Three Ferris State Soccer Standouts Garner Academic All-District Laurels
Click Here For Official Release
Big Rapids, Mich. - A trio of Ferris State University women's soccer standouts have been honored for their academic and athletic accomplishments by being named to the 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District squad.
The Bulldogs' senior trio of Taryn Meiste (Holland) along with defender Maddie Dickens (DeWitt) and forward Mackenzie Dawes (DeWitt) all garnered recognition by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) after helping FSU claim the program's first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship this spring.
The CoSIDA Academic All-District teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. As first-team all-district picks, all three Bulldog student-athletes will now advance in the process for consideration as Academic All-America choices.
All three Bulldog standouts earned Academic All-District IV First Team laurels and were among 14 players chosen to the all-district squad. FSU was the only school with more than two individuals named to the team.
The GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year, Meiste had an impressive season for the Bulldogs, leading FSU the school's first-ever GLIAC Regular-Season Championship and the right to host the GLIAC Semifinals for the first time in program history. Meiste finished the year with a 7-1 overall record in goal and allowed only two goals on the year for a 0.22 goals against average with 21 saves. She pitched seven shutouts, which was the second-most in program history despite the shortened season, and owned a shutout streak of more than 500 minutes, which was the third-longest mark all-time at FSU. The Bulldogs allowed only two goals on the year.
Meanwhile, Dickens and Dawes both played key roles for FSU as well. As one of the league's top defenders, Dickens garnered All-GLIAC First Team accolades, finishing the year with a goal and two assists for four points on 12 shots from the back end. Her totals included a game-winner and she started all 10 outings for the Bulldogs.
Dawes played in nine games, notching five points on a goal and three assists. Overall, she tallied 14 shots for FSU this campaign, including eight on goal. She earned All-GLIAC Second Team recognition for the spring 2021 season.
The Bulldogs, who were ranked as high as #11 in the country this spring, concluded the spring season with an 8-1-1 overall record, winning the GLIAC Regular Season Championship for the first time in school history. FSU concluded the season ranked 17th in the final United Soccer Coaches Division II National Rankings.
Along with winning the GLIAC's regular season championship, the Bulldogs also played host to the GLIAC Semifinals/Finals for the first time in program history this spring. FSU allowed only two goals over the course of the entire campaign, including only one during the regular season when Ferris State compiled a 8-0-1 mark as the league's only unbeaten squad.