The Kickoff: Thursday, Sept. 19
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
Milwaukee Marquette plays host to the 26th Jesuit Soccer Classic Friday and Saturday at Quad Park — the first time since 2019 the event will be held in Wisconsin.
All four teams come into the weekend in great form: They are a combined 18-0-4 and have outscored opponents 75-9.
The host Hilltoppers (5-0-2) and their opponent Friday afternoon, 10-time Missouri state champion Rockhurst (4-0-1), are ranked 16th and 17th, respectively, in this week’s United Soccer Coaches Fall Boys National Top 25. (The Hawklets officially show a loss on their record, but that was on penalty kicks at a tournament.)
Gonzaga, from Washington, D.C. — ranked eighth in the United Soccer Coaches Region IV poll — and Colorado’s Regis Jesuit are the other teams in the Jesuit Soccer Classic, which rotates hosting duties between the participating schools.
Last year in the nation’s capital, Rockhurst and Regis Jesuit won both of their matches, while Marquette and Gonzaga finished 0-2. The Hilltoppers won both of their matches in 2021 in Colorado, and went 1-0-1 the last time they hosted the event.
Jesuit Classic
At Quad Park, Milwaukee
Friday’s games
Regis Jesuit, Colo. (4-0-1) vs. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (5-0-0), 1 p.m.
Milwaukee Marquette (5-0-2) vs. Rockhurst, Mo. (4-0-1), 3 p.m.
Saturday’s games
Regis Jesuit vs. Rockhurst, 9 a.m.
Milwaukee Marquette vs. Gonzaga, 11 a.m.
High school
There are several interesting games on today’s high school boys schedule, highlighted by a showdown between two of the top five teams in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association overall state rankings.
Fifth-ranked Madison West (7-0-0) entertains No. 2 Middleton (7-1-0) in a Big Eight Conference match at 7 p.m. at Mansfield Stadium — the teams are tied atop the conference standings, both perfect through four rounds.
The Regents dealt fourth-ranked Madison East its first loss 2-0 on Tuesday night and haven’t allowed a goal this month: The only goal they’ve given up this season was in a 2-1 victory over Oregon in a season opener Aug. 30, and they’ve posted zeroes for the past 517 minutes heading into tonight’s game. Middleton’s lone loss was 3-2 to Milwaukee Marquette, and the Cardinals face East at home next Tuesday night.
Other games of note today:
Oak Creek (9-0-1) isn’t ranked, but the Knights are unbeaten in their past 17 games dating to last season heading into a non-conference game at Brookfield East (6-1-0), ranked third in Division 1. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Amherst plays host to Marshfield Columbus in a 7 p.m. match-up between the two teams tied atop the Central Wisconsin Conference. The Falcons (8-1-0, 4-0-0) have outscored opponents 59-4 in a seven-game winning streak, while the Dons (8-1-1, 4-0-0) are ranked fourth in Division 4.
Sheboygan Christian-Lutheran (9-0-0, 3-0-0), the state’s top-ranked Division 3 side, is away to Howards Grove-Elkhart Lake Glenbeulah (5-0-1, 3-0-1) in a Big East/Eastern Wisconsin Conference match at 4:30 p.m. The hosts moved into the Division 4 state poll this week at No. 10.
New Berlin Eisenhower (5-2-0), coming off a 5-1 win over Milwaukee Pius — ranked third in Division 3 — on Tuesday, travels for a 7 p.m. non-conference game at Oregon. The Panthers (5-2-0), ranked 10th in Division 1, have won five in a row since opening the season with losses to Madison West and Madison East.
Eight Wisconsin girls teams and four state boys sides were among 291 teams nationwide to earn United Soccer Coaches High School Team Academic Awards for earning team grade point averages of 3.25 or better during the 2023-24 academic year. Kenosha Christian Life and Sugar River were two of the 33 programs across the country to have both their boys and girls teams claim the honor. The Cedarburg girls team had the highest GPA for Wisconsin recipients (3.92), while two WIAA boys state championship teams earned the award: Middleton (Division 1) and Sugar River (Division 3).
Boys
Middleton, 3.55 GPA
Sugar River, 3.5
Mosinee, 3.39
Kenosha Christian Life, 3.27
Girls
Cedarburg, 3.92
Sugar River, 3.82
Menomonee Falls, 3.77
Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, 3.76
Kenosha Christian Life, 3.69
Kenosha Tremper, 3.56
Green Bay Southwest, 3.51
Milton, 3.34
By the numbers: WisSports.net boys soccer links
Boys: Longest active winning streaks
9: Sheboygan Christian-Lutheran
9: Wisconsin Dells
7: Amherst
7: Madison West
6: Hartland Arrowhead
Boys: Longest active unbeaten streaks
27: Hudson (22-0-5)
17: Milwaukee Marquette (13-0-4)
17: Oak Creek (15-0-2)
12: Shorewood (9-0-3)
9: Sheboygan Christian-Lutheran (9-0-0)
9: Wisconsin Dells (9-0-0)
Note: Games that go to penalty kicks are officially recorded as ties
College men
Wednesday’s highlights
Nathan Donovan (Hazel Green) scored his 12th goal of the season, which likely leads NCAA Division III men’s players, but 11th-ranked UW-Eau Claire gave up two goals in the final 10 minutes and had to settle for a 3-3 draw with host Luther in Decorah, Iowa.
Freshman Owen Backus (Elkhorn) and senior Will Heinen also scored for the Blugolds (5-0-2), who led 3-1 after Donovan converted a penalty in the 72nd minute.
