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BLOOMSBURG—Bloomsburg University won its unprecedented fourth straight NCAA Division II Field Hockey championship Sunday with a 2-0 win over Bentley College.

The Huskies are the first team, at any level of NCAA Field Hockey, to win four straight national championships.

Bentley came out firing to start the game getting six corners in the game's first fix minutes. But, each time the Huskies were able to turn back the Falcons without a shot on goal.

Bloomsburg countered with back-to-back corner plays of its own at the 29:16 and 28:49 marks of the first half. On the second of the two corners, Aja Madsen (Mount Joy/Donegal HS) passed to Amy Yoder (Nescopeck/Central Columbia HS) who took a shot which went wide of the goal.

The Falcons continued to dominate play in the first 35 minutes of action getting two more corners in the final 10 minutes, but still not able to get a shot off. Bentley's all-time leading scorer Jen Bunce (East Dennis, MA/Dennis-Yarmouth HS) was hemmed in by the Bloomsburg defense much of the day.

In the second half, the Huskies started quickly getting a corner after being fouled in the circle. It would be one of five awarded to the Huskies in the second half. The first, good scoring opportunity came at the 31:52 mark when Yoder, Krista Engle (Liverpool/Greenwood HS) and Belinda Price (Mifflintown/Juniata HS) all had shots at the ball in front of the goal mouth, but Bentley goalie Carolyn Cahill (Milton, MA/Milton HS) denied the Huskies each time.

At the 29:35 mark, senior Bridgett Heckman (Ephrata/Ephrata HS) scored off a rebound of a shot from Jess Kircher. After Cahill saved the shot, Heckman was there to poke it in and give the Huskies a 1-0 lead.

In the next 20 minutes, the Huskies would continue to dominate play, getting several good scoring chances. But each times, Cahill, Bentley's all-time leading goalkeeper, turned each and every shot, twice making great kick saves to keep the Falcons in the game.

With 9:52 left to play, the Huskies were awarded a free hit outside the circle. Jess Kircher (Fleetwood/Oley Valley HS) took the hit directing the ball to Belinda Price who beat Cahill giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead.

The Huskies kept the defensive pressure on the Falcons the rest of the way with Leah Conte (Ambler/Upper Dublin HS) and Cheri Forry (Lancaster/Lancaster Mennonite HS) making several great clears for Bloomsburg after Bentley had penetrated the circle.

After being dominated in the first half, Bloomsburg coach Jan Hutchinson told her team to settle down in the second half.

"Thank goodness for second periods'," said Hutchinson. "We were tight in the first half with the added pressure of going for four straight titles in the back of the player's minds. Bentley is good team and we just told the team to play the Bloomsburg game and to settle down."

Bentley coach Kelly West thought her team surprised the Huskies with its play early."

"We came out fired up and ready to play," West said. "We knew we had to adjust our game to the grass field and we probably surprised them (Bloomsburg) by our play in the early going."

"We were hurt though by playing on grass," said West. "We are a turf team, which focuses a lot on corners. We just couldn't get going today."

Bloomsburg senior Bridgett Heckman had some luck scoring the first goal.

"There were a lot sticks near the ball and I was fortunate to get mine in there and direct it to the goal," said Heckman. "It gave us a big lift."

As for winning four straight national titles, Hutchinson is not bored by the championships.

"Winning never gets old," said Hutchinson. "Each of our nine championships is special because of the people involved. I cherish each of the titles."

Named to the All-Tournament team were Carolyn Cahill and Kristyn Bates of Bentley and Leah Conte, Bridgett Heckman and Jess Kircher of Bloomsburg.

The win gives coach Jan Hutchinson her ninth straight NCAA Championship between Division II and III and fourth straight. This was the Huskies 19th straight appearance in the NCAA championships and 17th time they have played in the finals.

Bentley loses for the second time in the Division II national title game. The Falcons lost to Pfeiffer (NC),

5-3, in the first-ever Division II title game in 1981.

Bloomsburg ends the season with a perfect mark of 19-0. The Huskies have now won 54 of its last 55 games. Bentley finishes the year at 21-1 and had a 28-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

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