Wisconsin Soccer Central

Muskego's Andrija Novakovich closed out his summer with yet another goal.

The striker scored the equalizer for the Yellow team as it tied the Black squad 3-3 in one of two full-length scrimmages that marked the end of the U.S. Soccer National Combine last Tuesday at Nike World Headquarters in Portland, Ore.

Novakovich, who has verbally committed to play at Marquette, headed in a cross from Malcolm Jones in the 50th minute to pull the Yellow level at 1, according to the TopDrawerSoccer.com match report. The five-day camp featured 64 boys players between the ages of 15 and 17.

The 6-foot-4 Novakovich was the Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year and a first-team all-state selection by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association while playing for Muskego High School last fall, but won't be back with the Warriors this fall. Instead, he'll be playing for the Chicago Magic PSG Under-17/18 team in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

Novakovich made his debuts with the U.S. Under-17 and Under-18 national teams last month, playing at tournaments in Japan and Northern Ireland. He tied for third in the nation among Under-15/16 Academy players last season with 19 goals despite playing only 22 of PSG's 30 matches, and led the country with an average of 1.16 goals per game.

• The FC Wisconsin Nationals, the lone state club in the Development Academy, now will open their 2013-14 seasons on Sept. 14 on the road against Chicago Magic PSG. The three teams – Under-17/18, Under-15/16 and the new Under-13/14 side – originally were slated to kick off a week earlier against Minnesota Thunder Academy and Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.), but those matches were rescheduled for the spring portion of the season.
• U.S. Youth Soccer announced locations and dates for its 2014 national championship series. The Region II Championships are scheduled for June 21 to 25 in Dayton, Ohio, with nationals from July 22 to 27 in Germantown, Md.
• Group play for the four high school-aged girls divisions of the the Wisconsin State Championships that are contested in the fall are Sept. 14, 15 and 21, with the semifinals Sept. 22 and the finals Sept. 28. All matches will be played at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.