Ranger of the Week: Men’s soccer team

In the last month, the Parkside men’s soccer team has:

• Won a share of the GLIAC regular-season title
• Won the GLIAC Tournament
• Earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament
• Become the first team awarded the Kenosha.com Ranger of the Week

Recap

On a cold weekend in November, four NCAA Division II men’s soccer teams met at Pritchard Park in Racine to compete for the GLIAC Tournament title. The Parkside Rangers played the Purdue Northwest Pride on Friday, Nov. 12, and came away with a 3-2 victory. They moved on to the championship match on Sunday, Nov. 14. The Rangers defeated the Davenport Panthers, 3-2, to claim their second GLIAC title in the last three seasons. The championship victory earned Parkside a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the Rangers will host the Round of 32 this coming weekend. 

A historic year

The Rangers are currently 15-3-2 on the year. This season has seen the most wins by a Parkside men’s soccer team since 2000, when the Rangers went 17-5. The program record currently sits at 18 wins, which has stood since 1989, when the Rangers went 18-4-1 and were the NAIA runner-up. The Rangers finished in a two-way tie for first place with Davenport for the regular-season championship, and earned the No. 1 seed in the GLIAC Tournament due to the point differential tie breaker. The GLIAC title last went to Parkside in 2019, when they defeated Saginaw Valley State 2-1 to win their first championship since joining the GLIAC. The Rangers last trip to the NCAA Tournament was also back in 2019, when they earned the No. 10 seed, but saw a quick exit after falling to No. 7 Cedarville in penalty kicks in the opening round.

Conference awards and recognition

The 2021 Parkside season has not gone unnoticed by the conference, as many of the Rangers were recognized in the regular season awards ceremony. Redshirt junior Rade Novakovich was named the 2021 GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year. Junior Henry Bruer-Schmadalla was named the 2021 GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year. Junior Alexandre Durand was named the 2021 GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year. Novakovich, Bruer-Schmadalla, Durand, and senior Max Ludwig were all named first-team All-GLIAC. Redshirt junior Dejan Rokvic was named honorable mention All-GLIAC.  Head coach Jason Zitzke was named the 2021 GLIAC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year. At the end of the postseason tournament, the GLIAC recognized Novakovich and Rokvic, as well as redshirt juniors Marco Fabiano and Nikola Kesich as members of the 2021 GLIAC Men’s Soccer All-Tournament Team.

The show goes on

The Rangers will host the No. 6 Fort Hays State Tigers at noon on Sunday (Nov. 21) at Pritchard Park. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at ParksideRangers.com/Tickets.

Ticket Prices:

• Adults – $10
• Kids/Seniors/Students – $5
• 4 and under – Free

For more information, visit parksiderangers.com.

Mini packs and group tickets

Parkside Athletics has announced three exciting mini pack options for basketball and wrestling, which are now available on ParksideRangers.com/Tickets along with individual game tickets for basketball and wrestling. There are three mini pack options: Build Your Own 5-Pack, Festival Foods Family and Friends Pack and the Pack the Den Mini Pack.

Pricing (applies to all three mini packs)
General Admission – $35
Chair Back: General – $45
Chair Back: Premium – $60 (Includes $10 in Ranger Cash)
Bear Club: $100 (Includes $10 in Ranger Cash)

With our newly renovated gym, we are able to host groups like never before! Experience the Vision of Parkside Athletics by bringing your company, school, club sport or nonprofit to a game or event for a one-of-a-kind experience! To purchase group tickets, please contact Athletics Marketing and Ticketing Coordinator, Robyn Elliott at elliottr@uwp.edu or (262) 595-2246.

Purchase season tickets

Season tickets for basketball and wrestling are still available, including seats available in The Bear Club and the Nexus Courtside/Matside Club, which both have access to The Bear Club’s bar during events. Be sure to book your spot in the newly renovated De Simone Gymnasium, which features new bleachers and two new videoboards. To learn more or to purchase your season tickets, visit ParksideRangers.com/Tickets.