Women's Soccer to Open the 2019 Campaign at Defending PSAC Champion Bloomsburg

GAMEDAY CENTRAL – Edinboro at Bloomsburg

Date: Thursday, September 5, 2019
Time: 3 p.m.
Site: Steph Pettit Stadium, Bloomsburg, Pa.
Records: Edinboro 6-11-0, 5-11-0 PSAC in 2018 I Bloomsburg 17-3-3, 12-2-2 PSAC in 2018
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Live Stats: Click Here
Edinboro Links: Roster I Schedule I Stats
Bloomsburg Links: Roster I Schedule I Stats

AROUND THE LEAGUE

PSAC Scoreboard: Click Here
PSAC Standings: Click Here
PSAC Statistics: Click Here

SERIES HISTORY

All-Time Series: Bloomsburg leads 10-9-2
Last Meeting: October 27, 2019: No. 10 Bloomsburg 1, Edinboro 0
How It Happened: The two teams battled to a scoreless tie at halftime in a game that was a defensive struggle. Both teams attempted just three shots in the first half. Bloomsburg, ranked 10^th in Division II, would score the match's lone goal in the 50^th minute, as Taylor Sneidman scored, assisted by Kate Schlotter. The Huskies ended with a 13-6 advantage in shots. Anna Voelker registered seven saves for Edinboro, while Jenna Hawkins had one save in goal for Bloomsburg.

MATCH STORYLINES

Edinboro posted a 6-11-0 finish a year ago while fielding a young squad. Head coach Gary Kagiavas welcomes back nine starters for his 24th season as head coach. Kagiavas has a 219-178-37 record, all as Edinboro's only head coach. The Fighting Scots have qualified for the PSAC Playoffs 11 times, with seven of those in the last nine years. With 219 wins, Kagiavas ranks 24^th among active Division II coaches in victories. In addition, he ranks second in wins among PSAC women's soccer coaches, exceeded only by West Chester's Betsy Anne Kempf-Townsley with 332 wins. He has been selected the PSAC Coach of the Year three times (2001, '05, '07)..
Edinboro returns its top four scorers, including leading scorer Danielle Chatten. The senior forward finished with 7 goals and an assist for 15 points. She enters her final season tied for 14^th in career points (44) and 14^th in career goals (17).
Brittnie Spithaler added 5 goals and 2 assists for 12 points, while Rebecca Manns had 3 goals and a team-leading 5 assists. The redshirt junior forward has led the team in assists each of her first two seasons and is tied for 15^th in career assists (11).
Junior Cameron Bujnoski earned third team United Soccer Coaches NCAA All-Atlantic Region honors. She was one of only three players to start all 17 matches while playing defender.
As a freshman, Anna Voelker started all 17 matches in goal, playing all 1544:45 minutes, which ranks eighth in a season. She finished with a 1.51 GAA and had 109 saves, which ranks second in a season.
The PSAC will have a new look in 2019. With the addition of Shepherd to the conference from the Mountain East Conference, the league has been split into two divisions, with Edinboro in the Western Division and Bloomsburg in the Eastern Division. The Huskies are the preseason favorite in the PSAC East, while Edinboro was picked to finish sixth in the West.
Bloomsburg is ranked No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, and claimed eight of the nine possible first-place votes in the PSAC Coaches Preseason Poll. The favorite in the PSAC East, the Huskies advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2018 before falling to eventual national champion Bridgeport. The Huskies claimed their fourth PSAC Championship and first since 2002 with a 17-3-3 record. Bloomsburg's 17 victories in 2018 were one shy of the school record of 18 set during the 1996 campaign.
The Huskies posted a school-best 16 shutouts and finished sixth among all Division II teams in shutout percentage (.652). Goalie Jenna Hawkins has posted 19.5 shutouts in her first two seasons.
Three of the team's top five scorers return, including leading scorer Lauren Hoelke. The junior midfielder had 3 goals and 12 assists for 18 points.

UP NEXT

Edinboro will play its first game at home on Saturday, September 7, hosting Notre Dame(Oh.). The Falcons were 10-6-1 a year ago and open the 2019 campaign hosting Gannon on Thursday, September 5. The match is set to start at 1 p.m. at Sox Harrison Stadium.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Cameron Bujnoski: D/MF; 5' 7"; Junior

#10 Danielle Chatten: F; 5' 7"; Senior

#13 Rebecca Manns: F; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior

#26 Brittnie Spithaler: F; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#1 Anna Voelker: GK; 5' 4"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#15 Cameron Bujnoski
: 5' 7"; Junior
: D/MF

#10 Danielle Chatten
: 5' 7"; Senior
: F

#13 Rebecca Manns
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#26 Brittnie Spithaler
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: F

#1 Anna Voelker
: 5' 4"; Sophomore
: GK