LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Bloomsburg men's soccer team came away with a 1-1 draw in the dying moments against Lock Haven Saturday afternoon.
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After giving up a goal from a corner on the other end, the Huskies (3-2-1), with under a minute and seconds dwindling off the clock, came away with a critical play to force a draw on the road. From the corner with 30 seconds left in the match,
Owen Reager (Cornwall, Pa./Cedar Crest) played in a looping ball that found
Andrew Beagle (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) inside the box. Beagle put in a headed ball toward the goal with air underneath to give defenders on the goal line trouble, with a failed clearance bouncing off the underside of the crossbar and in the direction of
Ty Mikula (State College, Pa./Western Reserve) for the game-tying effort.
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How It Happened:
The two teams matched up fairly even throughout the contest, and that showed through the opening half. The Bald Eagles (0-2-3) edged Bloomsburg narrowly in shots (6-5) while possessing a 4-1 difference in corner kicks. Lock Haven had the first looks at goal through the opening 10 minutes of the match, with
Drew Offenberg (Monroe Twp, N.J./Monroe Twp) having to make a pair of saves for the Huskies.
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It took time for Bloomsburg to establish itself going forward, taking until the 17th minute to get off its first shot of the match. The effort came off the left foot of
Caleb Sitler (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra), dribbling outside the 18-yard box before settling and squaring an attempt that forced a stop from the Lock Haven goalkeeper. Reager was the next Husky to look for goal, springing free on a counterattack. The midfielder ran onto the ball with a defender on his left shoulder to square up a shot from distance that forced a save. Bloomsburg received a substantial opportunity in the final minutes of the half, with
Nick Guzak (Washington Township, N.J./Washington Township) drawing a penalty after being tripped up by the Bald Eagles goalkeeper following a sudden change of possession in the Lock Haven defense. To the dismay of the Huskies, Guzak's low-attempted effort from the penalty spot was saved as the game finished scoreless.
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Bloomsburg came out the aggressive side in the second half in desperate search of the opening goal. Overall, the Huskies finished with nine shots to the Bald Eagles' three in the second half and had five corners to their three. The initial push for a goal was made by
Connor Fiadino (Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township), with the forward using his pace to trouble the Lock Haven defense. His near-post effort from range was sealed off at the near post, while his initial press on a Bald Eagle defender on his second attempt allowed him to quickly gain possession before being turned away from goal.
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The theme of near misses continued for Bloomsburg's next three scoring opportunities, as the team's press and physicality overwhelmed the home side at times. The build-up play in those moments, however, could not result in the first goal. That distinction would fall into the laps of the Bald Eagles in the 82nd minute. After a miscue in the box from the corner, the ball fell perfectly to the feet of Lock Haven's Evan Jennings for a momentum-shifting goal.
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The Huskies would ultimately make one last final push for an equalizer, with a headed clear being sent toward the right side of Bloomsburg's formation. The ball progressed its way up the field, finding a home once more at the foot of Fiadino, whose effort set up the pivotal corner attempt. That shot, the final save of the day for the Lock Haven goalkeeper, proved to be as much of a detriment as a service, as it led to the equalizer and a 1-1 finish.
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On the Horizon:
The Huskies return to Steph Pettit Stadium on September 15 at 7:00 p.m. as they take on Lackawanna.
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