Field Hockey | 11/15/2024 4:02:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The fifth-ranked Bloomsburg field hockey's season continues as the Huskies earned an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA DII Field Hockey Championship tournament. It's the Huskies first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2011. Bloomsburg earned the No. 6 seed and will travel to face #2 and No. 3 seeded East Stroudsburg on Saturday in the opening round.
 
Game Information
Saturday, November 16, 2024 • 1:00 p.m.
Whitenight Field • East Stroudsburg, Pa.
 
Admission (CASH ONLY!)
$10 for adults
$5 for student age
 
Game Coverage
Live Video – Courtesy of ESU
Live Stats

ESU Preview

The Game
The Huskies come into Saturday's contest with a 15-5 overall record after falling 2-1 in overtime to Shippensburg in the PSAC semifinals. The Huskies won the opening game of the tournament 2-1 over West Chester. The loss to Shippensburg snapped a four-game winning streak for the Huskies to end the season. The Warriors come into the game 16-4 on the year after falling 1-0 in overtime to Shippensburg in the conference championship game.
 
The Series
The Huskies lead the all-time series 48-17, though the Warriors have won eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams. The Warriors won the regular season matchup between the two teams 3-2 in overtime in East Stroudsburg. Bloomsburg defeated the Warriors 1-0 at home in 2023. In the last 10 seasons, the Huskies and Warriors have gone to overtime three times, with ESU holding a 3-0 edge in overtime contests.
 
Scouting the Huskies
The Huskies are led by one of the most prolific scorers in the NCAA this season in senior Aydan McFarland (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area). McFarland is fourth in the nation averaging 1.05 goals per game and third with 2.55 points per game. She leads the PSAC with 21 goals in 20 games this season and is tied for a lead in the conference with five game-winning goals. McFarland is third in the conference with nine assists and leads the league with 51 points.
 
McFarland is not alone in scoring, however, as senior Kara Koch (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) is second on the team with six goals and 10 assists this season. Genna Bush (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) is eighth in the conference with nine goals on the year and is third on the team with 19 points this season. Kate Ferguson (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) is third on the team with eight goals and three assists.
 
Defensively, the Huskies is fourth in the NCAA with a 0.99 goals against average and second in the PSAC while boasting a 2.02 scoring margin, the third best in DII. Anchoring that defense is senior goalie, Jackie Nevel (Nescopeck, Pa./Berwick Area), with a 1.00 goals against average and a 79.4 save percentage. Nevel is 15-5 on the year with seven solo shutouts and nine total.
 
Senior Meg Barnard (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) leads the team with three defensive saves while Jasmine Fink (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area) and Lillie Weaver (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) each have one. The Bloomsburg defense has limited opponents to just 20 goals this season on 102 shots on goal. The defensive unit did not give up a penalty stroke this season. Opponents have just a shooting percentage of 0.098 and Bloomsburg is out-scoring teams 61-20.

Scouting the Warriors
Five Warriors were named All-PSAC this week, with Jady van Gils winning her second Athlete of the Year award. Juniors Kerry Kaufman and Charlotte Simon were selected to the Second Team. Sophomore Minke Klijn and junior Bella Viruet earned Third Team honors. Van Gils' second Athlete of the Year award makes her the only Warrior in program history to earn the honor twice. She is also one of only five individuals in the nation with more than 10 assists. Simon, who splits time at back, and Viruet, who starts at back, have been crucial in limiting opponents to just seven shots per game. This has helped goalkeepers Sydney Pope and Jet Vermeulen to record eight regulation shutouts.
 
Around the Bracket
No. 1 Shippensburg will face No. 8 Limestone, who is hosting the Final Four and title match; No. 2 Assumption will meet fellow NE10 opponent No. 7 St. Anselm; and defending national champion No. 4 Kutztown will take on No. 5 Southern New Hampshire. All quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Nov. 16.
 
PSAC All-Conference Honorees
Four members of the Bloomsburg field hockey team earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) selections as announced by the league office on Monday morning.
 
Aydan McFarland (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area) and Kara Koch (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) were named to the PSAC First Team while Meg Barnard (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) and Jackie Nevel (Nescopeck, Pa./Berwick Area) earned third team honors for the Huskies.

Up Next
The winner of Saturday's quarterfinal will head south to compete in the Final Four hosted by Limestone College next weekend at Saints Field in Gaffney, South Carolina. The semifinal matches are scheduled for Nov. 22, with the championship match set for Nov. 24.