The Kickoff: Thursday, Aug. 22
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
The NCAA Division I men’s soccer season kicks off today with all four state teams in action — including three games in Wisconsin: UW-Milwaukee, Marquette and UW are all at home. Check out the schedule below.
College
UW-Green Bay, which won the Horizon League men’s tournament last fall, tied for third in the conference coaches’ preseason poll released Wednesday. UW-Milwaukee checked in at No. 8 in the 10-team league predictions.
Marquette, heading into its first season under coach David Korn, was picked fifth out of the six teams in the Midwest Division in the Big East Conference preseason men’s coaches’ poll.
The UW men were picked last in the preseason poll for the Big Ten Conference, which now includes 11 teams with the additions of former Pac-12 schools UCLA and Washington. Senior forward Kevin Andrews, senior defender Birgir Baldvinsson and sophomore midfielder Trip Fleming are the Badgers’ players to watch.
Today's matches
Men (season openers)
UW-Milwaukee vs. Lindenwood, 4 p.m. at Engelmann Stadium (ESPN+ 💲)
Marquette vs. Drexel, 5:30 p.m. at Valley Fields (FloFC 💲)
UW vs. Marist, 7 p.m. at McClimon Complex (B1G+ 💲)
Northwestern vs. UW-Green Bay, 7 p.m. (B1G+ 💲)
Women
Northwestern vs. Marquette (0-1-1), 4 p.m. (B1G+ 💲)
Connecticut vs. UW (0-1-0), 4 p.m. (UCONN+)
Ohio State vs. UW-Milwaukee (0-1-0), 5 p.m. (B1G+ 💲)
Soccer shops
Stefans Soccer, which has locations in Milwaukee, Brookfield and Madison, announced Wednesday that it’s becoming part of Soccer Post, which owns more than 50 local soccer shops across the country.
In the announcement, Stefans said customers can expect a new rewards program, more products and extended hours, with the same staff and expertise.
The stores have been family-owned since the founding of their original shop in Milwaukee in 1965. According to the Stefans website, founder Stefan Bartnik “accidentally became a soccer outfitter.”
Bartnik, who emigrated to the U.S. from Poland in the late 1950s, was running a men's clothing store and tailor shop at 1125 W. Lincoln Ave. But when local soccer players couldn’t find anywhere to buy equipment, he started a soccer supply shop in the store’s basement and it kept growing, eventually taking over the location.
“Stefans has been a family business since its founding focused on serving players, teams, and families in our market,” co-owner Anne Nowakowski, who is Stefan’s daughter, said in Soccer Post’s announcement. “We are thrilled to be joining Soccer Post who shares our passion for soccer, commitment to the community, and will continue to build on the rich legacy of Stefans in the Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota markets.”
Youth clubs
Eighteen Wisconsin players — 12 boys and six girls — were named to the 2023-2024 ECNL All-Midwest Conference teams, led by FC Wisconsin’s Hudson Torrez, who was the U18/19 Boys Conference Player of the Year. Torrez, a former Walworth Big Foot-Williams Bay standout, is now a freshman at Marquette.
Boys
U18/19
Player of the Year: Hudson Torrez, FC Wisconsin.
First team: Jake Ledger, FC Wisconsin; Jesus Ramirez-Pabon, FC Wisconsin; Iskander Sharipov, FC Wisconsin; Hudson Torrez, FC Wisconsin.
Second team: AJ Wild, FC Wisconsin.
U17
First team: Daniel Astorga, FC Wisconsin; Ryan Hardy, FC Wisconsin.
Second team: William Slawinski, FC Wisconsin.
U16
Second team: Emre Evran, FC Wisconsin.
U15
First team: Banks Denu (Beloit), Rockford Raptors; Jude Tosh, FC Wisconsin.
Second team: Jonah Hubbard, FC Wisconsin.
Girls
U18/19
Second team: Reese Berge, FC Wisconsin
U17
Second team: Aubrey Lane, FC Wisconsin
U16
First team: Alayna Gleeson, FC Wisconsin
Second team: Isabel Frantz, FC Wisconsin
U15
First team: Claire Weber, FC Wisconsin
Second team: Olivia Hernandez, FC Wisconsin