Wisconsin Soccer Central

Twenty Wisconsin players were named to U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Region II holdover pools after their performances at last month's camps in Rockford, Ill. – the most state players chosen for the teams in the past 14 years.

Players who are on regional holdover pool teams are considered among the top 150 players in the ODP program nationwide. They have the opportunity for extended training following the camp, and are eligible for regional travel teams – in 2014-15, those trips include Costa Rica, Arizona, California and Florida.

Here are the Wisconsin players named to holdover pool teams (with high school or club affiliations where available):

BOYS
1997: Noah Heim (Cambridge-Deerfield); Dominick Mesdjian (Madison Memorial/Madison 56ers); Joe Schauer (Whitnall/Croatian Eagles); K'gnausa Yodkerepauprai (Madison 56ers/Madison East).
1999: Mark Durand (Bavarian SC); Chris Geanon (Middleton/Rush Wisconsin), Dan Spiegelman (Madison 56ers); Simar Perez (ACE SC). 
2000: Alex Klinkner; Evan Donini; Greg Pauly; Heath Dillenbeck; Mitch Reid; Mitchell Scholz (De Pere Select); Ricky Perez; Ryan Ripkey.

GIRLS
1998: Kylie Sprecher (Menomonee Falls/SC Waukesha).
1999: Haddie Carlson (Lake Country Lutheran/SC Waukesha); Hannah Compernolle (Racine Prairie School/Racine United SC).
2000: Katie Koker (Racine United/SC Waukesha).

• FC Wisconsin Nationals and Green Bay Lightning SC are partnering together starting in the 2014-15 season, creating FC Wisconsin Nationals North. The group aims to "bring advanced training and competition to those players/families looking for experiences beyond what's currently available in Northeast Wisconsin," according to a statement on the Lightning SC website. There will be four FC Wisconsin Nationals North boys teams, from Under-13 through Under-17, three of which will play in the Wisconsin Developmental Academy.
• Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo, whose roster included five players who will play college soccer for Wisconsin schools this fall, lost to Virginia's VSA Heat Blue 1-0 in the Under-19 girls final July 26 at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship in Germantown, Md. VSA Blue Heat scored in the 10th minute and made the slim lead stand up the rest of the way as they won the Ross Stewart Cup for their second national title in three years. Marquette teammates Ashley Handwork and Liz Bartels, Golden Eagles incoming freshmen Katie Ciesiulka and Heather Handwork and University of Wisconsin standout midfielder Rose Lavelle all were on the roster for Botafogo, which won the Under-18 title in 2013.