BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The No. 22 Bloomsburg men's soccer team earned a 2-1 victory in the regular-season finale over Shepherd Thursday evening.
The Huskies (9-2-6, 4-2-4 PSAC East) netted two goals in the first half to hang on for the result at Steph Pettit Stadium.

Owen Hollobaugh (State College, Pa./State College) found the back of the net first, thanks to a flick on from Zayd DeVeaux (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill Academy), to get the match started. Later in the half, it was the youth of Bloomsburg that generated the eventual game-winning effort. Caleb Sitler (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) played a long cross into the top of the 18-yard box, which Nick Guzak (Washington Township, N.J./Washington Township) flicked on. The forward found an in-cutting Tye Maser (Farmingdale, N.J./Howell), as the midfielder got enough of a toe, while fending off two defenders, to beat the goalkeeper and give the Huskies a two-goal advantage at the break. 

The Rams (6-11, 3-7 PSAC East) cut their deficit to one just past the halfway point of the second half to put the pressure on the Huskies in a dire situation. As time ticked off the clock, Bloomsburg was able to rely on a defense that had gotten to this point in the season to secure the victory.

How It Happened:
Hollobaugh's night started near the seven-minute mark of the match with an opportune free kick chance. The forward stepped up for a crack directly off the free kick, forcing a save from Shepherd and establishing early attacking momentum for the Huskies. Bloomsburg was denied an earlier build-up inside the first minute of the contest due to an offside flag.

Another 10 minutes would pass for the Huskies until they managed to capitalize on a long throw for the 1-0 lead. Micah Diggs' (Groton, Conn./Fitch) insert from the sideline into the box created a mass of bodies swarming to the ball. As the ball took a bounce, it was DeVeaux who took a collection of touches, first off his right foot, then his head, and back to his right foot, lofting the ball over his turned back to goal. The ball had enough weight and was perfectly placed to Hollobaugh, who got a light nod over an out-of-position Ilyas Samantar for Shepherd, to put his side out in front.

The Huskies did not let up from there, as the team was eager to add to its tally. Bloomsburg had several close calls to double its advantage. In the attacking third from his defensive post, Kody Besser (Lacey Township, N.J./Lacey Township) had a well-intended effort on a shot that went directly into the hands of Samantar. Sam Blumberger (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) had a quality look from a long ball by Braden Alicea (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland), narrowly missing the desired connection.

In the dwindling moments of the opening half, it was a trio of freshmen who forged the path to the Huskies' second goal. With the ball played at his feet, Sitler turned over his right shoulder back toward the central midfield. The redshirt freshman connected with Guzak, who did well to follow the ball and give Maser a chance running towards goal. With a defender attempting to shield him from the ball, Maser reached his right foot around his mark and got the right touch and placement on the ball to double Bloomsburg's advantage.

The Huskies remained comfortable with their lead for the majority of the second half, letting Shepherd stick to its intended build-up from the back. However, in the 78th minute, the Rams would grab one goal back from Bloomsburg. Shepherd's leading goal scorer, Josh Petty, made a turn for an attempt at goal, with his shot initially blocked by Besser. The deflection took a fortuitous bounce for the Rams, as Rylan Hertzog slammed the ball into the back of the net to cut the deficit to one.

The fortune that favored Shepherd in that moment was all the visitors would get in the final moments of the match in the face of a reinvigorated defense for the Huskies. The final two shots for Rams were blocked, as Bloomsburg was able to take time off the clock when it mattered most to secure the result.

Numbers of Note: 
3 - Hollobaugh is seemingly hitting his stride in the latter stages of the season. With his goal on Thursday, the junior forward has three goals in his last four contests.

4 - The Huskies needed some help on Thursday night and got it in the final PSAC contest of the regular season. Bloomsburg and head coach Mark Bassett have now qualified for four consecutive PSAC Championships.

On the Horizon:
With Thursday night's results, Bloomsburg men's soccer qualifies for the PSAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed from the East. The Huskies will play at Seton Hill on Monday, November 10, at 1:30 p.m.