BLOOMSBURG, Pa.- In a game that pitted the two of the top goalkeepers in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), offense was at an expected premium as West Chester (11-2-2, 11-2-2) and Bloomsburg (11-4-2, 10-3-2) battled to a scoreless draw after 110 minutes of action.
Jenna Peters (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) provided the first good scoring opportunity of the contest in the seventh minute with a shot from the left corner of the box, but it was saved with a diving stop by Bloomsburg keeper Alexa Ryan, which kept the game scoreless.
Later in the half, Bloomsburg put West Chester keeper
Hayley McGee (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) to the test, taking three shots on goal over the final 30 minutes of the opening half, all of which were handled by McGee to keep the game scoreless heading to the halftime break.
At the end of the first half, West Chester held a 5-4 advantage in total shots and a 4-1 advantage in corners, but it was the Huskies who held a 3-1 edge in shots on goal through the opening 45 minutes of action.
In the 58
th minute, Bloomsburg generated an excellent scoring chance as Gina Sexton stole the ball and found her way down to the top of the box and had a good opportunity for a shot, but
Dani Cady (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) closed down nicely to block the shot and send it harmlessly wide where McGee could handle it to keep the game scoreless.
In the 68
th minute,
Kaitlyn Haughey (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter) took the Golden Rams second shot on goal with a header from the top of the box, on the end of a long kick from near the midfield stripe, but Ryan handled it easily and kept things locked at 0-0. Bloomsburg countered quickly with a strong opportunity of its own with a shot from the top corner of the box after a bouncing ball in following a deep throw; however, McGee was once again up to the task, saving the curving shot to keep the game scoreless entering the 70
th minute of play.
With just under 10 minutes to go in regulation, Haughey took a pair of shots on rushes heading into the Bloomsburg box, but each shot was deflected on the way and sent wide to keep the Golden Rams off the scoreboard.
After 90 minutes proved to be insufficient to determine a victor, the contest entered overtime. In the first of the two extra sessions, Bloomsburg nearly found the game-winner it was seeking just under four and a half minutes in off a free kick from near midfield; however, the Huskies were unable to control the loose ball near the top of the box to get a good shot, thus, ending the chance and keeping the contest scoreless.
After a scoreless first overtime, the Golden Rams and Huskies continued their battle into a second overtime period in search of a goal to determine a victor and provide a critical three points in the hunt for the second seed in the upcoming PSAC Tournament. In the closing moments of overtime, Bloomsburg applied heavy pressure to the West Chester defense, but the Golden Rams stood tall as they held the Huskies without a shot in the waning moments as the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
West Chester ended the contest with a 9-7 edge in shots and a 4-1 advantage in corners, while Bloomsburg ended the game with a 4-2 advantage in shots on goal.
As expected, the West Chester and Bloomsburg defenses led by McGee and Ryan each turned in outstanding defensive efforts as the two keepers ended their nights with four saves and two saves, respectively, in the draw.
With this draw, West Chester remains in sole possession of second place in the PSAC East with 35 points entering the final day of competition on Saturday, while Bloomsburg remains just three points back with 32 points of its own. West Chester, who will host Kutztown (who clinched the Eastern Division crown earlier this evening with a 1-0 road win over Lock Haven) on Saturday afternoon beginning at 12 p.m., will need to record at least a draw against the Golden Bears to guarantee themselves the No. 2 seed in the upcoming PSAC Tournament.
Bloomsburg will be in action on Saturday afternoon against Millersville, with that contest set to begin at 4:30 p.m. in need of a win and a West Chester loss to capture the No. 2 seed over the Golden Rams. For its part, Millersville earned an all-important road victory over East Stroudsburg earlier this evening courtesy of a late second-half goal, which all but guaranteed the Marauders the fourth seed in the upcoming PSAC Tournament. The 2021 edition of the PSAC Tournament will kick off on Tuesday afternoon with the quarterfinal rounds as the #1 seed will the host the #4 seed while the #2 seed will host #3 seed with the winners advancing to the semifinal round.
