Tech Soccer Handles Ferris State, 2-1

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Michigan Tech soccer team overcame a charging Ferris State offense in the second half to complete the road weekend with a 2-1 victory at the Bulldog Soccer Field on Sunday afternoon.

With the win, the Huskies remain in a tie for first place, with Grand Valley State holding a ledger of 3-0-1 and 4-1-3 overall.

"It was a successful weekend away and it was a great game today," head coach Turk Ozturk said. "Ferris is such a talented opponent. We saw an amazing goal by Emilie Clayton off a nice service free kick from Cassie and another beautiful long-range goal from Cassie Bonifas. We also saw an incredible effort by our defense who locked it in after Ferris scored late in the second half which made the last 15 minutes very interesting.

"It was an extremely physical game and we will appreciate the long bus ride home to celebrate and to get some much-deserved rest. We have a seven-game unbeaten streak going and we will be ready to play at home for the next three games. I am proud to see this group at the top of the GLIAC and know we will continue working hard to prove we belong there."

Michigan Tech's 3-0-1 conference record marks the best start in over a decade, with the only better start coming in 2012 when the Huskies went 4-0 to open conference play. The win also marks the second win over Ferris State in head coach Turk Ozturk's time at the helm of the Huskies.

The Huskies once again found themselves in a defensive battle for the second straight game. The first 45 minutes showcased just one shot on goal apiece, with Michigan Tech shots being a header from junior Emilie Clayton off of a free kick from Cassie Bonifas in the 23rd minute.

Senior Gracie VanLangevelde stood tall in the net, making a stop on a shot by Jessie Bandyk in the 39th minute.

The two teams also had limited chances off corner kicks, with the Huskies having a slight edge of two-to-one against the Bulldogs.

Ferris State came out with authority in the second half, controlling for the first five minutes and registering two shots.

The momentum would shift back to the Huskies minutes later when Cassie Bonifas set up for a free kick in a similar field position to her first-half assist off the free kick, this time placing the ball perfectly between the goalkeeper's glove and the crossbar to make it 2-0 Tech.

The goal marked her third goal of the season and three points in the game.

The Bulldogs would get on the board in the 76th minute with a shot from Payton Price bouncing off the crossbar before finding the back of the net to cut the Huskies lead in half.

Ferris State had two additional shots in the final frames of the contest, but could not overcome Techs defense.

The Bulldogs outshot the Huskies 11-4 with three shots on goal apiece. The two teams both saw three corner kicks.

Bonifas led the team with two shots on goal, while Gracie VanLangevelde made two stops between the posts.

Up Next
The Huskies return home next weekend, playing host to Davenport and Grand Valley State. The contest against Davenport is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday (Sep. 29), while the contest against Grand Valley State will take place on Sunday (Oct. 1) at noon, serving as Community Day.