The Bloomsburg field hockey team finds themselves just one win away from their third straight national title after a pressure-filled overtime victory over league rival Shippensburg, 3-2 Friday evening.
Maggey Bloskey provided all the scoring for the Huskies, while Chelsea Due and Jamie Vanartsdalen added assists to secure the team’s place in the championship game.
“Maggey is a great player and has done a lot of big stuff for us in the past so we knew she could step up big today,” said Vanartsdalen.
The Huskies will face UMass-Lowell (20-4) this Sunday for the NCAA Division II Championship, after the Riverhawks defeated Bentley 3-2. The Bloomsburg UMass game will be a rematch of last year’s championship game where the Huskies won their second consecutive title, winning by a score of 5-2.
On a dreary, overcast afternoon, the Huskies (22-1) fought back from a 2-1 deficit in the second half to force overtime before Bloskey sealed the victory.
“The second half was a little scary, I won’t lie,” said Chelsea Due. “But I knew we wanted it more. I knew this is what all our hard work was for, and there was no way we’re giving up.”
A crowd of nearly 500 attended the match, providing the game with an ideal playoff atmosphere. Those in attendance erupted as Bloskey’s goal crossed the goal line, propelling the Huskies to their fourth straight national championship game.
“The fans were amazing and I could not have asked for a better turnout,” Due said. “I got chills. These are the games that make me realize why I am an athlete. I love this shit!”
