Ferris State women’s soccer rebounded from a winless weekend with an undefeated weekend against Purdue Northwest on Friday, Sept. 29 and Wisconsin-Parkside on Sunday, Oct. 1.
The Bulldogs (3-4-3, 1-3-2 in conference) snapped a six game winless streak with a 2-0 win over the Purdue Northwest Pride(2-6-2, 0-5-1 in conference) before starting a two game shutout streak when they tied 0-0 against the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers(4-3-2, 1-3-2 in conference).
Following the Bulldogs’ loss to the Michigan Tech Huskies last weekend, head coach Greg Henson believed the team needed to up their game.
“We just got to be better at pretty much all phases of the game,” Henson said.
The Bulldogs were winless in conference-play heading into Friday’s match at Purdue Northwest. The Pride were also winless in conference and both teams shared a 2-4-2 record heading into the game. Last season, the Bulldogs swept the Pride with a 1-0 victory and a 4-0 victory.
The Pride’s formation had the Bulldogs pinned in their half of the field for most of the game. However, the Bulldogs’ formation gave the Pride trouble all game while forcing them into making mistakes.
Freshman midfielder Isabella Baron, who scored in the contest, felt prepared with the practice that the team had leading into this game.
“We worked really hard in practice on pressing the ball to help us prepare,” Baron said. “We focused on moving as a team to move the ball forward and switch the field”.
The team sustained offensive pressure against the Pride’s goalkeeper, creating quality chances over and over. Despite the pressure, they were not able to score until the 53rd minute when senior forward Payton Price tapped in the first goal of the match. Twenty minutes following the first score, Baron was able to take advantage of a poorly deflected ball and score for 2-0 lead.
Baron described how she positioned herself to get the goal.
“We had two runners in the box,” Baron said. “I held my run until the ball was crossed, and it popped out in front of the goal for me to shoot it.”
Purdue Northwest’s fight was all for nought as Bulldogs held on to end the game 2-0. Ferris’ counter attacking style gave them 10 shots on goal to Purdue Northwest’s five. Senior midfielder Brinley Bell finished with two assists while Price added to her goal tally, making her the leading scorer on the season with three goals.
The Bulldogs have never lost to Purdue Northwest since joining the GLIAC in the 2017-18 season. The win also solidifies a shutout streak against Purdue Northwest of four games, which dates back to Oct. 22, 2021.
The Bulldogs looked to spark a two game win streak when they traveled to Kenosha, Wis. for a match against the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers.
The game, which resulted in a 0-0 tie, was all defense. The field of play was constantly flipped, with both teams registering shots on goal. The Bulldogs had eight shots on goal while the Rangers had five of their own. Neither team could put the ball in the back of the net.
With the score still 0-0 heading into the final minute, the Bulldogs had one last push to break the deadlock. Price received a pass from sophomore defender Ella Wolf and got behind the Parkside defense. Wolf’s shot went narrowly over the crossbar and the game ended with no goals from either team.
The draw continues the undefeated streak that the Bulldogs hold over the Rangers, which dates back to the 2018-19 season. This is the first time that the Bulldogs have not defeated the Rangers.
Price, who has been crucial for the Bulldogs in scoring, stated after last week’s winless slate that the team just needed to “win one to continue winning.”
The Bulldogs will get another chance to continue their winning ways on Friday, Oct. 6 when they face a Saginaw Valley State Cardinals team that sports a 6-2-2 record. Gametime is scheduled for 4 p.m.