KENOSHA, Wis. – The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2026 men's soccer preseason coaches poll, with Parkside selected to finish fourth among the league's seven teams. The Rangers received 22 points, trailing Saginaw Valley State (36), Roosevelt (30) and Northern Michigan (23). Saginaw Valley State received six of the seven first-place votes, while Roosevelt received the remaining first-place vote.

Parkside enters the 2026 season after finishing 5-5-6 overall and 5-3-4 in GLIAC play last fall, placing fourth in the conference standings. The Rangers entered the GLIAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed before being eliminated by No. 5 seed Davenport in penalty kicks in the quarterfinals. Saginaw Valley State claimed the 2025 GLIAC regular-season championship, while Northern Michigan won the conference tournament title.

Head coach Jason Zitzke enters his 16th season leading the Rangers and his 27th year overall on the Parkside coaching staff. Zitzke will also have a familiar face joining him on the sideline this fall, as former Parkside center back Armin Dedic joins the staff as the Rangers' lead assistant. Dedic was the only Parkside player to appear in all 1,460 possible minutes during the 2025 season.

Parkside returns 19 players from last season's roster but will have several major contributors to replace. Goalkeeper Daniyal Rana graduated following a career that included back-to-back GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors and an All-Midwest Region selection. The Rangers also lose Eduardo Aguilera-Guillen, who led the team with nine goals last season and tied for second in the GLIAC, along with 2025 captain and All-GLIAC honorable mention selection Jamie Le Comte. Le Comte logged 1,313 minutes, the second-most among Parkside field players last season.

Senior defender Jaime Vazquez headlines the returning group after earning Second-Team All-GLIAC honors in 2025. Vazquez started 14 matches, played just under 1,200 minutes and scored two goals. Senior midfielder/defender Nico De Andres also returns after scoring twice last season, while sophomore Angel Luevano, junior Keven Sosa and redshirt junior Stefan Zekanovic each recorded a goal in 2025.

The Rangers begin the season with three consecutive home non-conference matches against Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents. Parkside opens against Quincy on Thursday, Aug. 27, at noon CT at Wood Road Soccer Field before hosting Lewis on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2:30 p.m. and Maryville on Thursday, Sept. 3, at noon.

Parkside closes its four-match non-conference schedule on the road at Thomas More on Sunday, Sept. 6, at noon before beginning GLIAC play Thursday, Sept. 17, at Roosevelt in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Nine of the Rangers' 16 regular-season matches will be played at Wood Road Soccer Field this fall.

To keep up with Parkside men's soccer throughout the 2026 season, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.