Women's Soccer | 11/11/2024 1:00:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The No. 4-seeded Bloomsburg women's soccer team begins postseason play on the road against the top team in the East, No. 1 Shepherd, in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships Quarterfinal round at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12.

The Huskies will enter Tuesday's matchup with a record of 9-4-5 overall and a 7-4-5 conference record. Bloomsburg finished the regular season with a pair of draws over Lock Haven and Shippensburg to secure their postseason berth. The Rams are 13-1-4 on the year with a 13-1-2 record in conference play. Shepherd is coming off victories over Shippensburg and West Chester to wrap up the regular season and are ranked as the No. 14 team in the country in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll.

Fans can purchase tickets with the following link through Hudl Tickets. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids K-12. PSAC students with a valid member institution I.D. receive free admission. All ticket purchases must be made via a cashless transaction.

Inside The Matchup
The Rams have gotten the better of the matchup this season, with the hosts grabbing a pair of 1-0 victories over the Huskies this season. The two wins marked the first for the Shepherd over Bloomsburg, dating back to the first matchup in 2019. Tuesday's contest will be the first-ever postseason matchup between the two sides.

Despite the narrow margins in the final score, the Rams' offense generated the better-scoring chances across both matches, with a 32-6 advantage in shots. Shepherd scored in the 73rd minute using its direct style of play to get a long ball over the top of the Bloomsburg defense and net the game-winner. On their first trip to West Virginia this season, The Huskies could not muster much, getting off one shot to the Rams' 21 in the road defeat.

The Rams are in the middle of the best season in program history in 2024, and several factors contribute to the team's No. 1 seed in the East. Shepherd possesses a +26 goal differential, surrendering just eight goals on the season. The Rams' offense is led by forward Lydia Gable, who has 10 goals and seven assists for 27 points this year. Shepherd has four players this season with at least five goals and four with four or more assists. Goalkeeper Hannah Wilt anchors the Rams' defense. The sophomore is second in goals-against average and third in save percentage. The sophomore and her team are tied for the conference lead and among the top 10 in the nation with 10 shutouts. 

Handbuilt By Haney
In his 10 seasons at the helm, Bloomsburg head coach Matt Haney has left his legacy on the women's soccer program. Haney became the third coach in program history to eclipse 100 career wins last season and became the second-winningest coach for Bloomsburg women's soccer, now sitting at 111 in his tenure. Haney was the first coach in team history to take the team to the NCAA Elite Eight, making back-to-back appearances in 2018 and 2019. With two PSAC Championship titles in 2018 and 2021, Haney and the Huskies want to add to that total. Overall, Haney holds a record of 111-46-24.

Merklin Mania
Junior goalkeeper Samantha Merklin (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley) has taken the field by storm in her first season with the Huskies. Merklin's play has elevated the Bloomsburg defense to this point, and her efforts will be a focal point going forward. 

Merklin is seventh nationally in save percentage at .893 and is one of seven goalkeepers in the country with a save percentage over 85 percent, averaging at least five saves per contest. The junior is just one of two in the country with at least five stops and a save percentage above .880. The goalkeeper is additionally among the top 30 in Division II in shutouts (19th - 9 and goals against average (30rh - 0.611) while making 92 total saves (33rd nationally).

Merklin has been recognized this season four times as the PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week, more than any player in either division. The goalkeeper has 10 games this season with at least five saves, including five of seven or more and two double-digit efforts. Merklin is tied for the seventh-most shutouts in a single season in program history.

Hitting The Mark
The key to a Bloomsburg will come down to putting the ball in the back of the net. Despite being undefeated in their last seven contests, the Huskies are 2-0-5, having scored five goals in that stretch. In the previous seven games, Bloomsburg netted 14 goals but defensively gave up six.

Offensively, the Huskies are led by senior Brooke Foster (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic), the team leader in goals (5), assists (3) and points (13). Bloomsburg is 150th in the country in scoring offense (1.17 goals per game), relying heavily on its defense to earn results. The Huskies will look to several senior leaders, including foster and wingers Aubrey Hondros (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock South) (3 goals, 2 assists) and Kennedy Kilchrist (Southampton, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) (2 goals, 1 assist). In addition, Bloomsburg will look to get a spark at forward either from Jess Wanzor (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) (3 assists) or Alexa Arrigale (Blackwood, N.J./Highland Regional) (2 goals).

Overall, the Huskies have 11 players with a goal, featuring six with multiple. The team has 11 with an assist on the season and four with at least two. 

Award Watch
In addition to Merklin's four PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honors, Foster earned PSAC Athlete of the Week recognition following a four-goal week for the senior midfielder. Foster is the Huskies' active team leader in goals (14) and points (32), having a career-best season in her fourth campaign at Bloomsburg.

Numbers to Watch
Finding an offensive spark will be critical to the Huskies' success on the road. In addition to averaging just over one goal per contest, Bloomsburg is 145th nationally in shots per game (11.50), 205th in getting shots on goal (4.44), and 248th in shot accuracy (.386). Taking advantage of opportunities will prove pivotal in the final outcome.

Despite the threat of Lydia Gable, the forward was held to one assist in the previous two meetings. With the threat of Gable, teammates Reagan Ackerman, Annabelle Wunderlich, and Sarah Peternel, all having scored five goals and registering at least 12 points, remain prominent threats as well. Shepherd is also one of the best teams in the nation in challenging opponent goalies, with nearly 60 percent of attempts going on goal. In addition to the offensive challenges, the Huskies will have to crack a defense that surrenders only 7.3 shots per contest, protecting one of the best goalies in the conference in Wilt.

The winner of the contest will move on to the PSAC Championship Semifinals at a site to be determined following Tuesday's full quarterfinal results.