The Kickoff: Wednesday, Sept. 4
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
Defending WIAA Division 1 state champion Middleton is No. 1 in the first Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association overall state poll of the season, and also tops the Division 1 rankings. Mequon Homestead (Division 2), Milwaukee Pius (Division 3) and Somers Shoreland Lutheran (Division 4) also were ranked No. 1 in their respective divisions in the polls released Tuesday.
High school boys
Middleton, which received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Fall Boys Top 25 national preseason poll, checked in at No. 22 in the first poll of the regular season Tuesday. Milwaukee Marquette was among teams also receiving votes in the poll. Brookfield East, which was 13th in the preseason poll, dropped out of the rankings.
Five Wisconsin teams were in the first United Soccer Coaches Region VI poll of the season: Middleton at No. 3, Marquette at No. 5, Brookfield East at No. 9, Madison East at No. 14 and Neenah at No. 15.
Westosha Central tied host Union Grove 2-2 on Tuesday, halting the Broncos’ nine-game winning streak — that was the longest active streak in the state. Union Grove, though, still has one of Wisconsin’s longest active unbeaten streaks.
By the numbers: WisSports.net links
Longest active unbeaten streaks
34: Brookfield East (29-0-5)
21: Hudson (18-0-3)
15: Middleton (12-0-3)
13: Milwaukee Marquette (10-0-3)
10: Union Grove (9-0-1)
Note: Games that go to penalty kicks are officially recorded as ties
College men
For the first time in seven years, UW is ranked among the top 10 college men’s soccer teams.
The Badgers (4-0-0) were the biggest movers in this week’s United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll, jumping up 12 spots following wins over Illinois-Chicago (5-1 on Thursday) and Marquette (2-1 on Monday). The last time UW was ranked in the top 10 was Dec. 12, 2017, the final poll of that season.
The Badgers moved up one place to No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches North Region poll, while Marquette (3-1-0) remains fourth in the East Region poll.
Two weeks into his college career and UW’s Dean Boltz has been named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week twice. The forward had three goals and two assists in the Badgers’ two wins last week, including the 86th-minute game-winner in Monday’s victory over state rival Marquette, to claim the award again for the second week of the season. Through Monday, Boltz led NCAA Division I men’s players with seven goals and 17 points.
UW sophomore midfielder Trip Fleming was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week after he had a hat trick and an assist in the win over UIC.
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
Thursday's game
Marquette vs. Purdue-Fort Wayne, 7 p.m. (FloFC 💲)
Friday's games
UW-Green Bay vs. Chicago State, 4 p.m.
Kentucky vs. UW, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+ 💲)
Recruiting updates
Professional
Midfielder Victoria Pickett (UW) is the North Carolina Courage’s nominee for the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award, which recognizes an NWSL player for outstanding service and character off the pitch. Learn more
Each of the league’s 14 teams nominated one player for the award and will hold an appreciation night to honor their nominees — the Courage will recognize Pickett, whose community partner is NAMI Wake County, on Sept. 13.
“Victoria is passionate about using her platform as a professional athlete to ensure the sport and the community is better after she leaves it. Despite going through one of the hardest times of her life during the soccer season with the loss of her brother last year, Victoria fought back and now uses her loss to create awareness and break the stigma of mental illness for others. Prior to this season, Victoria has always been an active part of any community she is living in, demonstrated through her active volunteer work with Global FC in Kansas City and continuing her volunteer work into the NY/NJ area during her season with Gotham FC.”
UEFA Women’s Champions League first qualifying round updates:
McKaela Schmelzer (UW-Milwaukee) started at center back, Brooke Parnello (UW-Milwaukee) started in central midfield and Clara Broecker (UW-Milwaukee) came on to play in the midfield at halftime as WFC BIIK-Shymkent dominated Bulgarian side NSA Sofia 3-0 today in a Champions Path Group 8 semifinal in Luxembourg City. The Kazakh club had a 29-4 advantage in shots as they advanced to Saturday’s final against either host Racing Union or Turkish club Galatasaray.
