Shippensburg men’s soccer earned a point this week after facing a pair of conference rivals. On Wednesday, they had a 0–0 draw against No. 13 Bloomsburg, and on Saturday, they fell 1–0 on the road to Millersville.
Shippensburg (3-6-4, 0-3-3) and Bloomsburg (6-1-6, 2-1-4) finished in a scoreless tie, replicating the same score as the last encounter they had on Oct. 8.
The teams shined with defense and midfield play; both teams recorded only two shots on goal each.
SU’s opportunities appeared early in the first half. Senior forward Ethan Paulukow had an early shot only two minutes after the game started, which forced Bloomsburg’s goalkeeper to make a difficult save.
Bloomsburg responded quickly in the 11th minute with a clear scoring opportunity. Owen Hollobaugh hit the right post off a close-range free hit.
With two minutes left in the first half, junior goalkeeper Ryan Krumenacker made a game-changing save from a close-range shot that collaborated to keep the game 0-0.
A minute later, sophomore midfielder Nat Thompson made a quick shot off a free hit that was also blocked by Bloomsburg.
During the second half, SU could not find any solid attacking chances. The Raiders did not record any shots, and they earned just one corner. Krumenacker recorded two saves. The game ended up 0-0.
On Saturday, SU faced Millerville on the road for another intense contest.
The Marauders started the first half with an attack that forced the Raiders’ defensive line to step up. They recorded a couple shots on goal that were successfully saved by Krumenacker in goal.
Shippensburg’s offensive line had limited opportunities that they could not capitalize on. Junior Evan Brandt had a bottom-center shot at the 5th minute, saved by MU goalkeeper Kieran Finegan.
In the 33rd minute, Millersville’s midfield found an extraordinary through pass to forward Mason Quinton, splitting SU’s defense. Quinton then scored his first collegiate goal, giving the Marauders a 1-0 lead, which would be the final score.
During the second half, SU had some other opportunities that it could not convert. Senior Cam Henry and redshirt freshman Coy Rush each recorded a shot on goal.
Krumenacker had an incredible game. He faced a total of 29 shots, 11 on frame. He made a season-high nine saves, including numerous direct goal-scoring opportunities.
SU returns to action on Wednesday for a match against Shepherd at 7:30 p.m. at Robb Sports Complex.
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