INSTITUTE, W.Va. — In a tense and hard-fought match, Bloomsburg University defeated West Virginia State University 1-0 on Saturday afternoon, thanks to a second-half goal from Sydney Donovan. Despite a strong defensive effort from the Yellow Jackets, Bloomsburg capitalized on one of their few clear chances to secure the victory.

WVSU falls to 0-1 on the season while Bloomsburg advances to 2-0.

West Virginia State opened the game aggressively, but struggled with offsides, being flagged five times in the first 20 minutes. The Yellow Jackets created several promising opportunities, with forward Ellise Rennie testing Bloomsburg goalkeeper Samantha Merklin early in the 6th minute, but Merklin was equal to the task. Sara París Fílter and Karissa Vela also came close to breaking the deadlock, but the first half ended scoreless.

Yellow Jackets goalkeeper Laura Galindo was solid between the posts, making critical saves to deny Bloomsburg's Kennedy Kilchrist and Alena Totten in the first half. The match remained evenly poised, with both teams battling for control in the midfield.

The breakthrough came in the 59th minute when Donovan, assisted by Aubrey Hondros, found the back of the net for Bloomsburg. Galindo got a hand to the shot but couldn't keep it out. Despite the setback, West Virginia State pressed forward, but their efforts were repeatedly thwarted by Merklin, who recorded several key saves, including a crucial stop on a Paula Gonzalez Castro shot in the 63rd minute.

West Virginia State's frustrations were compounded by a yellow card for Karissa Karam in the 56th minute, while fouls and offsides continued to disrupt their rhythm throughout the second half.

In the final minutes, WVSU pushed for an equalizer, with Billie Jean Davies forcing yet another save from Merklin in the 84th minute, but the Bloomsburg defense held firm to close out the win.

State hits the road for the next match and will take on Catawba College on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7:00 pm.