Katherine Welch Scores Four Goals In Decisive Bulldog Soccer Home Victory

Postgame Interview - Coach Henson 
Postgame Interview - Katherine Welch 
Postgame Interview - Payton Price 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's soccer squad earned a decisive 5-0 victory over Purdue-Northwest for its second Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) victory of the season on Friday (Oct. 13).

The Bulldogs (4-5-3) battled through rainy conditions in Big Rapids to generate their best offensive output of the season. Freshman Katherine Welch had four goals in an incredible performance. Payton Price recorded FSU's other goal.

Ferris State started the scoring 10:23 into the first half. Welch's first goal of the game came from Jessie Bandyk and put the Bulldogs on top early. The freshman scored her second goal of the afternoon at 24:46. Bella Vallone tallied the assist.

Welch propelled the Bulldogs to a 2-0 halftime lead. At the half, FSU outshot PNW 8-1. Darya Mosallaei got the start in goal for the Bulldogs, and she made her lone save of the game in the first half.

In the second half, at 50:02, Welch scored her third goal of the game. Haley Buckman had a nice touch pass to Welch, who sped past the defense and buried her fourth tally of the season. 

Just eight minutes later, Welch scored her final goal of the game to give FSU a 4-0 lead. Price fired a shot from the corner that went across the box, where Welch was waiting to punch it in.

Price got in on the scoring action at 63:15. Her fourth goal of the year came from Bandyk.

Welch's four-goal performance gives her five for the season to lead the team. Price is right behind her with four. Bandyk collected her first two assists of the season. 

For the game, Ferris State outshot the Pride 22-6, with 13 of those shots on goal. PNW had two shots on goal. Lauren Kubacki entered the game in goal for the Bulldogs for the final 21:33 of play, and she recorded a save. 

FSU had seven corner kicks and PNW had none. The shutout was the Bulldogs' fourth of the season and second against the Pride.

The Bulldogs will be back in action for another GLIAC contest on Sunday, Oct. 15, against Wisconsin-Parkside in Big Rapids. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (ET). It will also be the Youth Soccer Appreciation Day with all youth soccer players in a jersey or wearing a FSU camp t-shirt earning free admission at the gate.