BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg women's soccer team picked up its first win of the season Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup against Shippensburg, 3-0.
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The Huskies (1-2) found a goal inside the first 15 minutes of the match off the left foot of
Olivia Thompson (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. After the break, Bloomsburg got a goal off the foot of
Niamh Fanning (New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock) from outside the box to double its advantage.
Anika Krasnai (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) netted the final tally of the match for the Huskies, turning defense into offense from a pressing position before sending a long-range attempt into the back of the net.
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How It Happened:
Thompson had eyes set on a goal from the opening whistle, nearly putting the Huskies on the board in the third minute. Krasnai worked one-on-one against a defender down the right side, eventually playing a pass to the feet of Thompson. The senior immediately turned and sent a looping ball towards the net, with Shippensburg (1-2) goalkeeper Kirstin Brown making an outstretched save to push the shot off the line.
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The Raiders then built a strong stretch of possession after the scare, leading to several attempts at goal. Shippensburg rattled off the next three shots of the match, including two with 90 seconds following the goal threat on the opposite end of the field. The Raiders' next chance came from a blocked shot off the first corner of the match.
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Bloomsburg took advantage of Shippensburg's aggressiveness in the attacking half to score the opening goal. A foul in the Huskies' defensive half allowed
Daryn Savage (Bensalem, Pa./Archbishop Wood) to step over the ball for a free kick. The senior sent in a driven ball toward the edge of the box, initially headed by a Raider player. The failed clearance fell to Fanning's feet. The freshman midfielder played a well-weighted ball a short distance to find the head of
Haley Bull (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia), with the sophomore nodding a pass to Thompson behind the defense just inside the 18-yard box. Centered and all alone, Thompson struck the ball on the volley and rolled it into the bottom right corner to put Bloomsburg up a goal.
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It did not take long after the second-half whistle for the Huskies to double their advantage. Once again able to absorb pressure from the Raiders' attacking efforts, including the team's lone shot on target in the match, Bloomsburg was able to convert an attempted counter into a goal-scoring effort. The build-up to the finish started with an intercepted pass by Krasnai, leading to a deep punt into Shippensburg's half of the pitch. Thompson tracked the ball between two defenders with a nod forward to continue her run. The attacker subsequently battled with one of the Raiders' central defenders to win the ball and play a pass back to Fanning. The midfielder, streaking into position just outside the box, loaded a powerful shot onto the right foot to glide over the extended arms of the Shippensburg goalkeeper.
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The Huskies remained relentless in the attacking third of the field, edging the Raiders in shots for the remainder of the match by a 12-2 margin. Seven different players for Bloomsburg recorded a shot in the moments following the second goal, including four with at least two chances at the net. Krasnai would ultimately find the Huskies' third and final goal after being inches from doing so less than 30 seconds prior. A poor goal kick fell the forward's path, as the senior stayed with the ball before finding space outside the box to curl a shot into the top right corner for an exclamation point on a strong performance.
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Numbers of Note:
1 - Fanning made an impact in her first collegiate start, recording one goal and one assist for her first three collegiate points.
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8-1 - The match was defined by the opportunities to threaten for the goal, an area dominated by Bloomsburg on Saturday. The Huskies finished with eight shots on target to Shippensburg's one in the match.
10 - Several players for Bloomsburg were involved in the team's attacking efforts. In total, 10 different players made an attempt at goal in Saturday's match, including five with multiple tries.
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On the Horizon:
The Huskies continue their conference slate on Wednesday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m., with a match against Shepherd.
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