Bulldog Soccer Wraps Up 2013 Campaign In GLIAC Tourney Semifinals

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's soccer team had its season come to a close on Friday (Nov. 8) night as the Bulldogs fell to nationally top-ranked archrival Grand Valley State 7-0 in the semifinals of the 2013 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament in Allendale.

The Lakers scored four goals in the first half, including two within 45 seconds of each other early in the contest, to beat the Bulldogs for the third time this season.  GVSU added three more second-half markers to account for the difference.

Both Marti Corby and Jenny Shaba had two goals each for the Lakers, who posted 33 shots in the outing to only four for the Bulldogs.  The Lakers had 21 shots on goal.

Ferris State senior goalkeeper Rachel McCollum made 13 saves to pace the Bulldogs in net while GVSU's Abbey Miller picked up the win to remain unbeaten (18-0-1) on the year.

The Lakers also had all 13 of the game's corner kicks and totaled seven fouls compared to five for Ferris State.

The Bulldogs had advanced to the semifinals for the second-straight year by upsetting Ohio Dominican on penalty kicks on Tuesday (Nov. 5) in the league tournament quarterfinals.  FSU also fell to GVSU last year in Allendale during the semifinal round.

Ferris State wrapped up the season with a 9-8-2 overall record under first-year head coach Andy McCaslin as the Bulldogs posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in school history and reached the semifinals for only the third time in the program's 15 years.

This year marked Ferris State's fourth consecutive conference tournament appearance, which is also the longest stretch in school history.  FSU's trip to the semifinals also represented the first time in school history in which the Bulldogs have advanced to the second round of the conference tournament in back-to-back years.

Ferris State closed the year with a 7-1 overall record at home this season and the lone loss was a 1-0 non-conference setback to GVSU last week.  Overall, FSU outscored the opponents by a 23-4 count in Big Rapids with five shutouts.

This year also represented only the sixth time in the program's 15-year history in which the Bulldogs have won at least nine contests in a season.