BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - Bloomsburg men's soccer advanced to the PSAC Semifinals Monday afternoon with a 1-0 win in extra time on the road against Seton Hill.

It took over the allotted 90 minutes, but the Huskies (10-2-6) finished the job when it mattered most against the Griffins (11-6-1). Zach Morales (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) became the hero of the day for Bloomsburg with the game-winning goal after a defender was unable to make a clearance on a high-looping ball, giving the senior the room to beat the goalkeeper one-on-one.

How It Happened:
Seton Hill entered the match seeking to control much of the possession. With that strategy in place, the Huskies had only a select number of chances on the attack. The first real chance inside the box came from a long throw by Micah Diggs (Groton, Conn./Fitch), with Sam Blumberger (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) taking a volley attempt on his left that whistled away from the top left corner.

Seton Hill's continued presence on the ball, particularly in the midfield, weighed heavily on the Huskies' defense, as the home side started to find pockets of space to slip into. Ron Klinger stepped up from his spot in the center of the defense for the Griffins to take a shot from well outside the box, a low-driven attempt that just skimmed outside the post in the 20th minute. 

Peter Punchello (Jamison, Pa./William Penn Charter) was not challenged much on Monday with shots on frame by Seton Hill, but showed reliable hands when called upon. The lone save for the sophomore in the first half was a skipped ball on what seemed to be a miscommunicated free kick by the Griffins that was easily secured. Seton Hill's final shot of the half also provided the home side with a chance at the first goal. Following a corner kick, play was recycled back into the midfield, where a Griffin player put the ball back into danger. An awkward bounce off the Bloomsburg backline put the ball at the feet of Mason Fabean. Fabean did well to turn and shoot, but his aim for the bottom corner was off. 

Tye Maser (Farmingdale, N.J./Howell) would have the last shot of the half, with the Huskies once again able to create looks from throw-ins. The sequence was similar to the one earlier, a heave from Diggs finding the head of Blumberger. On this occasion, Blumberger flicked the ball back towards the center of the 18-yard box, where Maser elevated above the crowd. His header, while on frame, ran out of steam to beat the goalkeeper.

As the Huskies better settled into the match, play for both teams began to open up more. Seton Hill's top goal threat, James Aubrey, was kept in check for most of the afternoon. One of the few times he got freed up for a shot was on a quick throw-in by the Griffins that was played back to the forward just outside the box. Aubrey took a first-time hit on the half volley aimed for the bottom corner at the near post. Punchello came through for what would be credited as his final save of the afternoon, a massive stop in the grand scheme of the match. A minute later on the opposite end of the field, Blumberger and Diggs would team up once again on a long throw, this time with Blumberger's flick going into the hands of Seton Hill's Jannik Reiss.

The game would go on for an extended period of time without much completed action in the final third, as neither side recorded a shot for 20 minutes. That spell ended with a pair of attempts by Jaliyl Melvin (Mount Holly, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional). The redshirt junior's first attempt was a misfire on a volley attempt. Minutes later, Melvin managed to take a pass played for him down the left wing and make a run for the goal. The attacker took a heavy touch while going down the wing, which led to his angle being closed down and his attempt being unable to settle on frame.

The final stretch of regulation mirrored much of the second half, with much of the play stuck in the midfield and actions in the final thirds devoid of a finishing touch. Bloomsburg would line up for what was the final shot of regulation, a shot directly from a free kick by Braden Alicea (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland).

With everything on the line in extra time, both sides upped the intensity in hopes of finding the decisive goal. Aubrey for the Griffins took the first shot of the overtime period. The forward was along the right wing and, while cutting back inside, took a shot from a similar spot with similar intent that trickled out wide. Blumberger would take his chances in extra time, getting a good crack on a shot from outside the box that fell into the hands of Reiss. What proved to be Seton Hill's final chance of the day was an ill-advised effort from way out that ended up closer to the corner flag than the woodwork.

The build-up to the Huskies' goal caught the Griffins off guard enough to finish things off. Diggs went for a quick start on a throw-in back into play following a stoppage for a substitute. The second ball from the Griffins was a short-distance clearance that was headed back into Seton Hill's half of the field by Diggs. Zayd DeVeaux (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) punted the ball on his first touch, aiming it towards the Griffins' 18-yard box. Seton Hill's outside back failed to get the ball out of danger, allowing Morales to race onto the ball. With Reiss coming off his line, Morales split the goalkeeper's legs and rolled the ball over the line to send the Huskies on to the PSAC Semifinals.

Numbers of Note: 
3 - The Huskies are returning to the PSAC Semifinals. The trip will mark the third time in the last four seasons under head coach Mark Bassett that Bloomsburg is one of the final four teams remaining.

0 - Monday was the fourth time Seton Hill and Bloomsburg have met, with the Huskies led by Bassett, including three of those meetings in Greensburg. In those four contests, the Huskies have yet to surrender a goal to the Griffins.

On the Horizon:
The Huskies advance to the PSAC Semifinals on Friday, November 14, at 5:00 p.m. to take on East No. 1 seed Millersville.