the Marauders. The senior now has 15 goals to her name in Maroon & Gold. 

12 - As a central figure in the Huskies' build-up play, Foster extends her lead with a team-best 12 points on the season.

On the Horizon: 
The Huskies are back at Steph Pettit Stadium on Wednesday, October 23, for a game under the lights at 7:00 p.m. against Mansfield.