Wisconsin Soccer Central

The SC Waukesha Blue Under-18 boys team needed to win two of its three matches during the final weekend of U.S. Youth Soccer National League play to clinch a top-two finish in the Blue Division – and a berth in the USYS National Championships.

But the state side ended up settling for third place in the eight-team group after losing twice and drawing its other game last weekend in Henderson, Nev.

SC Waukesha – playing outdoors for the first time this year – fell behind Arizona's Scottsdale Blackhawks Burke 2-0 on Friday, giving up two goals in the final 7 minutes of the first half. Brody Kraussel (Muskego) pulled one back in the 77th minute, but SC Waukesha couldn't find an equalizer.

That meant the team faced a must-win Saturday against West Coast FC, which came into the weekend unbeaten along with SC Waukesha and Scottsdale Blackhawks Burke. The California side went ahead in the final minute of the first half, broke the game open with three goals in 16 minutes and added a late one for a 5-0 victory.

Eliminated from contention for its second straight national berth, UW-Milwaukee recruit Kai Bottum (East Troy) gave SC Waukesha the lead in the 29th minute of Sunday's finale, but Michigan's Alliance Academy Black pulled level in the 70th as the teams tied 1-1.

West Coast FC and Scottsdale Blackhawks Burke each finished 4-0-3, while SC Waukesha was third with a 3-2-2 mark. Kraussel, who has committed to Loyola (Ill.), and Bottum combined for eight of the team's 11 goals in the competition; they ended up tied for fifth in goals among all Under-18 players.

SC Waukesha can still earn a repeat trip to nationals through the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series, which includes the Wisconsin State Championships (May 24 to June 1) and the Region II Championships in Dayton, Ohio (June 21 to 25).

• FC Wisconsin Nationals are scheduled to resume their U.S. Soccer Development Academy season this weekend in Ohio, with matches against Crew Soccer Academy on Saturday in Obetz and Internationals on Sunday in Medina. The three teams were supposed to play Sockers FC last weekend in Schaumburg, Ill., but those games will be rescheduled. The Nationals' first home matches of the spring are set for March 29 against Chicago Magic PSG at the FC Wisconsin Complex in Germantown. Schedules, scores, rosters