No. 6 Davenport 3, No. 2 Parkside 2
After leading 2-1 late, the Parkside men's soccer team lost in heartbreaking fashion in the GLIAC Semifinals to the No. 6 Davenport Panthers Friday afternoon. The Panthers scored in the 74^th and 78^th minutes en route to a 3-2 win. Davenport will head to the GLIAC Championship on Sunday to take on No. 3 Ashland at 11 a.m.
 
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Davenport started the game on the front foot, and could have scored at multiple times if it weren't for a few key saves from Parkside goalkeeper Alexandre Durand. However, the Panthers wouldn't be denied in the 13^th minute, when they scored off of their first corner kick of the game. Parkside forced a save out of the Davenport keeper in the 35^th minute, but that was the only shot on target for the team in the half.
 
Coming out of halftime with the wind at their backs, the Green & White started to settle into the game. That showed in the 55^th minute, when redshirt-junior Nikola Kesich tied it up at one after hitting a ball across the Panther keeper and in to the back of the net. Redshirt-junior Rade Novakovich was credited with the assist. Novakovich was also the one to give Parkside a 2-1 lead in the 63^rd minute when he got on the end of a cross from junior Henry Bruer-Schmadalla. The Rangers held that lead for just over 10 minutes, but in the 74^th minute, brought down a Panther attacker in the box and were whistled for a penalty. Davenport's Evan Marquess stepped up and slotted home the penalty to tie the game at 2. At that point the momentum was with the No. 6 seed, and they used it to grab another goal just four minutes later in the 78^th minute. Parkside pressed for a goal in the final ten minutes, but none of their six shots in that time found the back of the net.
 
HEAR FROM COACH ZITZKE
"First thing is to say congratulations to Davenport, great job by their players and staff," said head coach Jason Zitzke. "We've kind of gone back and forth with them the last few years, and today was a good battle. It was interesting because at moments it felt like we had control but then it just switched."
 
"In regards to the team, we kind of dug ourselves a hole at the beginning of this year starting 0-2," Zitzke continued. "There were some tough practices, and team meetings. It was one of those moments where the wheels can fall off, or you band together and say 'let's press the reset button'. We finished the regular season 5-2, had a good result last weekend, but obviously just fell a little bit short today. At the beginning of the year I set out a goal to just get better every day, and I think we did that, on the field and off."
 
"I'd also like to thank Leki Prpa for volunteering as an assistant coach," Zitzke added. "Especially in the spring, he didn't miss a game and was a huge part of our success. I really appreciated all his efforts."
 
STATWORTHY
Novakovich scored and assisted a goal. With those, he finishes the season on six goals and six assists, which are both the highest talliex on the team. Kesich's goal is his first of the season, and Bruer's assist is the his first of the year as well.
 
Parkside outshot Davenport 19-17, but were outdone in shots on goal, 11-4. Durand was busy in the net, finishing the game with eight saves, his second highest save total of the season.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
That's a wrap on men's soccer's season, but the team will be back later this year for their 2021 fall season.