KENOSHA, Wis. — Parkside women's soccer hits the road for the first time in exactly one month this week as the Rangers begin a three-match road trip with a pair of GLIAC contests in Michigan. Parkside will visit Saginaw Valley State on Friday, Oct. 2, at noon ET/11 a.m. CT at Robert C. Braddock Field in University Center before traveling to Big Rapids to face Ferris State on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT at Bulldog Soccer Field.
The Rangers enter the weekend 5-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 in GLIAC play, sitting alone in fourth place in the conference standings with nine points. Parkside will be playing away from Wood Road Field for the first time since a Sept. 2 matchup at Missouri-St. Louis after completing a six-match homestand.
Parkside is looking to get back in the win column after dropping its last two matches. The Rangers hosted then-No. 11 Grand Valley State in their lone contest last week and suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss after the Lakers scored the game-winning goal with just 20 seconds remaining. Julia McRae provided Parkside's goal, her second of the season, but Grand Valley State broke the late deadlock to hand the Rangers their second consecutive defeat.
Despite being outscored 5-1 over the last two matches, Parkside remains one of the GLIAC's most productive attacking teams. The Rangers have scored 18 goals through nine matches and average 2.00 goals per game, ranking second in the conference. Parkside is also second in the GLIAC with 2.00 assists per match, 17.44 shots per match and 7.89 shots on goal per contest. The Rangers own a plus-eight goal differential and have outshot opponents 157-86 this season.
Parkside's scoring has been spread throughout the lineup. Ava Rizzitano, Mary Leininger, Rilyn Breinholt and Kayden Schmidt share the team lead with three goals apiece, while Kate Brown and McRae have each scored twice. Six Rangers have multiple goals this season, while eight different players have found the back of the net.
Brown leads the Rangers with 10 points and six assists. Her six assists rank second in the GLIAC and eighth nationally, while she is averaging 0.67 assists per match. Rizzitano has continued to generate chances at one of the highest rates in Division II, leading the GLIAC and ranking 16th nationally with 4.33 shots per match. Her 1.78 shots on goal per game rank third in the conference.
In net, Lindsey Ferrara has started all nine matches and recorded 24 saves. Her four shutouts are tied for the GLIAC lead, while her 1.08 goals-against average ranks fifth in the conference.
Friday, Oct. 2
Parkside at Saginaw Valley State
Noon ET/11 a.m. CT | Robert C. Braddock Field | University Center, Mich.
Sunday, Oct. 4
Parkside at Ferris State
1 p.m. ET/Noon CT | Bulldog Soccer Field | Big Rapids, Mich.
SCOUTING SAGINAW VALLEY STATE:
Saginaw Valley State enters Friday's matchup 6-4-0 overall and 4-2-0 in GLIAC play, sitting alone in second place in the conference standings with 12 points. Friday will conclude a four-match homestand for the Cardinals before they travel to Hammond, Indiana, to face Purdue Northwest on Sunday.
The Cardinals split a pair of home matches last weekend, earning a 3-0 victory over Michigan Tech on Friday before falling 4-1 to Northern Michigan on Sunday. Abby Ellis, Emily Kolodin and Kylie Cesarek each scored against the Huskies before Isla MacGregor provided SVSU's lone goal against the Wildcats.
Saginaw Valley State has featured one of the GLIAC's deepest attacks this season. The Cardinals have scored 20 goals through 10 matches, tied for the conference lead, and average 2.00 goals per game. They own a plus-10 goal differential after allowing just 10 goals and have recorded 20 assists. SVSU also averages 17.1 shots and 7.5 shots on goal per match.
Eleven different Cardinals have scored this season. Sophomore Abby Ellis leads the team with four goals, while Melanie Kolnitys and Kylie Cesarek have scored three apiece. Ellis, Kolnitys and Emily Kolodin share the team lead with nine points.
Kolodin has been one of the top distributors in the country, leading the GLIAC with seven assists while ranking among the top 10 nationally. She averages 0.70 assists per match, also the best mark in the conference. Kolnitys has added three assists, while Ryleigh Gray has two.
Graduate goalkeeper Ava Wilberding, a transfer from Western Michigan, has started all 10 matches and played more than 881 minutes in goal. She has made 30 saves while posting a 1.02 goals-against average, which ranks fourth in the GLIAC. Wilberding also has four shutouts this season.
The Cardinals were picked to finish second in the GLIAC preseason coaches poll, receiving 71 points and one first-place vote. Saginaw Valley State finished 13-6-2 overall and 9-4-1 in conference play last season, earning the No. 2 seed in the GLIAC Tournament before advancing to the championship match, where the Cardinals fell to Grand Valley State. Fifth-year head coach Tyler Channell continues to lead the program.
Friday will mark the 22nd all-time meeting between Parkside and Saginaw Valley State, with the Cardinals holding a 15-4-2 advantage in the series. SVSU has won 14 of the last 16 meetings, but Parkside snapped a lengthy drought last season with a 3-1 victory in Kenosha on Sept. 26. The win was the Rangers' first over the Cardinals in 11 years and their first since joining the GLIAC. The Cardinals answered in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals, defeating Parkside 1-0 in Allendale, Michigan. The Rangers are 1-8 all-time in University Center, with their lone road victory in the series coming in 2001. The programs first met in 2000.
SCOUTING FERRIS STATE:
Ferris State enters the week 3-3-3 overall and 1-2-2 in GLIAC play, good for eighth in the table, with five conference points. The Bulldogs will host Roosevelt on Friday before welcoming Parkside to Big Rapids on Sunday.
Ferris State went unbeaten last weekend, battling Davenport to a 1-1 draw on the road Friday before earning a 2-0 home victory over Michigan Tech on Sunday. Natalia Leavens scored both goals against the Huskies as the Bulldogs recorded their fourth shutout of the season.
Defense has been the strength of Ferris State through nine matches. The Bulldogs have allowed just eight goals and own a plus-five goal differential. Their 0.94 team goals-against average ranks third in the GLIAC, while they have held four opponents scoreless. Offensively, Ferris State has scored 13 goals, ranking eighth in the 10-team conference, and averages 1.44 goals per match.
Senior Haley Buckman leads the Bulldogs with four goals and nine points. Leavens has scored three goals, while Katherine Welch has two, giving Ferris State three players with multiple goals. Welch, a first-team All-GLIAC selection last season, leads the Bulldogs with 19 shots and 10 shots on goal. Avery Bostwick has recorded a team-high two assists.
Korinne Ihrke has started all nine matches in goal and played all 765 minutes for the Bulldogs this season. The returning second-team All-GLIAC goalkeeper has made 20 saves while posting a 0.94 goals-against average and four shutouts, tied for the GLIAC lead. Ferris State's .714 save percentage, however, ranks 10th in the conference.
Sunday will mark the 17th all-time meeting between Parkside and Ferris State, with the Bulldogs leading the series 11-4-1. Ferris State won both meetings last season, including a 2-1 victory in Big Rapids on Nov. 6. The Bulldogs have won four of the last five meetings between the programs. Parkside is 1-5 all-time in Big Rapids, with its lone road victory over Ferris State coming in 2024. The series dates back to 2004. Sunday's matchup will be the only regular-season meeting between the Rangers and Bulldogs in 2026.
UP NEXT:
Parkside will conclude its three-match road trip next week with a visit to nationally ranked Grand Valley State on Friday, Oct. 9, in Allendale, Michigan. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT.
To keep up with the Rangers throughout the weekend, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