Defender Rashida Beal (Germantown) and Lithuanian club FC Gintra play host to Anenii Noi from Moldova at 10 a.m. today in a Champions Path Group 3 semifinal in Šiauliai.
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.
The Forward Madison FC duo of midfielder Jimmie Villalobos and striker Christian Chaney, who combined for the decisive goal that gave the Flamingos the Central Group title, were named to the USL Jägermeister Cup Team of the Round for the final round of group play. Villalobos played a long ball that Chaney latched on to, beat a defender with a combination of power and skill and scored in the 85th minute as FMFC pulled out a 3-3 tie with Union Omaha in a group finale Thursday at Breese Stevens Field, sending the Flamingos into the semifinals of the inaugural Jägermeister Cup. Forward Madison will play host to the Charlotte Independence at 6 p.m. Sept. 11 looking to earn a spot in the club’s first final.
International
UW sophomore Ella Ottey and freshman teammate Jadea Collin both started on the backline for Canada on Tuesday night in their 9-0 rout of Fiji in a Group B match at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Medellín, Colombia.
Ottey scored the Canadians’ eighth goal in the 54th minute, and was subbed out after 63 minutes. Collin, meanwhile, picked up her second yellow card of the tournament in the 82nd and is suspended for Canada’s group finale against Brazil on Friday.
The Brazilians (2-0-0) lead the group after their 3-0 win over France on Tuesday, with Canada (1-0-1) second and France (0-1-1) third. The top two finishers in each of the six groups and the four best third-place teams advance to the Round of 16.
In CONCACAF Nations League, midfielder Jett Blaschka (Racine) and the U.S. Virgin Islands play host to the Bahamas in a League C Group A opener at 3 p.m. today in St. Croix (stream on Paramount+ 💲). The 24-year-old Blaschka, whose family moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands from Wisconsin when he was 9, has 22 caps and is one of the most-capped players in USVI history. USVI also plays host to Barbados in group play at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
College women
UW (3-1-1) slipped one spot to No. 6 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches North Region poll.
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
Thursday’s games
Sunday’s games
Notre Dame vs. Marquette, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN+ 💲)
Central Michigan vs. UW-Green Bay, noon (Chippewas All-Access)
Recruiting updates
Youth clubs
Five Wisconsin teams are set to play in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League Quarterfinals in December in Mesa, Ariz. This event is for teams that fared well in USYS National League conferences and Elite 64 Regional League play.
Teams will compete for the chance to advance to the second stage of national events, the National League Semifinals. The semifinals will include qualifying teams from two other quarterfinal events that will feature primarily Elite 64 sides, and berths in the 2025 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships will be up for grabs.
Boys (Dec. 6-9)
U15: Wisconsin United FC 2010 Premier
U16: Croatian Eagles SC E64 RL - 2009
U17: Croatian Eagles SC E64 RL - 2008
U19: Croatian Eagles SC Premier - 2007/06
Girls (Dec. 13-16)
U16: Rush Wisconsin 2009
Indoor
The Major Arena Soccer League announced a “formal alignment and unification” with the Premier Arena Soccer League and current MASL 2 and MASL 3 divisions — and the creation of the new Major Arena Soccer League Women — to bring many of North America’s indoor soccer entities together under one governing structure.
The 2024-2025 season will be the fourth season for Major Arena Soccer League 3, with the former PASL teams joining the seven current MASL3 members. The PASL’s women’s league will now be known as MASLW.
With the unification, the Major Arena Soccer League umbrella will include approximately 80 teams in four leagues — including the Milwaukee Wave in MASL, Marshfield’s Wisconsin Conquerors in MASL2 and Milwaukee’s Brew City United in MASL3. All four leagues will play under MASL rules to standardize play.
Linking play
Apple drops MLS Season Pass to lowest price this year (World Soccer Talk)