WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The No. 8-ranked Bloomsburg field hockey team's comeback bid fell short in a 2-1 loss to No. 6-ranked West Chester in a non-conference matchup Friday night.
 
Bloomsburg (4-1) had the first chance of the game with Kara Koch (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) drawing a penalty stroke three minutes into the contest. Meg Barnard (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) stepped up to the dot for the Huskies, but West Chester (3-1) goaltender Ryan Curley stood tall in the cage with a left pad save.
 
Bella Culp (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) continued to apply the pressure on the Golden Rams, firing a shot off the post less than a minute after the penalty stroke.
 
West Chester went on the counterattack, launching a vast array of shots in the direction of Jackie Nevel (Nescopeck, Pa./Berwick Area). The Huskies' defense recorded a pair of saves while Nevel collected a pair of saves before Veerle Hersman drove home a rebound to put WCU ahead.
 
The Golden Rams' goal put the maroon and gold behind in a game for the first time this season. It also ended Nevel's shutout streak at 202 minutes and 40 seconds.
 
WCU stayed on the attack, holding Bloomsburg without a shot for the remainder of the first quarter.
 
A penalty corner with time expiring allowed Ella Shockley to put West Chester up 2-0 after 15 minutes of play.
 
The second quarter proved to be far less eventful with just two total shots, both of which coming from the Golden Rams.
 
Despite an increase of chances in the third quarter form both sides, neither squad were able to find the back of the net.
 
The fourth quarter began with an action-packed sequence, with a trio of shots from WCU in the opening three-and-a-half minutes of the frame.
 
West Chester posted six more shots across the remainder of the game, with Nevel recording three saves in the process.
 
In the waning minutes of the contest Bloomsburg mounted a comeback as Culp fired a shot in on a penalty corner, finding the stick of Kate Ferguson (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) to bring the Huskies within one.
 
The Huskies gained possession in the corner with 20 seconds remaining, allowing Kaylyn Elliott (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) to find Aydan McFarland (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area) in the circle. McFarland fired two quick shots in the dying seconds with were both stopped by Curley.
 
Bloomsburg earned a penalty corner with three seconds remaining but were unable to net the equalizer.
Nevel finished the game with 12 saves while Curley posted six saves.
 
Overall, West Chester posted 24 shots and 12 shots on goal while the Huskies finished the game with all seven shots in the contest being on target.
 
Bloomsburg is back in action on Sunday, September 15 for a 1 p.m., non-conference match up with Mansfield at Steph Pettit Stadium.