BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - No. 18 Bloomsburg celebrated senior day in style with a 4-0 win in its final non-conference game of the season against Georgian Court.

Alex Wilsterman (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) got the ball rolling in the first half with his first of two goals in the afternoon to give his team a lead entering the half. Bloomsburg continued a recent trend of stellar second-half performances, netting three in the final 45 minutes from Wilsterman, Braden Alicea (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland), and Owen Hollobaugh (State College, Pa./State College) en route to the win.

Bloomsburg goes to 14-2-1 overall, while Georgian Court drops to 9-7-1.

How It Happened:
The beginning stages of the non-conference contest saw both sides exchange build-up play and possession without much consequence in front of the net. The Huskies began to change that narrative nearing the 10-minute mark, recording three shots through the 17th minute. Svante Haakansson for the Lions recorded his team's first shot of the afternoon with a header that missed left.

As the action continued to unfold in the middle of the park, Bloomsburg stepped up its pressure to find gaps in the Georgian Court defense—the increased effort paid off in the game's opening goal. After an initial clear from the Lions, Wilsterman and Patrick Walsh (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) played a short game before Walsh put a pass out to the wing for Quaid Molino (Charleston, S.C./Wando (S.C.) / South Williamsport (Pa.)). The junior stopped and sized up his marker to swing a cross at the near post, where Brayden Ahlum (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) got enough on the ball to send a pass back into the center of the box for an awaiting Wilsterman. The graduate Wilsterman took a step and fired home his chance into the upper-right corner for a 1-0 lead for the Huskies.

Bloomsburg maintained its presence in Georgian Courts' half for the remainder of the half, coming away with several more opportunities at net before the halftime whistle. Goalkeeper Brady Rimple (Cherryville, Pa./Northampton Area) only made one save, but it was a clear chance on net from one of the nation's top goal scorers, Gijs van Eif. The Dutch forward received a well-weighted pass from midfielder Maurice Engl to the far post. van Eif gathered the ball with a touch, but his attempt to slot the ball into the bottom right of the goal was denied by Rimple. 

The second half saw the Huskies put the "boom" in Bloomsburg. The Maroon & Gold got started with one of its patented long-throw setups. Teagan Wallace (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) hurled the ball deep in the box, escaping the reach of players from both sides. The ball then took a favorable bounce to Wilsterman, with the midfielder nodding it into the top left to double the Huskies' advantage. 

Bloomsburg did not wait long to net its second-half scores, with the three goals coming within a span of just over eight minutes between them. At the end of the 52nd minute, the Huskies drew a yellow card and free kick. Alicea stepped over the ball and sent in an initial cross ended back with the junior. Alicea took a touch, took his time and powered home a beautiful strike into the top-right corner for a 3-0 advantage. 

Hollobaugh capped off the day for the Huskies with a tremendous individual effort working down the right wing. After Wallace secured control in the midfield, the senior threaded a pass just inside his own half to a streaking Hollobaugh. The forward took the ball in stride, working one-on-one with his defender before creating enough separation with a combination of dribbles to square his left foot around the ball and fire it into the top-left corner.

Despite the position in the contest and leaning on its depth, Bloomsburg closed out the final 30 minutes of Saturday's game with an 8-5 shot advantage. The Huskies finished the day with a 24-9 edge, including 9-4 for on-target attempts. Both Bloomsburg goalkeepers, Rimple and junior Sean Blatz (Whispering Pines, N.C./Union Pines), ended the day with two saves.

As part of Bloomsburg's senior day festivities, the team celebrated the careers of six members: Graiden Carter (Bucks County, Pa./Central Bucks East), Parker Nickelsen (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North), Chris O'Neill (New Egypt, N.J./Notre Dame), Anthony Schlee (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley), Teagan Wallace (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) and Patrick Walsh (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus).

Numbers of Note:

4 - Bloomsburg men's soccer has had a strong sense for finding the back of the net in the recent run of games. The Huskies have scored four or more goals in three consecutive matches for the only time dating back to 2002. The last time Bloomsburg had three-plus goals in three straight matches was in 2021.

2 - Wilsterman provided the necessary spark for the Huskies to get things going Saturday afternoon. The two-time all-conference honoree recorded his second career multi-goal effort against Georgian Court.

7 & 11 - The Bloomsburg defense came to play once again, as the team recorded its 11th shutout of the season and the seventh in a row for the Huskies.

On the Horizon: 
The Huskies conclude their regular season on Friday, November 8, on the road against Millersville for a 7:00 p.m. start.