Michigan Tech Soccer Tabbed Fifth in GLIAC Preseason Poll
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech soccer program has been tabbed to finish fifth in the GLIAC Preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced Tuesday (Aug. 23). Grand Valley collected six first place votes to rank tops in the coaches' poll with 48 points. Ferris State (42 points) and Northern Michigan (39 points) also nabbed first place votes to rank second and third, respectively. Saginaw Valley earned 31 points to rank fourth within the conference. The Huskies collected 23 points, placing fifth in the poll.
Head coach Bulut Ozturk returns for his fourth season at the helm of the Huskies, returning 19 members from last season while adding nine newcomers to the 2023 roster. A season ago, Michigan Tech went 7-9-3 overall with a conference standing of 5-6-3.
The Huskies return two First Team All-GLIAC honorees in senior defender Molly Bolang and senior goalkeeper Gracie VanLangevelde, who both played vital roles in Tech's defensive success that posted eight shutouts a season ago. Bolang, hailing from Pinckney, Michigan, logged 1,642 minutes a season ago, playing all 90 minutes in 16 games. VanLangevelde, coming from Spring Lake, Michigan, was tabbed GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week twice in the 2022 campaign and ranked second in the GLIAC in both saves (81) and save percentage (.818).
Offensively, the Huskies return junior forward Julia Pietila, who led the team in shots on goal a season ago with 15 to go with three goals and sophomore forward/midfielder Alyvia Sanom who accounted for two goals and an assist in her freshman campaign.
The Huskies start the 2023 season welcoming foes from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, facing St. Cloud State on Thursday, August 31, at 7 p.m. and Minnesota Duluth for a Sunday matinee on Sept. 2, at noon. The 14-game conference schedule begins on Friday, Sept. 15, at 5 p.m. when Tech Travels to Purdue Northwest.
2023 GLIAC Soccer Preseason Poll
| 1 | Grand Valley State | 48 (6) | |
| 2 | Ferris State | 42 (1) | |
| 3 | Northern Michigan | 39 (1) | |
| 4 | Saginaw Valley State | 31 | |
| 5 | Michigan Tech | 23 | |
| 6 | Davenport | 17 | |
| 7 | Parkside | 16 | |
| 8 | Purdue Northwest | 8 | |