EDWARDSVILLE – Emily Bidelspach (Myerstown, PA/ELCO) highlighted a four-goal explosion for the Wilkes University women's soccer team as it opened the 2021 season with a 4-1 victory over Penn State Berks at Bruggeworth Field on Thursday afternoon.
 
The Colonels improved to 1-0 on the season with the victory.
 
Sarah Eliff (Owings, MD/Northern) opened the scoring in the second minute with her first collegiate goal. Berks' goalkeeper attempted to clear the ball but Bidelspach knocked it down right to Eliff who put it in for the 1-0 lead.
 
Bidelspach netted her first score of the game in the 31^st minute with a nice move around a defender that led to a breakaway as Wilkes entered halftime with a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Nittany Lions came out strong to begin the second half, controlling the first five minutes before breaking through in the 52^nd minute with a goal to cut the Colonels advantage to 2-1.
 
Cate Schoeniger (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) got on the board in the 71st minute of her first collegiate game when Holly Feese (State College, PA/State College Area ) controlled a corner and passed to the middle where she found Schoeniger for the score.
 
Bidelspach finished the scoring in the 72^nd minute with ab assist from Kiana Jedlicka (Poughquag, NY/Arlington), striking again from the middle of the field.
 
Hannah Landis (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) earned her first collegiate victory, stopping five shots.
 
Wilkes had the advantage in shots 17-10, shots on goal 7-6, and corner kicks 10-4.
 
The Colonels return to the field on Saturday when they travel to Ithaca for a 12:00 p.m. non-conference game.