BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The No. 13 Bloomsburg men's soccer team got back into the win column with a 1-0 win over Roberts Wesleyan at Steph Pettit Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Huskies (5-0-5, 1-0-3 PSAC East) came out on top in a battle of unbeatens, handing the Redhawks (7-1-5) their first defeat of 2025. After a scoreless first half, Bloomsburg ramped up the intensity and got the decider from an in-form Sam Blumberger (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) on a loose ball following a corner. 

How It Happened:
The contrasting game plans granted the Huskies the opportunity to impose their will in Roberts Wesleyan's half, with the Redhawks looking to create on the counter. The clash in strategies gave Bloomsburg several good looks through the early going of the contest. Blumberger had his sights on a goal early in the match, with his header from a free-kick delivery by Caleb Sitler (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) rippling the side netting. Creeping towards the edge of the 18-yard box, Owen Hollobaugh (State College, Pa./State College) teased a potential goal with a long-range effort that curled away from the bottom left corner. 

Biding their time for clear-cut chances, Roberts Wesleyan took their first shot at goal just inside 15 minutes played. Outside back Luke Hanes had space through the middle of the Huskies' defense to cut inside, utilizing the time and space granted to hit a well-struck ball that skimmed narrowly over the crossbar. Bloomsburg responded to the threat from the Redhawks with several more opportunities, including efforts from Sitler and Jake Pacacha (Shelton, Conn./St. Joseph). 

On the second of a string of corners, the Huskies nearly took advantage of chaos in the box to go up with an early goal. Sitler hit an outswinging ball that traveled past the back post and found Blumberger. The senior headed the ball centrally to his classmate, Kody Besser (Lacey Township, N.J./Lacey Township), whose off-balance shot rolled into the hands of the Redhawks' goalkeeper, Eric Jewson.

After a good exchange of possessions and spells with good signs for Roberts Wesleyan, it was Sam Palmer (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) off the bench to provide some challenges to the Redhawks' backline. Palmer had his first opportunity cutting inside from the right wing. His first attempt lost steam in the hands of Jewson after losing his balance. The sophomore then took a shot from outside the box that took an awkward deflection off a defender, before being comfortably secured as the clock ticked down to halftime. 

Needing a spark, the Huskies sought to ignite their attacking efforts with a set of pivotal halftime adjustments. Nearly instantaneously, Bloomsburg found what it was looking for in what proved to be the lone goal of the contest. After Hollobaugh earned a corner kick for the Huskies, Pacacha delivered an inswinging ball into the box that took an initial bounce off a defender. The setup proved advantageous for Bloomsburg and Blumberger, with the senior getting the time and space to pull off an acrobatic finish to put his side up 1-0.

The Huskies continued their efforts on the attack in search of insurance, with the team unable to square up several headers to double the advantage. Hollobaugh managed to elevate in a one-on-one opportunity with his defender after getting a beautifully weighted ball from Micah Diggs (Groton, Conn./Fitch) just inside Roberts Wesleyan's half, but put his nod high and to the left of the frame. Besser tested Jewson between the sticks once again, with his diving header attempt aimed toward the bottom right corner, just getting tipped enough by the Redhawks' senior shot stopper to prevent a second goal. Diggs joined in on the fray, trying to nod home a chance of his own that petered out to the right. 

Bloomsburg's willingness to take on possession kept Roberts Wesleyan on its heels for most of the second half, with the Redhawks getting glimmers of hope in the closing moments that nearly led to a late-stage equalizer. Roberts Wesleyan regained possession on an attempted clearance by the Huskies with less than a minute on the clock. As time trickled below 30 seconds, the Redhawks managed to successfully switch fields, as a string of passes snuck past the diving bodies of the Bloomsburg defense. The final pass set Sebastian Guerrero up alone and unmarked for a one-on-one with goalkeeper Sean Blatz (Whispering Pines, N.C./Union Pines). Blatz held firm as the last line of defense, taking away Guerrero's desired angle for his lone save of the contest and helping the Huskies overcome an October fright to come away with the win.

Number of Note:
10 - 10-game stretches of good play have been a common occurrence under head coach Mark Bassett. The Huskies' unbeaten run, which just passed the halfway point of the 2025 regular season, marks the third consecutive season for Bloomsburg with such a double-digit stretch. The run is additionally the first time the Huskies have started a season going 10 games or better without a loss since 2002.

15-4 - Despite some tense moments, the Huskies' defense produced an overall solid effort to keep Roberts Wesleyan in check. Bloomsburg became just the second side this season to hold the counter-attacking oriented Redhawks scoreless. The four total shots and one on target are below the team's season-average marks of just over nine and four, respectively. 

On the Horizon:
The Huskies jump back into PSAC action on Saturday, October 18, at 3:30 p.m. for a road contest against Shepherd.