Wisconsin Soccer Central

A trio of longtime NCAA Division III coaches and a youth soccer pioneer will be inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame at a banquet Saturday night at Monona Terrace in Madison.

Edgewood College men's and women's coach Tim Alexander, UW-Stevens Point women's coach Sheila Miech, Marian men's coach Craig Peltonen and Milwaukee area club coach and director Aleks Nikolic make up the fourth class of inductees in the WSCA Hall of Fame.

Here's a look at the Class of 2012:

Tim Alexander

The only soccer coach in Edgewood history, Alexander is one of only five coaches in NCAA history to record 200 wins in men's soccer and women's soccer.

After starring at Forest Park Community College (Mo.) and UW-Green Bay, he coached the Green Bay Premontre High School boys team to nine conference titles and a 153-31-6 record in 11 seasons, making the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association playoffs each year and finishing as state runner-up five times. Alexander started the men's soccer program at Edgewood in 1990 and the women's program in 1993.

As Eagles men's coach, he has a 212-178-32 record in 22 seasons, with two regular-season conference titles, three postseason championships and three NCAA Division III tournament berths. On the women's side, Alexander has led Edgewood to a 253-107-21 mark in 19 years, featuring nine conference titles and four NCAA tournament appearances.

He was named the Lake Michigan Conference Coach of the Year 11 times overall, and was the only coach in conference history to earn the honor in both men's and women's soccer in the same year – he did that three times, in 1994, '96 and '99. Alexander also was the Northern Athletics Conference women's coach of the year in 2008.

Sheila Miech

Miech – the first woman to be inducted into the WSCA Hall of Fame – ranks sixth in NCAA Division III women's coaching victories, with a 365-117-31 record in 25 seasons as the only coach in Stevens Point history.

She led the Pointers to 14 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and a 130-8-7 regular-season record over the league's first 19 seasons, including an NCAA-record 70 consecutive conference victories from 1997 to 2003.

A nine-time WIAC Coach of the Year, Miech also has been the Division III Central Region Coach of the Year three times. Point has qualified for the Division III tournament 15 times, including the Final Four in 2000.

Craig Peltonen

The Illinois native, who played in the NCAA Final Four with national power Indiana in 1978, will celebrate his 25th season at Marian in the fall.

The Sabres won the Lake Michigan Conference title in his first season, 1988, and also won regular-season conference championships in 1993, '95, '98, 2001 and '02 and tournament titles in 2000, '01 and '02. Marian advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament in 2000 and '01.

Peltonen was named Lake Michigan coach of the year seven times and was the NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year in 1991. He's also active in the Fond du Lac Youth Soccer Association and the WSCA.

Aleks Nikolic

Nikolic, the director of coaching for the Southwest Kickers, is recognized as one of the founders of the U.S. Youth Soccer Association in 1974 and also was a founder and the first president of the Milwaukee Kickers.

He's coached teams ranging from Under-11 to Under-23 during his career, including stints with the Olympic Development Program and at Milwaukee Marshall High School. Nikolic, a native of the former Yugoslavia, was inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 1988.

WSCA Hall of Fame inductees

2009: Tony Ansems, Dan Harris, Willi Wessels and Richard Williams
2010: Bob Gansler, Jim Launder, Bill Reddan and Ron Holzhueter
2011: Aldo Santaga, Toby Bares, Rick Kilps, Harry Kelderman and Alex Toth, Sr.
2012: Aleks Nikolic, Shelia Miech, Tim Alexander and Craig Peltonen