This week on Ferris Sports Update, Host Rob Bentley kicks things off with Head Coach Tony Annese discussing the Montana Grizzlies’ difficult 17-10 victory over the Bulldogs. Next up, Bulldog soccer Head Coach Greg Henson breaks down Ferris’s close 2-1 loss at Grand Valley, and Sunday night’s 1-1 draw at Davenport. Finally, Host Rob Bentley sits down with volleyball Head Coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm to discuss the team’s 7-3 record.
Football
Following Ferris’s disappointing away loss against the Montana Grizzlies this weekend, head coach Tony Annese speaks with our host, Rob Bentley, about the game as a learning experience.
Considered by Annese to be one of the toughest storied programs in the FCS, Ferris State managed to get competitive, with a lead going into halftime of 10-3. Although Montana did make a comeback in the second half, Annese still views the competitive score as a good sign for Ferris hypothetically taking on the rest of the teams. Annese noted that while the Grizzlies were very strong competitors, one unexpected factor that hurt them was the sheer noise from the crowd.
Going into the game this weekend, the team was caught surprised by the sheer size of the crowd, being the largest in the history of Montana’s storied program. Annese says that the energy, intensity, and vocality from the crowd was like nothing he or the team had experienced before. The crowd noise may have hurt the team during the game, but Annese reflects on this as well as the game in a positive and educational light.
In the end, the game doesn’t count towards the division 2 playoffs. While the team didn’t go there to lose, Annese believes that if they can swallow their pride, take the loss, and grow from it, then it was still a worthwhile trip.
Although Michigan does not have any FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) programs, Annese has long advocated for Ferris playing against FCS teams. He stated that he believes that out of the 133 FCS schools, Ferris could beat 100 of them. After the game with Montana this weekend, Annese says it helped confirm his belief.
Ferris States’ next football game will be on September 30th and will be against Northern Michigan. Not only is it Ferris’s homecoming game, but it also marks the beginning of GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).
Soccer
This weekend proved to be a step up in terms of difficulty of the competition for the Bulldogs as they faced off against Grand Valley State University this past Friday. Ferris State lacked in their mid-field rotation but still created opportunities, heading into halftime with a score of 1-1. Many previous games against Grand Valley have ended in ties, so it was rather surprising when the Lakers scored another goal in the second half, leaving the Bulldogs to fight to tie the game once again. Unfortunately, this goal could not be scored and Ferris State walked away with a 1-2 loss to Grand Valley.
This past Sunday saw Ferris State facing off against Davenport University. “Davenport is much improved” and “their coach is doing a great job”, says head coach, Greg Henson, as Davenport has shown to make great improvements to their soccer program as of recently. The Bulldogs kept control of the ball through most of the first half and at the 41-minute mark, Lindsay Cole set up a corner kick, allowing Haley Buckman to score before the ending of the first half. In the second half of the game, Davenport tied the game with nearly three minutes left in the game. In the end, the Bulldogs and the Panthers tied 1-1.
The Ferris State Bulldogs now prepare to face off against the Northern Michigan Wildcats this Friday, as well as the Michigan Tech Huskies this coming Sunday!
Volleyball
Two weeks ago, the Ferris State women’s volleyball team attended the Colorado Premier Invitational where they faced nationally ranked opponents. In their first game, they came out on top, winning 3-0 against Western Washington. While their second game of the day ended in a 1-3 loss against Concordia-St. Paul. The next day was almost an exact copy of the day before, the girls won 3-1 against the Lewis, but their second match was another 1-3 loss against Regis.
After their time at the Invitational, the team needed something to break their pattern. The team played against Wayne State on the 14th. Ferris won 25-13 in their first set, but Wayne took the next set 18-25. Set three had everyone on the edge of their seats with a 21-25 win for Wayne, but the team pulled together and won the next two sets 25-14 and 15-7. They fought hard with Wayne State, winning a close 3-2 victory. After their game with Wisconsin-Parkside, the girls finally broke their pattern with an astounding 3-0 success!
This weekend, the women’s team will take on Saginaw Valley and Davenport.
Come back here to catch Ferris Sports Update every week!