The Ferris State University women's soccer team has been chosen to finish second in the 2023 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Preseason Coaches Poll announced on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs notched 42 points and tallied a first-place vote in being tabbed behind preseason favorite Grand Valley State, which totaled 48 points and six top mentions. Northern Michigan placed third among the eight conference schools with 39 points and the lone remaining top vote.

Ferris State, which reached the NCAA Division II Final Four for the first time in school history last season, returns a strong nucleus for the 2023 campaign under head coach Greg Henson.

The Bulldogs have earned recognition as one of the country's top teams heading into the fall 2023 campaign as FSU was listed sixth in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason National Rankings. Ferris State was one of only two GLIAC member schools found in the national preseason top 25 along with rival Grand Valley State, which came in eighth.

The Bulldogs, who reached the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history a year ago, will embark on a challenging 18-game regular-season slate, which includes nine home contests at the Bulldog Soccer Field.

Ferris State will open its regular-season action at home on Thursday, Aug. 31, against Maryville (Mo.) in regional play starting at 1 p.m. (ET). FSU will host another regional opponent and former conference member in Northwood on Sunday, Sept. 3, as part of the opening weekend homestand. The Bulldogs will honor last year's Midwest Regional Championship squad as part of the contest.

The Bulldogs will begin GLIAC play on the road at GVSU on Friday, Sept. 15, in Allendale. The first conference home tilt is against Northern Michigan on Sept. 22.

The Bulldogs won their first-ever NCAA Regional Championship this past year and earned a national quarterfinal win to move on to the NCAA D2 National Semifinals for the first time in the program's third national tournament appearance. FSU claimed four postseason victories along the way and went 11-3-5 in its final 19 games of the year.