Wisconsin Soccer Central

The FC Wisconsin Nationals Under-17/18 team won just two of its first eight games this season. They matched that victory total in three matches last week at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Nikola Atlija (Franklin), who has verbally committed to play for the University of Wisconsin next season, scored in all three games as the Nationals beat California's Arsenal and Virginia's Richmond Strikers before falling to New Hampshire's Seacoast United.

UW-Milwaukee recruit Reid Stevenson (Sturgeon Bay) scored the opener in the 8th minute and the game-winner in the 84th in the 3-2 win over Arsenal on Wednesday, while Atlija's 51st-minute goal pulled the Wisconsin side level at 2.

A day later, Atlija scored the lone goal in the 31st and Bernie Macias (Milwaukee Tenor) posted the clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over the Strikers. Atlija had both goals in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Seacoast United, giving him a team-best six on the season – one more than Stevenson – for the Nationals (4-7-0), who moved up to 10th out of 13 teams in the Central Conference's Mid-America Division standings.

The FC Wisconsin Under-15/16 team went 1-1-1 at the Winter Showcase and is sixth in the standings with a 5-4-2 record heading into the winter break.

Aiden Hogan (Kohler) recorded the shutout in a 0-0 draw against New Jersey's Match Fit Academy in Thursday's opener. Jordan Palmer (Whitefish Bay) converted a 17th-minute penalty and Tunji Akindes (Kenosha Bradford) snapped a tie in the 37th in a 2-1 victory over the North Carolina Fusion on Friday, and Akindes was on target again in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Seacoast United – he leads the team with seven goals in 11 appearances.

The FC Wisconsin teams, including the Under-13/14 side, are scheduled to resume Academy play March 15.

• Three other state players who play with Illinois clubs also were part of the Winter Showcase. Jack Shaw (Milwaukee Marquette) and the Chicago Fire Under-15/16 team went 0-2-1, with Shaw scoring in a 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Thursday. Brothers Leki and Luka Prpa (Muskego), meanwhile, saw action for their respective Chicago Magic PSG sides – the Under-17/18 team finished 1-1-1, while the Under-15/16 team was 1-2-0.
• Striker Andrija Novakovich (Muskego) was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Youth All-America team after his tremendous year with the Chicago Magic in Academy play. Novakovich, who has committed to Marquette, scored 22 goals in 19 matches for the club's Under-15/16 team last season and had eight goals in six appearances for the Under-17/18 team this fall – he hasn't played since breaking his toe in a match Oct. 19 against Shattuck-St. Mary's (Minn.).
• Michael Catalano, who has committed to UW for 2014, scored for Magic PSG in a 2-0 victory over Texas' Solar Chelsea on Saturday at the Winter Showcase. Another Badgers recruit for next year, goalkeeper Adrian Remeniuk, played every minute between the posts as the Fire's Under-17/18 team won all three of its games at the event.
• After playing in the Winter Showcase with the Nationals' Under-15/16 team, Todor Atlija (Franklin) will be back in nearby Bradenton, Fla., this weekend for the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Boys Winter Interregional. Sam Kornetzke (Grafton/North Shore United) will join Atlija on the Region II team for the event, which is for players in the 1998 age group and runs Friday through Sunday.
• Region II teams had mixed results at the ODP Boys NCAA Interregional last weekend in Bradenton. The 1997 side, which included Red Star SC's Antonio Amaya (Muskego), went 2-0-1 against the three other regional teams – and Amaya was one of 11 players named to the All-Star team for the age group. Meanwhile, Rush Wisconsin's Abdul Kooistra (Madison Memorial), SC Waukesha's Luke Falk (Waukesha West), Madison 56ers' Woo Jin Jeon (Madison West) and Marcus Wollak (Eau Claire Memorial), who plays with Minnesota club St. Croix Academy, were part of the 1996 team that finished 0-2-1 at the event.