The Kickoff: Monday, Sept. 16
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
In Iceland, midfielder Paolo Gratton (Madison West/UW-Milwaukee) and Víðir tied host Augnablik 1-1 in a 3. deild karla season finale Saturday to secure second place — and promotion to the third-tier 2. deild karla for next season — on goal differential.
Víðir and Árbær both finished with 45 points, two points behind league champion Kári. Víðir had a plus-29 goal differential over this year’s 22 matches, while Árbær had a plus-15 difference. Only the top two teams earn promotion.
The 24-year-old Gratton played 21 of 22 league games this season and scored two goals, and also scored a goal in the league cup.
College men
Sunday’s highlights
Illinois-Chicago 2:0 Marquette
Rui Reis opened the scoring in the 21st minute, Darrell Turcios doubled the lead in the 44th and Kevin Dabrowski made two saves for the clean sheet as the host Flames (4-3-0) topped the 10-man Golden Eagles (4-3-1). Marquette was outshot 24-5, including 7-2 in shots on target, and played down a man for the final 19 minutes after senior midfielder Justin Milovanov received two yellow cards in the 71st minute. Freshman goalkeeper Marten Brink made five saves for Marquette.Lucas Lang made three saves in the first shutout in program history and fellow freshman Roberto Perez scored his first career goal in the 48th minute as UW-Stout blanked host Minnesota-Morris 1-0.
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
Today's game
No. 8 UW vs. No. 12 UCLA (BTN)
Tuesday's game
UW-Green Bay vs. UW-Parkside, noon
Friday's game
Villanova vs. Marquette, 3 p.m. (FloFC💲)
Saturday's games
Purdue-Fort Wayne vs. UW-Green Bay, noon
UW-Milwaukee vs. Wright State, 1 p.m.
No. 8 UW vs. Viterbo, 6 p.m. (B1G+💲)
Recruiting updates
College women
Sunday’s highlights
Marquette 1:1 UW-Milwaukee
Marquette’s Ella McAleenan and Milwaukee’s Kayla Rollins traded goals in a 10-minute span in the first half as the host Golden Eagles (2-5-2) and the Panthers (1-6-1) played to a draw in a Milwaukee Derby match at Valley Fields. After the first tie between the sides since 2016, the all-time series remains tied at 11-11-9. Both teams start conference play next week — UWM opens Horizon League action Thursday night at Northern Kentucky, while Marquette kicks off its Big East Conference schedule next Sunday at Butler after playing host to St. Thomas (Minn.) in its final non-conference match of the season on Thursday.Anna Spindle converted a penalty in the 36th minute and fellow senior Arianna Lombardi doubled the lead with her fifth goal of the year in the 62nd as host UW-Platteville topped St. Mary’s (Minn.) 2-0 to continue its perfect start to the season. Sophomore defender Jess Morawski failed to score for the first time this year for the Pioneers (7-0-0), though she did pick up the assist on Lombardi’s goal.
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
Thursday's games
Marquette vs. St. Thomas (Minn.), 5 p.m. (FloFC💲)
Wright State vs. UW-Green Bay, 6 p.m. (ESPN+💲)
Northern Kentucky vs. UW-Milwaukee, 6 p.m. (ESPN+💲)
UW vs. Illinois, 7 p.m. (B1G+💲)
Sunday's games
Butler vs. Marquette, noon (FloFC💲)
Northern Kentucky vs. UW-Green Bay, noon (ESPN+💲)
Wright State vs. UW-Milwaukee, noon
UW vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m. (B1G+💲)
Recruiting updates
Professional
Ethan Hoard (Racine Case/UW-Green Bay) scored an 83rd-minute equalizer for the host Northern Colorado Hailstorm in a USL League One match Saturday night, but Union Omaha found an 85th-minute winner to prevail 3-2 in Windsor, Colo.
Hoard redirected a shot by teammate Noah Powder with a flick of his right foot for his fifth league goal of the season — and his 13th of the year in all competitions — but the Hailstorm still saw their nine-game unbeaten streak come to an end.
In Portugal, Kelli Swenson (Wauwatosa East/UW-Milwaukee) started as host Amora FC thrashed UR Cadima 13-0 in a Campeonato Nacional II Divisão Feminino Sul (South second division) season opener Saturday.
Follow all the players with state ties playing professionally in the U.S. and around the world on our Wisconsin Players in the Pros chart. If we've missed anyone, email us at wisconsinsoccercentral@gmail.com or let us know on social media.
High school boys
By the numbers: WisSports.net links
Longest active winning streaks
8: Sheboygan Christian-Lutheran
8: Wisconsin Dells
6: Amherst
6: Burlington
6: Hartland Arrowhead
6: Marshfield Columbus
Longest active unbeaten streaks
26: Hudson (22-0-4)
16: Milwaukee Marquette (12-0-4)
16: Oak Creek (14-0-2)
12: Shorewood (9-0-3)
7: Rice Lake (3-0-4)
Note: Games that go to penalty kicks are officially recorded as ties