Bloomsburg Women's Soccer Ready for NCAA Playoffs

BLOOMSBURG- The Bloomsburg University women's soccer team will face Slippery Rock in the first round of the NCAA Division II championships. The Huskies will face the Rock on Friday at 2 p.m. at Mercyhurst College in Erie in one half of the Atlantic Region bracket. The winner of the game will move on to face Mercyhurst on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Bloomsburg, 13-5-1, is the third seed from the Atlantic Region and is making its seventh NCAA championship appearance in school history. The Huskies are led on offense by senior Ashley Brucker (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren) and junior Kelly Modes (Langhorne/Neshaminy). Brucker scored a team-high nine goals on the season, while Modes scored seven times with three assists. In addition, a pair of sophomores, Kelsey Stoka (Langhorne/Neshaminy) and Kristine Preski (Pottstown/Owen J Roberts), are also key components of the Bloomsburg attack. Stoka scored five goals and had three assists, while Preski added four goals and two assists.

Defensively for the Huskies by Angela Brown (Sparta, NJ/Sparta), Mary Sciacchetano (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) and Eileen Alexander (East Northport, NY/Commack). They have helped hold opponents to just 19 goals this season and just 220 shots on goal. In the net for the Huskies has been freshman standout Frances Nicoletti (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield) who has a goals against average of 0.97 with seven shutouts. Nicoletti has played every minute this season and was named the PSAC East Player of the Week back on Sept. 8th when she started her career by posting three wins in the opening week of the season with just two goals allowd.

Slippery Rock is 13-6-1 overall and are the number six seed in the Atlantic Region. In an earlier meeting this season between The Rock and Bloomsburg, SRU posted a 1-0 decision over the Huskies.

This year's Rock squad is led in scoring by sophomore forwards Alison Hindley and Ashley Paganie, who had 15 and eight goals, respectively. Paganie has also assisted on eight goals. Senior goalie Sarah Lacy owns a 1.27 goals against average and an .803 save percentage and has recorded six shutouts this fall.

In the other part of the bracket, East Stroudsburg will face West Virginia Wesleyan at West Chester with the winner to face the Golden Rams on Sunday.