Wisconsin Soccer Central

The WIAA Board of Control on Wednesday approved four measures that will impact high school soccer in Wisconsin starting with the 2015 boys season.

Starting next fall, players will be allowed to play 180 minutes in a day – as long as the National Federation of State High School Associations approves a continuation of the WIAA's experimental 45-minute halves, which debuted last fall. The previous daily limit was 160 minutes; 180 minutes would allow two full 90-minute matches.

Also, teams will be allowed to carry as many as 25 players on their rosters for the WIAA tournament series, an increase from the current 22-player maximum for the postseason. And as teams open practice to start the season, coaches will be allowed to have multiple practices on 10 days rather than the previous limit of seven.

Players, coaches and fans also could start to see younger officials in their games after the Board approved a recommendation from the Officials Advisory Committee to allow high school-aged officials with WIAA licenses serve as assistant referees.

• Waukesha Catholic Memorial junior forward Emily Cervantes, the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state Player of the Year each of her first two prep seasons, has been sidelined by a knee injury for the second time in three months. Cervantes had surgery in October to repair a torn meniscus, then returned to play for her Elm Grove SC club team at the CASL Girls College Showcase in November in North Carolina only to encounter another knee problem, according to Crusaders coach John Burke. Cervantes, who has verbally committed to Tennessee for 2016, had 66 goals and 20 assists last season and has 116 goals in her high school career.

Do you know of other prep coaching changes for the 2015 girls or boys seasons? Let us know at wisconsinsoccercentral@gmail.com