Third-Straight Shutout Pushes Ferris State Women's Soccer To Senior Day Victory

Big Rapids, Mich.- The Ferris State University Women's Soccer team earned its third consecutive shutout and defeated the Ohio Dominican Panthers 3-0 on Sunday (Oct. 16) at Top Taggart Field in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) play. 

Fueled by Senior Day festivities, both Bulldog seniors found the score sheet in the victory. Senior Meredith Smith scored a goal and marked two assists with fellow senior forward Kate Kelly also earning an assist.

Freshman goaltender Grace Kraft shut the door for her seventh shutout of the season and fifth in the last six games overall. 

The Bulldogs opened the scoring only 7:19 into the game when junior forward Hilerie Schatzle scored her first goal of the year from Smith and Kelly for a 1-0 lead. The assist was Kelly's first of the year. 

Ferris State extended the lead at 55:49 of the game when sophomore forward Carley Dubbert fired a shot from long distance to give Ferris State a 2-0 advantage. Smith earned her second assist of the game on Dubbert's goal. Dubbert's goal was her second of the year. 

Smith's memorable senior day ended with a goal at 64:10 of regulation when she blasted a shot in off the crossbar from distance off a play setup by freshman defender Tia VanSuilichem. The assist was VanSuilichem's first collegiate point. 

Smith's goal was her first of the year and she also recorded her third and fourth assists of the season in the game. 

In net, Kraft only had to make eight saves in a shutout effort, putting her on the brink of team history. 

Last season, Ferris State goaltender Maddie Haustein broke the school record for single season shutouts with eight and consecutive shutouts with four. Kraft is now one away from each record.

Overall, FSU outshot ODU 17-12 in the victory.  

With the victory, Ferris State improved to 5-6-3 on the season and 3-2-3 in the GLIAC Standings. The win gives Ferris State sole posession of fifth place, three points behind Northwood. 

Ferris State takes on eighth-place Saginaw Valley State on Friday (Oct. 21) at Top Taggart Field starting at 12 p.m. (ET).