KENOSHA, Wis. – The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2026 women's soccer preseason coaches' poll, with Parkside selected to finish fourth among the league's 10 teams. The Rangers received 57 points, trailing Grand Valley State (81), Saginaw Valley State (71) and Ferris State (60). Grand Valley State received nine of the 10 first-place votes, while Saginaw Valley State received the other.
The fourth-place selection comes one year after Parkside was picked eighth out of nine teams before putting together its best season in nearly a decade. The Rangers finished 10-8-2 overall in 2025, reaching double-digit victories for the first time since 2016, while their 9-4-1 GLIAC record marked their best conference finish since joining the league in 2018. Parkside earned the No. 2 seed in the GLIAC Tournament and advanced to the semifinals before falling to Saginaw Valley State. The Rangers also earned a 1-0 victory over then-No. 2 Grand Valley State on Oct. 17, highlighting the 2025 campaign.
Parkside returns 21 players from last season's roster, including five who played at least 1,000 minutes. The Rangers will have several key contributors to replace following the graduation of First-Team All-GLIAC forward Emily Mikkelson, Second-Team All-GLIAC defender Makayla Wesemann and All-GLIAC honorable mention selection Uda Kimba.
Junior forward Ava Rizzitano leads the returning group after tying for the team lead with six goals and totaling 15 points as a sophomore. Rizzitano recorded 50 shots, the third-most in the GLIAC, and finished among the conference's top 10 in points. Junior midfielder/forward Lindsay Dahlinger also returns after recording four goals and nine points, with three of her four goals serving as game-winners, while redshirt junior forward and Kenosha native Kate Brown scored three goals last season.
The Rangers also return experience defensively in sophomore Emily Giese and junior Kayden Schmidt. Giese played the fourth-most minutes on the team during her freshman season and helped anchor the Parkside back line, while Schmidt logged just under 1,600 minutes, the second-highest total on the roster. Parkside will add 13 newcomers to its returning group this fall, with all 13 entering the program as freshmen.
Parkside will play four non-conference matches before beginning GLIAC competition. The Rangers open the season at Winona State on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 5 p.m. CT before hosting Lewis in their home opener Sunday, Aug. 30, at 11 a.m. Parkside then travels to Missouri-St. Louis on Wednesday, Sept. 2, for a 1 p.m. match before returning to Wood Road Soccer Field to face Concordia-St. Paul on Friday, Sept. 4, at 1 p.m.
The Concordia-St. Paul match begins a stretch of six consecutive home contests for the Rangers from Sept. 4 through Sept. 27. GLIAC play begins Friday, Sept. 11, against Roosevelt at 1 p.m. at Wood Road Soccer Field, starting a stretch of five consecutive conference home matches. Seven of Parkside's first nine matches will be played at home, with the Rangers scheduled to play nine contests in Kenosha during the 2026 season.
To keep up with Parkside women's soccer throughout the 2026 season, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
