NCAA Tournament Bound! Bulldogs Capture First Ever GLIAC Tournament Title

Allendale, Mich. - For the first time in school history, the nationally #24-ranked Ferris State University women's soccer team claimed the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Title, defeating the nationally #1-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers 1-0 at the GVSU Soccer Field on Sunday (Nov. 14). The win gave Ferris State its first-ever automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs also snapped GVSU's league postseason tournament streak as the Lakers had captured each of the 14 previous GLIAC Tournaments that had been played prior to Sunday.

Played in cold, wet conditions, the game was delayed a half hour due to field conditions as ice and snow was cleared off the surface. When it got underway, the Lakers went on the attack.

Yet, it was Ferris State who would strike first. Near the close of the opening half, the Dawgs had a throw-in from the corner in the Laker end. Freshman Lindsay Cole threw the ball in to junior Isabella Zamborini. Zamborini one-touched it back to Cole, who flew it off the hand of GVSU keeper Kendall Robertson.

The rebound landed in the wheelhouse of Ferris State sophomore Jessie Bandyk, who ripped in her third goal of the season, and second at the GVSU Soccer Field this season, at 41:50. 

Grand Valley State responded by pushing Ferris State back into its own end for much of the second half, but a few key clears kept the Lakers off the board late as the Bulldogs bled out the clock to win it.

For the Bulldogs, freshman goalkeeper Darya Mosallaei picked up her school-record extending 11th shutout of the season, making two stops on the day as the Bulldog defense stifled the Lakers to just a pair of shots on goal.

Ferris State, who was regionally ranked third in the last rankings, was in position for an at-large bid coming into the match, but now is locked into the NCAA Tournament where they'll play for the second time in school history.

The Lakers, previously unbeaten and untied by all other opponents, are now 0-1-2 against the Bulldogs this season.

The NCAA Tournament Selection show is set for Monday (Nov. 15) at 6 p.m. (ET) and will be streamed online at NCAA.com.

Stay tuned to FerrisStateBulldogs.com for additional postseason information as it becomes available.