TWO MORE PREP RECRUITS JOIN FERRIS WOMEN’S SOCCER PROGRAM
Jackie Back & Tammy Unsworth Announce Intentions To Attend FSU
Ferris State University women's soccer head coach Melissa Lalonde, who completed her second season at the helm during the fall 2004 campaign, has announced the names of two additional prep student-athletes who have committed to attend and play women's soccer at FSU starting with the 2005-06 academic year. The pair includes midfielder Jackie Back (Ortonville/Brandon) and forward Tammy Unsworth (White Lake/Walled Lake Northern), who are both currently midst their final prep campaigns this spring.
A three-time (2002-04) all-district honoree, Back netted four goals and nine assists during the 2004 campaign for Brandon High School where she was coached by her father, Greg Back. The 5-2 Back previously recorded 15 goals and nine assists in 2003 following her seven goal along with five assist output in 2002. She attained All-Flint Metro League accolades three times and was an honorable mention all-state honoree as a sophomore. Back, who served as the squad's team captain and was voted team Most Valuable Player last season, has received conference all-academic recogniton each of the last two campaigns.
"Jackie is a versatile athlete who's capable of playing in either an attacking or defensive role," Lalonde said. "She's an experienced player who posesses solid technical ability and makes sound decisions on the field. Jackie has remarkable character and a passion for the game, which should enable her to contribute to our team's success immediately."
Back also participated in cross country, volleyball along with track and field for the Blackhawks during her prep career. A National Honor Society member, she played club level soccer for both the Vardar and Birmingham Blazers programs. The daughter of Greg and Patti Back, she plans to major in pharmaceuticals at Ferris State.
The 5-1 Unsworth helped guide Walled Lake Northern High School to an 11-5-4 record in 2004 under head coach Drew Drummond. Unsworth received both all-region and all-district kudos for the third consecutive season after scoring 27 goals and notching eight assists as a junior. In addition, she earned Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division II All-State recognition. A three-time (2003-05) team captain, Unsworth tallied 147 career points in her first three prep seasons.
"Tammy is a true forward in every sense of the position and has a tremendous attacking mentality with great skill, vision, speed, and a competitive drive," said Lalonde. "Technically, she's capable of beating opponents on the dribble or by threading a pass through the defense. Tammy's ability to both score goals and generate creative play will surely add to our attacking scheme."
Unsworth, who compiled 21 goals and seven assists in 2003, also earned all-conference laurels as a freshman (2002) when she totaled both 12 goals and 12 assists. She holds school records for most points, goals and assists in a career besides single-season records for points and goals. A three-year varsity starter, Unsworth also played club soccer for the Livonia United, Vardar and C.A. United select squads. She remains undecided on a major at FSU and is the daughter of Nick and Vanessa Unsworth.
Back and Unsworth join Stacey Daschner (Rockford) and Amanda Mills (Rockford) as members of FSU's 2005 recruiting class. The Bulldogs concluded the 2004 women's soccer campaign with an 9-9-1 overall mark under Lalonde, which represented the program's second-best performance in its five-year history and included a fifth place 3-5 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) finish.
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