WEST CHESTER, Pa.- On the heels of a tough loss at the hands of Shippensburg on Saturday afternoon, the West Chester women's soccer team (5-2-1, 5-2-1) returned home on Wednesday afternoon to host league rival Bloomsburg (6-3-1, 5-2-1). West Chester battled throughout but it was a late first-half tally by Bloomsburg, which proved to be the difference maker as the Huskies escaped Rockwell Field with a narrow 1-0 victory over the Golden Rams.
In the 38
th minute, West Chester generated a solid scoring opportunity following a corner kick as
Lauren Corless (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) took a hard shot from the top of the 18 but it was saved with a diving stop by Alexa Ryan to keep the game scoreless.
In the 41
st minute, Bloomsburg capitalized on its continued pressure throughout the opening half with the first goal of the contest off an own goal by West Chester following a Bloomsburg free kick from just shy of midfield.
At the halftime break, Bloomsburg held an 8-4 edge in shots and a 3-1 advantage in shots on goal while West Chester held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.
In the late stages of the second half, West Chester applied steady pressure as the Golden Rams searched for the equalizer outshooting Bloomsburg by a 5-4 margin over the final 45 minutes but Ryan was up to the task, making three saves to keep the potent Golden Ram offense at bay.
Bloomsburg ended the contest with a 12-9 advantage in shots and a 5-4 edge in shots on goal while West Chester ended the contest with a 6-1 advantage in corners.
Hayley McGee (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) worked hard in goal for the Golden Rams, making five saves to keep West Chester in the contest throughout.
West Chester will be back in action on the road at No. 3 Kutztown on Saturday afternoon with that contest set to begin at 1 p.m.
