Frostburg State University Athletics

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Field Hockey team fell just short in a 2-1 home loss against No. 6 Bloomsburg on Saturday afternoon in their first conference matchup of the season. 

The first quarter saw seven minutes pass with no action from either side until the Huskies tested freshman Bobcat keeper Jenna Yazzetti on back-to-back shots that were both saved. Another BU chance came two minutes later but missed the target, then with time ticking down in the quarter, one more effort was sent wide by the visitors for a scoreless first.

An aggressive Huskies offense sought to get on the board early with two shots either side of a penalty corner but Frostburg's defense kept the ball from reaching Yazzetti. After another BU chance that was stopped by Yazzetti, the Bobcats got their first chance 10 minutes in from a penalty corner, as senior Sofia Boyle drove the ball from the top of the circle to freshman Izzy Gibbons right in front of the net for a goal, giving FSU a 1-0 lead. Bloomsburg looked to respond right away with a shot saved by Yazzetti, as the visitors ramped up their pressure in the final seven minutes of the half. BU twice tested Yazzetti in a 20-second span before putting a shot wide following a penalty corner, then the Bobcat defense fended off another corner to preserve their lead going into the break.

Four minutes into the third quarter, Bloomsburg finally broke through, as a pass from Kaylyn Elliott in the corner of the field found Jordan Bond in the middle of the circle, firing past Yazzetti to even things up. Seeking another score two minutes later, the Huskies sent an effort just wide, then off a corner, Yazzetti prevented a shooting chance with another stop before being helped by her defense on the next shot. Having withstood the heavy pressure, Frostburg earned a penalty corner in the last minute of the frame, as senior Mikyla Rineer saw a shot saved before sophomore Brooke Saul had her effort charged down, going into the fourth at 1-1.

As they had done in the third, the Huskies struck early in the final frame with a goal two minutes in, as Bond hit a rocket inside the left post to take a 2-1 lead. With BU protecting their lead, neither team created much offense for the next 10 minutes, with the only chance coming from sophomore Makenna Buffington firing a shot just to the right of the net. Looking to put the game away, Bloomsburg got another two chances on a breakaway, but Yazzetti made back-to-back saves to keep her side in the contest. The final minute was an all-out scramble for the Bobcats to try and find an equalizer, as they weren't able to get a shot away with the Huskies' defense seemingly always in the right spots until giving up a penalty corner with just 20 seconds remaining. Keeping the play alive, freshman Alayna Enoff would get the best look at goal, however the defense got a stick on her shot to send it high of goal and giving BU their 2-1 win.

The Huskies led 18-5 in shots, with 11 on target compared to FSU's two.

With the loss, the Bobcats fall to 4-5 as BU improves to 8-1 on the year. Frostburg is back at home on Wednesday, October 7, for their MVP Game against Indiana (Pa.) starting at 4 PM. For more information, please visit frostburgsports.com.