BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's soccer team bounced back on Wednesday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over Shippensburg at Steph Pettit Stadium.

The Huskies jumped out in front in the first half with a goal from Beth Stephens (Lacey Township, Pa./Marine Academy of Technology) and did not surrender the lead. Bloomsburg got its insurance goals in the final 10 minutes of play with contributions from Laci Bell (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point) and Olivia Thompson (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) for the Huskies' fourth victory of the season by multiple goals.

The Huskies improve to 7-3 overall and hold a 5-3 record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. Shippensburg drops to 2-6-2 on the season and 2-4-2 in conference action.

How It Happened:
Bloomsburg came out of the gates with the early pressure on the Raiders' defense, taking several shots at goal inside the first 10 minutes of the contest. After a couple of corners, Erin Ranegan (Wilmington, Del./Conrad School of Science) put the lone shot on target through the early going with a header in the box.

After Shippensburg fired off its first shot of the match in the 14th minute, the pace and pressure from both sides remained subdued. The Huskies broke the early deadlock in the 33rd minute with Stephen's first goal of the season and her career in the Maroon & Gold. Ranegan made her way forward from her standard position in Bloomsburg's backline and collected the ball on the far side of the box before firing a pass across the goal to the foot of Stephens, with the sophomore finding the bottom-right corner of the net.

Samantha Merklin (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley) recorded just one save in the first half, making that stop at the end of the 37th minute to keep the Huskies on track. Despite efforts going forward, Bloomsburg would take its 1-0 lead into the break.

The visiting Raiders looked for an equalizer in the early portions following the halftime whistle, forcing Merklin into work early. Shippensburg's most threatening chance came when Lannah Werynski got behind the Huskies' defense. The on-ball pressure from Makayla Lear (Orangeville, Pa./Benton Area) altered Werynski's shot and set up a routine save for Merklin. 

After numerous attempts to add an insurance goal in the second half, Bloomsburg broke through on the part of a tremendous strike from Bell. Lear sent in a long ball to the Raiders' defensive end, with Shippensburg unable to clear from a header that landed at the feet of Bell. The sophomore remained patient in the build-up, making her way just inside the far side of the 18-yard before belting a strike into the top left corner to double the Huskies' advantage and net her first career goal as a Husky.

The two-goal lead did not last long, as Bloomsburg added its third and final tally three minutes later in the 83rd. From a goal kick, Kennedy Kilchrist (Southampton, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) collected the ball and drove upfield into the Raiders' half before laying the ball off to Thompson. Thompson supplied a pass to Brooke Foster (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) as the senior set up Bell along the end line. Bell then sent the ball back to the center of the box to an in-cutting Thompson as the sophomore squared away the finish to put an exclamation on the game. 

Numbers of Note: 
1 - The Huskies' depth shined in its midweek display, with three different sophomores scoring for the first time this season, with Stephens and Bell netting their first career goals.

5 - With the constant aid of her defense, Merklin secured her fifth shutout of the 2024 season.

On the Horizon: 
The Huskies are on the road on Saturday, October 12, at 12:00 p.m., looking to avenge a 1-0 defeat to No. 17 Shepherd.