BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's soccer team held firm for a 2-0 victory at Steph Pettit Stadium over East Stroudsburg on Wednesday evening.
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The Huskies (7-3, 5-3 PSAC East) grabbed the lead of a pair of first-time goal scorers to topple the Warriors (4-4-2, 2-4-2 PSAC East).
Kelsey Beatie (Middletown, Del./Appoquinimink) scored her first career goal with a header from a free kick by
Daryn Savage (Bensalem, Pa./Archbishop Wood) to give Bloomsburg a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Madelyn Blake (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) doubled the home side's advantage in the second half with her first collegiate goal following a second service from
Anna Dalesandro (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser) from a corner kick and help from
Anika Krasnai (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) along the endline.
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How It Happened:
East Stroudsburg began the game on the front foot, looking to attack the Huskies' backline over the top. The Warriors fired off the first shot of the match just under three minutes after the opening whistle, with the visitors establishing a sense of danger with a copious amount of through balls in the early stages. Bloomsburg quickly established itself in the minutes that followed, finishing with a 5-2 shot advantage in the first half as East Stroudsburg did not put a single shot on target, seeing its opportunities to get behind the Huskies' defense thwarted.
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Five minutes after subbing into the contest, Beatie made a big splash in the match. The first-year forward initially set up the opportunity after drawing a foul in the Warrior end of the field. The positioning along the right wing gave a clear angle for Savage, freshly coming off a three-assist performance with a pair coming from free kicks. The weight of the ball from the senior gave ample time for Beatie to settle underneath, elevate, and perfectly time and place the header for the freshman's first collegiate points.
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Desperate for an equalizer, the Warriors started off the second half taking every opportunity they could take at a chance for goal. East Stroudsburg had the better run of possession through the first 10 minutes of the second half, leading to four shots, more than the team had in the first half. Bloomsburg once again took its time to settle into the half, patiently absorbing the pressure from the Warriors to find the best chance at extending its advantage. That patience paid off in the 60th minute, as the Huskies would go up 2-0.
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An initial corner kick from Dalesandro preceded the goal-scoring sequence, as the initial service drifted toward the edge of the 18-yard box with an attempted pass deflected toward the right wing.
Cassi Snyder (Hegins, Pa./Tri-Valley), up in the box from the set piece, used her defensive prowess to shield off an East Stroudsburg player from retrieving the ball. That time allowed Dalesandro to hit a high-arcing first-time cross toward the back post. The defining play was made with Krasnai's pristine touch, as the senior perfectly traced the ball with the Warrior defense uncertain of what was to come. The first-time, left-footed touch pass from Krasnai was played to an unmarked Blake, who had the time and space to power home her right-footed shot.
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The desperation only grew for the visitors, now left with 30 minutes to find two goals, a feat they had only achieved three times this season and once in conference play. That fact did not deter East Stroudsburg from taking its chances to chip away at the deficit, giving
Izzy Hoffeditz (Mercersburg, Pa./James Buchanan) a chance to keep her team on the right path.
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The Warriors got off two efforts from long range in the 90 seconds that followed Bloomsburg's goal. A sure-handed Hoffeditz corralled the two attempts, as the next two shots were blocked around the Huskies' 18-yard box. Hoffeditz responded to another ranged rip from East Stroudsburg with a diving stop to the right, with the Warriors' next opportunities being a pair of easily dealt-with corner kicks.
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East Stroudsburg's campaign to get back into the match continued into the final 10 minutes, with Hoffeditz and Bloomsburg defense able to close down on any effort to find a breakthrough goal. Hoffeditz finished the final seven minutes of the match with another two saves to her total, as the Huskies continued to step in front of any imminent danger and clear the ball as necessary to keep the shutout and the win intact.
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Number of Note:
1 - The Huskies made the most of their lone shot in the second half, the insurance add from Blake. Four players for East Stroudsburg finished the second half with more shots than Bloomsburg as a team. The Warriors finished Wednesday's contest outshooting the Huskies 16-6, bolstered by a 14-1 difference in the second half.
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7 - A big second half from Hoffeditz helped Bloomsburg come away with another win. The redshirt sophomore matched a career best with seven saves in the match, helping the Huskies to their fourth shutout of the season.
17 - It has been a committee effort on the goal-scoring front for the Huskies this season. 17 different players this season have registered a goal for Bloomsburg, including 11 who have found the back of the net for the first time in their collegiate careers.
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On the Horizon:
Bloomsburg is back on the road for another PSAC contest, setting their sights on a 2:30 p.m. clash against No. 15 West Chester.
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