The Kickoff: Sunday, July 21
A roundup of Wisconsin soccer news
Top of the box
In her professional debut, Marisa Bova (Hartland Arrowhead) made two saves in the shootout as the host North Carolina Courage topped the Orlando Pride 5-4 on penalties Saturday night following a 1-1 draw in the opening round of group play in the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Bova, 23, was drafted by the Courage in 2022 after starring at Purdue.
Professional
Evan Conway (Whitefish Bay/UW-Milwaukee) gave North Carolina FC the lead with his seventh goal of the season, but the hosts had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Detroit City FC in USL Championship play Friday.
Also in the USL Championship, Mark Segbers (UW) picked up his third assist of the season in the Charleston Battery's 2-0 win over Miami FC on Friday. Nick Markanich, who played for the Green Bay Voyageurs and in some friendlies for Forward Madison FC, had both goals for the Battery.
In Iceland, Natalie Viggiano (UW) opened the scoring with her second goal of the season in the 38th minute as host ÍBV blanked ÍR 3-0 for its third consecutive victory in Lengjudeild kvenna (second tier) play Friday.
In addition to Bova, seven other players with Wisconsin ties played in the first round of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Among the highlights:
Goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer (Hartland Arrowhead/UW) made five saves (including this one and this one) in her first start for Racing Louisville since 2022 in a 3-1 victory over visiting Monterrey.
Erin McKinney (UW) also made five saves in her professional debut, a 3-1 loss to the host Kansas City Current. Midfielder Grace Bahr (UW) came on for the final 4 minutes for the Current in her pro debut.
Wolfgang Prentice provided the lone goal with a left-footed rocket from 15 yards out on the left side in the 77th minute — just 4 minutes after coming into the match — and Bernd Schipmann posted his eighth clean sheet of the season in all competitions as Forward Madison blanked Lexington SC 1-0 Saturday night in front of 3,571 at Breese Stevens Field to move atop the USL Jägermeister Cup Group 2 standings with two matches remaining.
Amateur
The WSL Milwaukee Premier League playoffs continue today with the semifinals in the Major Division and First Division — Bavarian United is the only club with two teams still alive and looking for berths in next Saturday’s finals.
The Bavarians won their 33rd Majors title last year, extending their dominance in the league that dates to 1927. The Croatian Eagles rank second in Majors championships with six. Wisconsin Major Division champions
WISCONSIN SOCCER LEAGUES
MILWAUKEE PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Major Division
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Bavarian United received bye
No. 4 Croatian Eagles 0:1 No. 5 Milwaukee Sport Club
No. 3 United Serbian 1:3 No. 6 Honduras FC
No. 2 FC Wisconsin Brewers received bye
Semifinals 7/21
Bavarian United (8-3-1) vs. Milwaukee Sport Club (5-8-0), 4:30 p.m. at Bavarian United SC Complex, Glendale
FC Wisconsin Brewers (8-3-1) vs. Honduras FC (4-6-3), 3 p.m. at FC Wisconsin Complex, Germantown
Final 7/27
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m. at Hart Park, Wauwatosa
First Division
Quarterfinals
Gold group
No. 1 Bavarian United 3:0 No. 4 Polonia SC
No. 2 Croatian Eagles 1:2 No. 3 MKE Inferno
Green group
No. 1 MKE Crush 5:1 No. 4 MKE Serbians
No. 2 Wolves FC 1:1 (5:4 pen) No. 3 FC Wisconsin Brewers
Semifinals 7/21
Gold group
No. 1 Bavarian United (13-1-1) vs. No. 3 MKE Inferno (6-5-4), 7 p.m. at Heartland Value Fund Stadium, Glendale
Green group
No. 1 MKE Crush (14-2-0) vs. No. 2 Wolves FC (12-2-2), 11 a.m. at Uihlein Soccer Park, Milwaukee
Final 7/27
Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m. at Hart Park, Wauwatosa
In the northwest part of the state, the Wisconsin Primary Amateur Soccer League playoffs kick off with the semifinals. The top two finishers from the league’s East and West divisions earned the postseason spots.
East Division champion NRFC Cyclones (9-1-0) had the league’s best record in their first season in the WPASL, while defending league champion Lobos FC (8-1-1) finished atop the West Division.
WISCONSIN PRIMARY AMATEUR SOCCER LEAGUE
Playoffs
Semifinals 7/21
NRFC Cyclones (9-1-0) vs. Union Eau Claire FC (6-2-2), 6 p.m. at New Richmond HS
Lobos FC (8-1-1) vs. Poskin Jets FC (4-6-0) at MARC, 4 p.m.
Final 7/28
Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m. at Bollinger Field, UW-Eau Claire
Looking ahead
USASA NATIONAL AMATEUR CUP
At Northern Illinois Soccer Complex, DeKalb, Ill.
Semifinals 7/25
New York Pancyprian-Freedoms (N.Y.) vs. Tobacco Road FC (N.C.), 5:30 p.m.
FC Arizona vs. FC Milwaukee Torrent, 8 p.m.
Final 7/27
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
NISA INDEPENDENT CUP
Great Lakes Region
First round
Dakota Fusion 2:1 Vlora FC (Minn.)
Michigan Stars 0:1 Inter Detroit
Semifinals
United Stars Soccer Academy (Ohio) 1:2 Inter Detroit
FC Milwaukee Torrent 4:2 Dakota Fusion
Final
Inter Detroit vs. FC Milwaukee Torrent, details TBA
WISCONSIN CUP
At Woodside Sports Complex, Wisconsin Dells
Final 8/3
Superior City FC vs. FC Milwaukee Torrent, time TBA