BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's soccer team came up short in a 3-2 defeat at Steph Pettit Stadium Wednesday evening against Shepherd.
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The Huskies (1-3) managed to force a tie twice against the Rams (4-1), but the third time proved to be the charm for the visitors with a game-winning effort in the final minute of the contest. After Shepherd ended the first half with a 1-0 advantage, Bloomsburg managed to tie the match up from the penalty spot with a conversion by
Laci Bell (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point). The Rams responded a mere two minutes later from their own dead-ball situation, with a free kick that glided under the crossbar. Unrelenting,
Olivia Thompson (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) knotted the contest at 2-2 with a phenomenal individual effort before Shepherd took advantage of a change of possession in the final third to cap off the night.
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How It Happened:
After early glimpses in the attacking third by the Huskies, things quickly turned against their favour. With their first shot of the game, the Rams managed to find the back of the net after Olivia Gardner played a cross to the opposite end of the box to find Aniyah Parker, who got just enough on her finish to squeak inside the post and over the line. From that moment on, Shepherd established a long period of sustained possession that included four shots and a corner for the visitor.
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Bloomsburg sought to settle back in and nearly did so in the 19th minute. A played-in ball found its way near the center of the 18-yard box, bouncing among a herd of players. Eventually, Thompson found enough room to get a poke on the ball that bounced off the crossbar and into enough space for a clearance. From there, the Huskies managed to register several shots on target, but none were threatening enough to cause any drama nearing the end of the first half.
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Needing a spark, Bloomsburg broke from the halftime whistle with heightened intensity in search of an answer. With limited threats on the net through the opening 20 minutes of the second half, it was the pressure generated by the Huskies that led to the first tie of the match.
Jordan Andrews (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) was played down the left wing and got behind the defender. Looking to make a play on the ball, Andrews was checked in the back inside without an attempt on the ball to draw a penalty. Up stepped Bell, whose veteran presence from the penalty spot sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and tied the contest at 1-1.
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Shepherd's response did not come long after, as the visitors took advantage of the next free kick opportunity. With a foul in the attacking half, Morgen Smith took the set piece into her own hands. The defender took a straight effort at goal that hung and remained high throughout its flight, only tailing off as it neared the goal and scraped under the crossbar, giving the lead right back to the Rams.
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Bloomsburg remained unfettered in the face of adversity, continuing to press forward in hopes of a second equalizer. With Shepherd content to shore up their defenses and absorb pressure, the Huskies found attacking creases and continued to find space to get shots on target. It was Thompson, whose defensive effort created the circumstances, who managed to break through once again for Bloomsburg. Working tirelessly just outside the box, Thompson won the ball off a defender and found a path to step upfield. With just enough space, the senior put in a looping effort with enough air and arc to get past the outstretched arms of the Rams' goalkeeper.
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With mere minutes to play, both teams played with the intent of finding a winner. The result was both teams committing bodies forward and hoping to fire off a timely shot. After an overhit corner gave the Huskies possession from a throw-in, a sudden change in possession in the final third put the Bloomsburg backline out of its desired position, giving way for Shepherd's leading goal scorer, Merritt Delk, to find the time and space for the decisive finish. One last free kick with five seconds left on the clock gave the Huskies life, but it was not enough time to once again repeat their second-half efforts.
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On the Horizon:
The Huskies are on the road for a 2:00 p.m. contest in their lone nonconference match of the season against Seton Hill.
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