Wisconsin Soccer Central

The Milwaukee Wave's 30th season will open with a three-game road trip and conclude with a three-game homestand.

The Major Indoor Soccer League announced its 2013-14 schedule on Monday, with seven teams set to play 20 games apiece. The Pennsylvania Roar, based in Reading, and the St. Louis Ambush have joined the league, while the Chicago Soul and Wichita Wings have departed.

Milwaukee plays four of its first five matches on the road, starting the season Nov. 16 at the Missouri Comets – who eliminated the Wave in the MISL semifinals last season – then visiting the defending champion Baltimore Blast and Pennsylvania the next weekend.

The Blast are the opponents for the Wave's home opener at U.S. Cellular Arena on Dec. 7, but in an odd scheduling twist, that is the final regular-season meeting between the two teams that have combined to win the past three MISL titles. Milwaukee faces Baltimore, Pennsylvania, the Rochester Lancers and the Syracuse Silver Knights twice apiece and play Missouri and St. Louis six times each.

The Wave will play host to Syracuse at 2 p.m. Dec. 31 in their annual New Year's Eve Day games, one of four matinee matches on their 10-game home slate. Milwaukee closes out the season at home for four of the final five matches, including home games against Missouri on Feb. 23 and March 2 sandwiched around a match against St. Louis on March 1.

The final weekend will mark the third set of back-to-back games for the Wave, who also play on consecutive days Nov. 23 and 24 and Jan. 17 and 18.

Home games at U.S. Cellular Arena. Subject to change.

• Wave forward Nick Perera is part of the 12-player U.S. roster for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which starts Thursday in Papeete, Tahiti. Perera was the team's leading scorer with 11 goals as it won the CONCACAF title in May to earn its fourth Beach Soccer World Cup berth. The Americans open Group A play against Spain at 9 p.m. Thursday, then face host Tahiti at midnight Sunday and United Arab Emirates at 9 p.m. Sept. 23. All 32 matches from the tournament will be streamed live on ESPN3.