Wisconsin Soccer Central

Two hundred forty-six prep girls soccer teams will take the first steps down the playoff path Thursday, as the 33rd annual WIAA tournament kicks off with regional semifinals across the state.

For the second straight year, the field includes 251 teams – one short of the record number of sides that contested the 2013 tournament – divided into four divisions.

Five teams have byes Thursday and will play their first postseason match in Saturday's regional finals: Waukesha West (Division 2), Green Bay Notre Dame and New London (Division 3) and La Crosse Aquinas and New Holstein (Division 4).

Sectional semifinals are scheduled for June 13, with sectional finals on June 13 and the state tournament from June 18 to 20 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.

Thursday's schedule
Division 1 bracket
Division 2 bracket
Division 3 bracket
Division 4 bracket

• Waukesha Catholic Memorial, which has won state titles each of the past three seasons, is unbeaten in its past 18 postseason games (17-0-1). The Crusaders have outscored foes 91-4 and have posted 14 clean sheets since their most recent playoff loss, which was a 1-0 overtime setback against Madison Edgewood in a Division 2 state semifinal in 2011. Pewaukee held Catholic Memorial to a 1-1 draw in a sectional semifinal last spring, but the Crusaders advanced 4-2 on penalty kicks.
• Catholic Memorial junior forward Emily Cervantes heads into the playoffs fourth in state history with 312 career points – she recently passed Brandi Peltier, who recorded 308 points for Hustisford from 2008 to '11. Brookfield Academy's Emilie Pesch (2009 to '12) is third on the list with 321 points, according to the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association record book (pdf). Cervantes, who has 23 goals and seven assists in 14 matches this year, is third in career goals with 139.
• Lauren Torhorst scored both goals in Waterford's 2-0 victory over Elkhorn last Tuesday, giving her a program-record 40 goals on the season. The sophomore forward broke the school record of 39 set by Jordan Spaciel in 2010.
• Senior Malley O’Brien, a University of Wisconsin recruit, had a hat trick in Superior's 8-0 rout of host Osceola on Tuesday. She has 50 goals on the season and 91 in her two-year career with the Spartans, both program records. Superior (19-1-2) also has set a school record for wins in a season this spring.
• Schofield D.C. Everest (21-1-2) made its debut in the Top Drawer Soccer Fab 50, checking in at No. 45 this week. The Evergreens have won 16 consecutive games since their lone loss of the season, a 2-1 setback against Milwaukee DSHA in a rematch of last season's Division 1 state final. Everest also is third in the TDS Great Lakes Region rankings, which also includes No. 7 Waukesha West (16-2-3), and tops the website's Wisconsin rankings ahead of West and No. 3 Brookfield Central.
• Here's a look at the state leaders in goals and assists this season, as reported to our partners at the Wisconsin Sports Network. WSN sortable statistics page