Special Day Planned As Ferris State Soccer Hosts Haiti U20 National Team This Sunday

Big Rapids, Mich. - A special day is planned on Sunday (April 26) as the Ferris State University women's soccer program hosts the Haiti U20 Women's National Team for a spring exhibition at FSU's Top Taggart Field.

The contest, which kicks off at 2 p.m. (ET), is free to the public and students. Two 45-minute halves will be played.

The Haitian Women's National Team is currently housed in South Bend (Ind.) and training for upcoming world events while preparing to qualify for the 2016 U20 and 2019 Women's World Cups. They are currently midst a U20 Tour with stops around the country.

Sunday's contest will help support Ferris State University's core values of collaboration and diversity as FSU hosts the country's national team.

Ferris State will welcome the visitors with several special activities taking place in conjunction with the contest. The City of Big Rapids has drafted a proclamation and City Commissioner Dan Rothstein will read the special announcement before the game.

In addition, youth soccer participants, especially local girls, are invited and encouraged to attend the contest. Those in jerseys will be invited to walk out with the competing players for both national anthems in a world cup style introduction.

Hundreds of international students from the Ferris State campus are also expected to attend representing the Office of International Education, which will also provide videos that will be played on the Top Taggart Field video board during pregame activities and at halftime.

Sunday's contest wraps up the spring slate for the Bulldogs. Per NCAA regulations, no official results can be kept, posted or distributed from the spring competition.

Ferris State, under head coach Andy McCaslin, advanced to the GLIAC Postseason Tournament for the fifth-straight year in 2014, which represents the best stretch in school history. FSU has reached the league semifinals twice in the last three years and the Bulldogs have also ranked among the nation's top performers academically in the classroom.

The Bulldogs will begin official preparations for the fall campaign when preseason practice begins in August. The 2015 season will represent Ferris State's 17th season of intercollegiate competition.