Wilkes Women's Soccer Punctuates Homecoming, Bruggeworth Field Opening Day with 3-1 Conference Victory

The Wilkes University women's soccer team hosted FDU-Florham for a conference showdown Saturday afternoon at the newly opened Bruggeworth Field.

The Colonels (4-4-1, 1-0) took their first MAC Freedom victory of the season over the Devils (9-2-1, 0-1) in a 3-1 affair.

The scoring started in a hurry for both sides.  Sopohomore midfielder Emily Bidelspach (Myerstown, PA/ELCO) struck first in the 13^th minute, putting home a shot off the right goalpost after a pass from fellow sophomore midfielder Karyna Vargas (Rahway, NJ/Rahway).  The Devils hit back in the 14^th minute off of a clear breakaway in front of the Colonel net to put home an equalizing goal. 

The teams struggled to punch home their opportunities until the Colonels punched home the go-ahead goal in the 31^st minute of the first half.  Taking advantage of sophomore midfielder Kiana Jedlicka's (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) shot that was blocked down, freshman midfielder Hannah Hart (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) put home a chip shot to claim a 2-1 Colonels lead.

Bidelspach would net the final goal of the afternoon early in the second half at the 52^nd minute mark, dribbling past a defender to earn her second goal of the afternoon and to put the Colonels up 3-1.  The Devils would struggle to get shots on goal in the second half, with five of their six shots missing the mark as the Colonels coasted to victory.

Hart and Bidelspach tied for the team lead with three shots apiece.  Senior goalkeeper Samantha Cecere (Batavia, NY/Batavia) had four saves and allowed only one goal.