(Courtesy Bloomsburg Athletics)

BLOOMSBURG- The #1 Bloomsburg University field hockey team made a winner of new head coach Nikki Rhoads in their 2010 season opener against #4 Stonehill College, with a 4-2 win on Saturday afternoon in Easton, MA.

The Huskies (1-0), four time defending national champions, opened up the scoring 15:20 into the first half when sophomore Lauren McGinley (Wilkes-Barre, Coughlin) knocked in a rebound from sophomore Amber Aulenbach (Fleetwood, Oley Valley). A little over four minutes of play, Bloomsburg made it 2-0 when senior Aime Sgarlat (Dallas, Lake Lehman)tapped in her own rebound after an initial shot from the right side. Stonehill fired back within four minutes of the Huskies second goal when sophomore Teresa McGinley blasted a shot from the upper left arc.

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Bloomsburg 7, Franklin Pierce 1

EASTON, MA—Amanda Riley (Tannersville, Pocono Mountain East) scored one goal and added two assisted to lead the Bloomsburg University field hockey team to a 7-1 win over Franklin Pierce College in a game played at Stonehill University in Easton, MA on Sunday afternoon.

Riley, who led all of Division II in scoring last season, got the Huskies off to an early 1-0 lead with a goal 9:12 into the game with Aimi Sgarlat getting the assist. Bloomsburg would add to its lead with a four with just under four minutes to play before halftime when Brieann Wolfe (Perkasie, Pennridge) scored unassisted.

Franklin Pierce then cut the lead in half about two minutes later when Tia Levin banged home off a shot after an initial save from BU goalie Meghan Hollenbach (Blandon, Fleetwood) to make it 2-1 at the break.

The Huskies wasted little time in stretching their lead to 3-1 needing just 25 seconds of the second half to have Amber Aulenbach(Fleetwood, Oley Valley) score unassisted. Bloomsburg continued to add to its lead getting a goal from Jenna DiSabatino(Mountain Top, Crestwood) at the 51 minute mark, while Lauren McGinley (Wilkes-Barre, Coughlin)scored off an assist from Riley at the 53 minute mark for a 5-1 lead.

With less than 10 minutes to play Alexis Weber (Bear, DE, William Penn) scored off Riley’s second assist, while Brittany Mathews(Reedsville, Indian Valley) scored in the 63rd minute with Wolfe getting the assist.

In all the Huskies out shot Franklin Pierce, 25-5, and held the edge in penalty corners 10-3.

Bloomsburg, 2-0, will open its home season on Saturday at noon against #10 Adelphi University.

Courtesy BU Athletics