BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's soccer battled through a tightly contested matchup to earn a pivotal 1-0 victory over West Chester Saturday evening.

Celebrating senior day at Steph Pettit Stadium, Alexa Arrigale's (Blackwood, N.J./Highland Regional) first-half finish proved the decisive score in the contest. Her contributions were not the only major boosts from the Huskies' junior contingency. Samantha Merklin (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley) posted her game of the season to will her team over the finish line with the win.

Bloomsburg improves to 9-4-3 overall and 7-4-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division competition with two conference games remaining. West Chester slips to 9-5-1 on the season with an 8-5-1 record in PSAC play.

How It Happened:
The Golden Rams sought early to challenge the Huskies' defense and Merklin by taking a chance at net with every opportunity that fell their way. Merklin opened the game with six stops from eight shots through the opening 23 minutes of action. 

With West Chester pressing for a goal, Bloomsburg took advantage in phases to find space to play and work the ball around the back and through the midfield. After notching their first shot in the 29th minute, the Huskies' second effort on goal proved true. After Bloomsburg drew a free kick, Erin Ranegan (Wilmington, Del./Conrad School of Science) took her spot over the ball inside her half. Her ensuing ball snuck through a sea of bodies at the top of the box to Arrigale, with the forward fending off two defenders. Arrigale successfully spun around her marker, catching the rest of the Golden Rams' defense off guard and giving her a one-on-one with West Chester goalkeeper Grace Keen. The junior got the ball onto her left foot to send Keen in the other direction and supply Bloomsburg with a 1-0 lead. 

The goal forced both sides to alter their tactics between the 18-yard boxes, slowing the overall pace of the match down through the final 11-and-a-half minutes. Each team had forced a save from the opposing goalkeeper, but the score remained 1-0 at the halftime whistle. Merklin's busy first half resulted in her tallying eight saves in 45 minutes. 

Working with the lead, the Huskies remained patient, allowing West Chester to rush its attacking opportunities with forced shot attempts. Bloomsburg had several near-misses in the second half to double the lead. Jess Wanzor (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) found the ball at her feet inside the box and looked to curl the ball inside the far post but just saw her shot sneak outside. Kennedy Kilchrist (Southampton, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) provided threatening attacking play from her spot along the right wing, forcing Keen to make a save from a long-range effort in the 55th minute and utilizing her speed to cause havoc for the Golden Rams' defense. The senior nearly found herself in scoring position after a great ball flipped the field to Kilchrist cutting inside- the midfielder did not have the time to size up a shot attempt.

In the closing moments, West Chester threw caution into the wind with its attempts to find an equalizer. The Golden Rams posted five shots inside the final 10 minutes, three of which were securely collected by the hands of Merklin. With Bloomsburg able to clear the ball from danger, the Huskies were able to soak in the final countdown en route to the victory.

As part of the team's senior day festivities, nine members of Bloomsburg women's soccer were honored. The list includes Averie Doughty (Souderton, Pa./Souderton Area), Brooke Foster (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic), Aubrey Hondros (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock South), Kennedy Kilchrist (Southampton, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie), Marlee Potillo (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining), Erin Ranegan (Wilmington, Del./Conrad School of Science), Nikki Schmidt (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central), Alena Totten (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) and Jess Wanzor (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial).

Numbers of Note: 
1089 - The Huskies' standing drought against the Golden Rams ended Saturday evening with the win. It had been 1089 days since November 11, 2021, that Bloomsburg last beat West Chester on the pitch.

12 & 8 - Merklin's efforts between the woodwork have been a reliable force for Bloomsburg all season. An aggressive West Chester attack challenged the Huskies' shot-stopper throughout the contest, forcing the junior to put up a season-high 12 saves for her eighth shutout of the season.

On the Horizon: 
The Huskies conclude their regular-season home slate at Steph Pettit Stadium on Wednesday, November 6, at 6:00 p.m. against Lock Haven.