Wisconsin Soccer Central

Patrick McLain (Eau Claire Memorial) is a Wisconsin native, but he's found a second home in California.

The goalkeeper appears set to continue his soccer career in the Golden State. He's officially listed as a trialist with reigning USL PRO champion Sacramento Republic FC, but the Sacramento Bee reported last week that McLain has agreed to a contract with the club that is just awaiting league approval. (Read full article)

The 26-year-old McLain played collegiately at Cal Poly from 2007 to '10 and has spent the past three seasons with professional teams in California, spending 2012 and '13 with former Major League Soccer club Chivas USA and playing for Orange County Blues FC in USL PRO for the first half of the 2014 season.

McLain made two MLS appearances for Chivas USA in 2013 and regularly played in MLS Reserve League matches and friendlies, then had a 1.86 goals-against average and two shutouts for the Blues last year. However, he left the team in July – he told the website Over There that he ended up buying out the club's option for his 2015 contract in order to become a free agent. (Read full article)

Sacramento has one keeper signed for this season: Dominik Jakubek. The 35-year-old split time between the posts in 2014 with New Zealand international Jake Gleeson, who was on loan from the Portland Timbers of MLS.

McLain started Saturday's preseason friendly against the Fresno Fuego of the USL Premier Development League and impressed in keeping a clean sheet in the first half, according to the Republic FC match report. Jakubek played the second half.

On Twitter: @PatrickMcLain24

• Striker Andrija Novakovich (Muskego) continued his fine run of form for Reading, scoring an 80th-minute equalizer as the Royals tied host Southampton 1-1 in a Premier League Under-18 South Group match Saturday in England. It was the seventh goal of the season for Novakovich, who has scored in three of the past four league games and features prominently in the video highlights below. Reading (7-8-3) is unbeaten in its past five games and has lost just once in the last eight to climb into ninth place in the 12-team group. Novakovich also has scored one in six appearances with the club's Under-21 team. On Twitter: @AndrijaNovakov3