KENOSHA, Wis. — Playing through nearly a foot of snow that forced a venue change to Art Keller Field on the campus of Carthage College, No. 2-seeded Parkside women's soccer advanced to the GLIAC semifinals with a 2-0 victory over No. 7-seeded Purdue Northwest on Tuesday afternoon. The win moves the Rangers to 10-7-2 overall, marking their first 10-win season since 2016, while the Pride close their year at 6-11-2 and fall to 0-5 all-time in the GLIAC Tournament. The victory also marks Parkside's third GLIAC postseason win in program history.
Parkside controlled possession and tempo throughout, outshooting Purdue Northwest 15-8 and holding an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks. Despite the cold, slippery conditions, the Rangers found their rhythm late in the first half and never looked back.
The breakthrough came in the 38th minute when Kate Brown fired a shot from just outside the left edge of the box. Pride goalkeeper Meta Fischer was unable to handle the initial attempt, and Emily Mikkelson pounced on the rebound to slot home her fifth goal of the season, putting Parkside up 1-0.
The Rangers doubled their lead early in the second half. In the 53rd minute, after a throw-in from Emily Slye, Lindsay Dahlinger sprinted down the left wing and beat her defender before sending a perfectly placed cross into the middle. Mikkelson met it in stride and buried her second of the match to make it 2-0. The brace gives the sophomore six goals on the season, tying for the team lead, and her four-point day lifted her to a career-high 19 points.
From there, Parkside's defense did the rest. The back line anchored by Uda Kimba, Emily Giese, and Emma Ambrose limited Purdue Northwest to just six shots on goal, while goalkeeper Tristen Cross made five saves to record her fourth shutout of the season.
Grace Breuchel led the Rangers with four shots (two on target), while Mikkelson tallied three shots, all on frame. Brown added one shot and an assist, and Dahlinger contributed her fourth assist of the year. Fischer finished with three saves for the Pride, who managed just one corner kick.
The Rangers advance to the GLIAC semifinals for the second time in program history and will face the No. 3 seed Saginaw Valley State on Friday, Nov. 14, at 3 p.m. CT in Allendale, Mich.
To keep up with the Rangers during the postseason, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