The Norse (2-3-3), ranked seventh in the Region IX poll, scored in the 80th and 86th minutes and then held on for the tie — senior goalkeeper Jack Bell (Madison Memorial) made saves in the 89th and 90th minutes and Eau Claire hit the crossbar in between those two stops.
Freshman Connor Gage (Verona) had two goals and an assist as Edgewood (5-1-1) scored four times in 27 minutes to storm past host Illinois Tech 4-1 in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opener in Chicago. Both teams are ranked in the Region VIII poll, Illinois Tech (4-1-1) at No. 7 and the Eagles eighth. Gage has 10 goals this season, behind only Eau Claire’s Donovan, and Edgewood senior Miguel Konde Gwo (Madison West) added his eighth in the Eagles’ outburst after they fell behind early in the second half. Gage and Donovan each have been involved in 16 goals, tied for tops in the nation among Division III men’s players.
Standings
Big Ten Conference
W-L-T - Pts
Michigan 1-0-1 - 4
Maryland 1-0-0 - 3
Indiana 1-0-0 - 3
Michigan State 1-0-0 - 3
Wisconsin 1-1-0 - 3
UCLA 1-1-0 - 3
Washington 0-1-1 - 1
Ohio State 0-0-0 - 0
Northwestern 0-1-0 - 0
Rutgers 0-1-0 - 0
Penn State 0-1-0 - 0
Horizon League
W-L-T - Pts
UW-Green Bay 1-0-0 - 3
Wright State 1-0-0 - 3
Purdue-Fort Wayne 1-0-0 - 3
Oakland 1-0-0 - 3
Robert Morris 0-0-1 - 1
Northern Kentucky 0-0-1 - 1
Cleveland State 0-1-0 - 0
Detroit Mercy 0-1-0 - 0
IU Indy 0-1-0 - 0
UW-Milwaukee 0-1-0 - 0
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
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
Wednesday’s highlights
Sophomore defender Alyssa Jarock (Pulaski) scored in the 89th minute to cap a comeback as host UW-Platteville rallied for a 2-2 draw with Carroll to remain unbeaten. Seniors Grace Tumility and Mari Sagstad scored in the opening 6 minutes for Carroll (1-3-2), but senior Arianna Lombardi pulled one back for the hosts with her sixth goal of the season in the 56th minute and Jarock’s first career goal leveled the score late for Platteville (7-0-1).
Ainsley Stallworth made six saves for host Carthage and junior Jude Dobrinska (Milwaukee Ronald Reagan) stopped four shots for UW-Whitewater as the teams played to a 0-0 tie in Kenosha. The Firebirds are seventh in the Region VIII poll.
Standings
Big Ten Conference
W-L-T - Pts
Minnesota 1-0-0 - 3
Iowa 1-0-0 - 3
Michigan State 1-0-0 - 3
Penn State 1-0-0 - 3
Ohio State 1-0-0 - 3
Rutgers 1-0-0 - 3
USC 1-0-0 - 3
UCLA 1-0-0 - 3
Purdue 1-0-0 - 3
Indiana 0-1-0 - 0
Wisconsin 0-1-0 - 0
Northwestern 0-1-0 - 0
Washington 0-1-0 - 0
Illinois 0-1-0 - 0
Oregon 0-1-0 - 0
Maryland 0-1-0 - 0
Nebraska 0-1-0 - 0
Michigan 0-1-0 - 0
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
Today'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
Esmir Bajraktarević (Appleton) scored his third goal of the season for the New England Revolution as the home side shared the points with CF Montréal after a 2-2 draw in a Major League Soccer match Wednesday night.
Bajraktarević’s goal gave the Revolution a 2-0 lead in the 35th minute, but the visitors scored twice in a 15-minute span early in the second half to pull level.
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.
Amateur
Scoreboard
WSL MILWAUKEE PREMIER LEAGUE
Major Division
W-L-T - Pts
FC Wisconsin Brewers 2-0-0 - 6
Croatian Eagles 1-0-0 - 3
United Serbian 1-0-0 - 3
Elmbrook United 0-0-0 - 0
Street Dreams 0-1-0 - 0
MKE Honduras 0-1-0 - 0
Milwaukee Sport Club 0-2-0 - 0
Sunday’s games (All games at 3 p.m.)
Croatian Eagles vs. FC Wisconsin Brewers (Croatian Park, Franklin)
Elmbrook United vs. United Serbian (Voigt Soccer Park, Brookfield)
MKE Honduras vs. Street Dreams (Uihlein Soccer Park, Milwaukee)
First Division
W-L-T - Pts
Bavarian United Reserves 2-0-0 - 6
Wolves FC 1-0-1 - 4
Polonia SC 1-0-0 - 3
MKE Crush 1-1-0 - 3
Milwaukee Sport Club 1-1-0 - 3
Croatian Eagles 0-0-1 - 1
FC Wisconsin Brewers Reserves 0-0-1 - 1
Serbian Sport Club 0-0-1 - 1
Street Dreams Reserves 0-0-1 - 1
MKE Inferno 0-1-1 - 1
Verdi SC 0-1-0 - 0
Elmbrook United 101st 0-2-0 - 0
Sunday’s games (All games at noon)
Serbian Sport Club vs. MKE Inferno (Caledonia Field)
Polonia SC vs. Croatian Eagles (Polonia Soccer Park, Franklin)
Street Dreams Reserves vs. MKE Crush (Milwaukee Augustine Prep HS/Doyne Park)
Wolves FC vs. Verdi SC (West Allis Athletic Complex)
Elmbrook United 101st vs. FC Wisconsin Brewers Reserves (Voigt Soccer Park, Brookfield)
Milwaukee Sport Club vs. Bavarian United Reserves (Schwabenhof, Menomonee Falls)