Wisconsin Soccer Central

The FC Wisconsin Nationals Under-17/18 and Under-15/16 teams open the spring portion of their U.S. Soccer Development Academy season this weekend with a pair of matches in Minnesota.

The two Nationals sides will take on Shattuck-St. Mary's on Saturday in Faribault, then face the Minnesota Thunder Academy on Sunday in South Richfield.

FC Wisconsin will be on the road for the first five games this spring, before playing host to the Chicago Fire and the Indiana Fire on April 18 and 19. The Nationals will play seven of their final 10 matches this spring on their home turf in Germantown.

In the 13-team Mid-America Division of the USSDA's Central Conference, the FC Wisconsin Under-17/18 side (3-6-3) is 12th place and the Under-15/16 team (4-8-0) is in ninth. The Nationals' Under-13/14 team (0-11-1) will make its spring debut on March 28 against Sockers FC in Schaumburg, Ill.

• Milwaukee-area clubs North Shore Arsenal, Shorewood Kickers SC and Whitefish Bay SC announced that they will merge into a new club, Inter Northshore FC, starting in the 2015-16 season. The club will offer Recreational, Academy and Select programs.