BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - No. 22 Bloomsburg men's soccer bounced back from its result on Saturday with a 2-1 win at Steph Pettit Stadium against East Stroudsburg on Wednesday evening.

The Huskies (7-1-6, 3-1-4 PSAC East) got a sigh of relief after netting the first goal of the match, a great sequence of combination play between Braden Alicea (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland), Owen Hollobaugh (State College, Pa./State College), and Connor Fiadino (Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township) for the goal. After the Warriors (8-6-2, 4-3-1 PSAC East) found an equalizer in the early moments of the second half, Bloomsburg's determined temperament was on full display, with Hollobaugh finding the game-winner and the Huskies able to fortify their defenses for the victory.

How It Happened:
A shakeup in the Bloomsburg starting lineup seemed to reinvigorate the competitive spirits of the entire roster, with the Huskies coming out of the gates with a fiery intensity against East Stroudsburg. In what proved to be a physical back-and-forth between the two sides, the unwavering fortitude proved to be the difference on the day. 

The game began without much conclusive action in the final third through the first 10 minutes, as both teams came up empty with their first corner routines of the contest. The pace of the game quickly shifted after the landmark. Adrian Rodriguez (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) took a crack from a long way out for the Huskies' first shot of the contest and forced an early stop from the Warriors' goalkeeper that momentarily spilled back into the box. On the opposite end, Jace Seara for East Stroudsburg had his side's first shot on goal with a header attempt clutched by Bloomsburg goalkeeper Peter Punchello (Jamison, Pa./William Penn Charter). 

Another 10 minutes passed before the teams once more would have an equivalent exchange of shots on target. The Warriors' Ethan Flickinger was given the time and space driving towards the box to size up an attempt toward the bottom left corner. Punchello successfully corralled the shot following an awkward bounce off the home turf. After floating back inside the center of the box, Jaliyl Melvin (Mount Holly, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) shuffled around several East Stroudsburg defenders to open up room for a shot attempt that moved directly into the hands of the Warriors' goalkeeper, Phil Sykes. 

After a well-struck effort from distance by Darryl Longdon narrowly missed scooting inside off the lower side of the right post, the Huskies capitalized on the Warriors' missed opportunity to grab a 1-0 lead. Bloomsburg patiently recycled the ball back between its midfield and back four, eventually with play moving to the right flank and Alicea. The defender played a lofted ball over the top of the East Stroudsburg defense to a streaking Hollobaugh, drawing the attention of two defenders and the goalkeeper. The forward let the ball take a bounce before playing it across to an unmarked Fiadino. The redshirt junior remained composed after a less-than-ideal bounce, poking home a half-volleyed finish into the bottom left corner for the lead. 

The Huskies kept their presence of mind on the attack, rattling off several more chances in front of the net in hopes of doubling their advantage. Tye Maser (Farmingdale, N.J./Howell) came charging in towards goal, fending off three different Warriors to square up a left-footed shot attempted that narrowly drifted off of frame less than a minute after the restart. Jake Pacacha (Shelton, Conn./St. Joseph) made his attempt for the second goal with a distance effort blocked before a direct free kick curled comfortably into the hands of Sykes between the sticks. East Stroudsburg nearly had the equalizer during the final moments of the first half after numerous blocked shots eventually saw the ball land with Longdon. The forward's attempt at a left-footed finish had too much bend in an effort to squeak by a defender on the line as it whipped to the outside of the far post. 

The second half proved to be an even more eventful 45 minutes with a flurry of action on both sides of the pitch. Fiadino had his intentions set on doubling his tally after winning a challenge in the attacking half a minute into the restart. The forward cut inside, and his shot aimed toward the center of the goal was punched back into play, nearly for a follow-up by Fiadino, before a questionable tackle helped clear the danger for the Warriors. On the other end, Owen Rennie took his chances from just inside the box after a deflection off a Husky defender fell directly onto the freshman's right foot for a shot gobbled up by Punchello. 

Bloomsburg found itself just a step behind on a restart, which led to East Stroudsburg knotting the game at 1-1. After a few headers, Rennie collected the ball with a touch and played the goal-seeking Longdon on a cut inside. Despite the attention of three Husky defenders, Longdon had just enough space to fire off a tremendous effort with his right foot that curled inside the near post.

Rather than reeling from the setback, Bloomsburg immediately responded to recapture the lead. Micah Diggs (Groton, Conn./Fitch) stepped in with an arcing heave from the touchline on a long throw. His insert found Sam Blumberger (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) tucked inside the box, shielding a defender. The forward flicked on a headed pass back toward the center of the box, where Quaid Molino (Charleston, S.C./Wando (S.C.)) supplied a nifty touch pass off the outside of his right boot. Catching an array of Warriors off guard, Hollobaugh made a well-timed run to chest down the pass and slot home a tidy right-footed finish to put his side back on top. 

The attacking intentions from both sides did not fade with the passing of time in the match, as the Huskies nearly made it a 3-1 contest. A bouncer off the foot of Melvin had a perfect amount of weight to find Blumberger, who roofed home a finish, expecting to add to his season tally, but instead got on the bad side of an unfriendly offside whistle.

As the intensity of the match ramped up in its final stretch, Punchello showcased reliable shot-stopping ability in critical moments. The sophomore demonstrated reliable hands on a left-footed attempt by Ethan Flickinger before pinching Seara out of a shot aimed between the legs. That final stop proved to be the final strenuous task for Punchello, getting a relentless and vigilant shift from his entire team to keep the Warriors from recording a shot in the final 15 minutes of the match for the win. 

Number of Note:
5 - After getting tremendous help from his defense, Punchello is starting to add reinforcements to Bloomsburg's backline. The sophomore is coming off back-to-back contests with a career-high five saves for a continuously working defensive unit. 

On the Horizon:
The Huskies take the road for the final time during the regular season with a trip to Millersville for a PSAC clash on Saturday, November 1, at 2:00 p.m.