The Kickoff: Tuesday, Sept. 17
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
Three days after suffering their first loss of the season in the Big Ten Conference opener, the UW men’s soccer team bounced back in a major way Monday night.
The eighth-ranked Badgers scored three times in a 17-minute stretch in the first half and went on to a convincing 4-1 victory over No. 12 UCLA in front of a crowd of 1,331 at the McClimon Complex.
Freshman Dean Boltz opened the scoring for UW (6-1-0 overall, 1-1-0 Big Ten) with his eighth goal of the season, tying Missouri State’s Jesus Barea for the NCAA Division I lead. With his back to goal, Boltz leapt and headed a cross from sophomore Trip Fleming over onrushing Bruins goalkeeper Sam Joseph in the 24th minute.
Seven minutes later, Joseph made a diving stop on a shot by UW right back Roberto Burlew, but parried it out to Badgers senior Kevin Andrews, who fired from 15 yards out for his first goal of the season.
Fleming slipped in a shot from the right side in the 41st for his fifth goal of the season to make it 3-0. Junior midfielder Thomas Raimbault, who slipped the pass to Fleming, closed out the scoring with his first goal of the season in the 85th — the New Zealand native played at UCLA as a freshman in 2022 before transferring to UW.
UW, which lost to Maryland 3-0 on Friday in College Park, Md., improved to 5-0-0 at home and has outscored opponents 19-3 on home turf. The Badgers also surpassed their goal-scoring output from last season, when they scored 17 goals in 17 games; this year, they already have 20 goals through seven matches.
Nikolai Rojel scored in the 49th minute and Joseph made a career-high nine saves for the Bruins (3-2-2, 1-1-0), who were outshot 21-12 and put just three shots on goal in their first match at the McClimon Complex.
This was just the second meeting between the Badgers and the Bruins. Their only previous meeting was back in 1983 at the UW-Green Bay Tournament, when UCLA — led by the late, legendary coach Sigi Schmid — played UW to a 1-1 draw.
College men
Wisconsin is well-represented in the NCAA Division III statistical leaders charts.
Through Sunday’s games, UW-Eau Claire senior forward Nathan Donovan (Hazel Green) and Edgewood freshman Connor Gage (Verona) were tied for the national lead with eight goals apiece, while Gage’s Eagles teammate Miguel Konde Gwo (Madison West/UW-Green Bay) was tied for fourth with seven goals.
Gage also was tied for second in the country with five assists and led the nation with 21 points (two points per goal, one per assist). Donovan was second with 19 points and Konde Gwo was third at 18. Donovan also topped the charts for goals per game (1.60).
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
Today'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
Two state players were among the NCAA Division III assist leaders through Sunday’s games: Edgewood junior midfielder-forward Rylee Brotz (Sheboygan South) led the nation with seven assists, while UW-Platteville junior midfielder Arianna Lombardi was tied for third with six.
Monday’s highlights
Sophomore Shannon Walsh scored her first collegiate goal in the 70th minute and senior Emma Sauriol made six saves in the clean sheet as host UW-Oshkosh (1-5-1) topped St. Norbert 1-0 for its first win of the season.
Senior Elise Pinewski scored twice in the opening 20 minutes as host UW-Eau Claire used a four-goal first half to cruise past Bethel (Minn.) 5-1. Junior Savannah Swopes (Milton) capped the opening outburst for the Blugolds (3-3-1) by running on to a through ball from her sophomore sister Jayda Swopes (Milton) and finishing for her first goal of the season.
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
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
High school boys
By the numbers: WisSports.net links
Longest active winning streaks
9: Wisconsin Dells
8: Sheboygan Christian-Lutheran
7: Amherst
6: Burlington
6: Franklin
6: Hartland Arrowhead
6: New London
6: Madison East
6: Madison West
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)
9: Wisconsin Dells (9-0-0)
9: Pulaski (7-0-2)
Note: Games that go to penalty kicks are officially recorded as ties
Professional
In Norway, Vuk Latinovich (Brookfield Central/UW-Milwaukee) made his debut for Sandnes Ulf on Monday, playing the full 90 at left back in a 2-0 loss to host Aalesund.
It was the fifth straight loss for the club, which is last in the 16-team 1. divisjon (second tier) with 13 points — nine points from safety or the relegation playoff spot, currently occupied by Aalesund, with eight matches remaining.
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 results
Croatian Eagles 8:0 MKE Honduras FC
United Serbian 4:3 Milwaukee Sport Club
Street Dreams 0:1 FC Wisconsin Brewers
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 results
Serbian Sport Club 2:2 Croatian Eagles
MKE Crush 1:2 Wolves FC
Milwaukee Sport Club 3:0 Elmbrook United 101st
MKE Inferno 1:2 Bavarian United Reserves
Polonia SC vs. Street Dreams Reserves - score not reported
Linking play
Lionel Messi scores twice vs. Philadelphia Union in return to Inter Miami lineup (Yahoo! Sports)
USWNT produces insane comeback to reach U-20 World Cup semifinal (USA Today Pro Soccer Wire)
Champions League previews and coverage (CBS Sports)