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Premier League of America: 2016 schedules set for state trio

01/26/2016, 7:45pm CST
By ERIC ANDERSON
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The Milwaukee Bavarians will make their Premier League of America debut on May 21 on their home turf at Heartland Value Fund Stadium in Glendale, then will play host to the Madison 56ers in the visitors' league debut six days later.

The Bavarians and 56ers are among the eight 2016 expansion teams in the PLA, which was known as the Great Lakes Premier League during its inaugural 2015 season. Franklin's Croatian Eagles were one of the league's five charter members.

The league unveiled its schedule Tuesday, with the three Wisconsin teams playing eight-game slates in the West Division.

The Croatians, looking to improve upon their 1-5-2 finish last season in the GLPL, will open their 2016 league schedule with a Memorial Day weekend road trip to the Twin Cities for matches against expansion sides SSC Minneapolis City on May 28 and the Minnesota United Reserves on May 29. Like the Bavarians and 56ers, the Reserves previously played in the National Premier Soccer League.

One highlight of the schedule is June 4, which has been dubbed "Derby Day." The Eagles will play host to the Bavarians at Croatian Park in the first PLA meeting between the longtime Wisconsin state league rivals, while the two Twin Cities sides also square off.

The 56ers – who finished atop the NPSL Midwest Region regular-season standings in 2015 – will play their first three league matches on the road before playing four of their final five games at Breese Stevens Field, starting with a June 25 meeting with SSC Minneapolis City.

The top two teams in the West Division will join the top two finishers in the six-team East Division in the semifinals of the PLA Tournament, which is July 30 and 31 in Maumee, Ohio. The league's other seven sides will play in a consolation bracket at the event.

  • The Croatians announced the addition of midfielder Diego Bobadilla to their PLA roster. Bobadilla is from Holland, Mich., and played at NAIA Cornerstone (Mich.), recording eight goals and 11 assists in 40 appearances. He was named to the first team of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference as a senior last fall. Bobadilla played for the Muskegon Risers last summer and has played with Grand Rapids pro futsal team ABK. He's currently in Croatia with the U.S. Futsal national team and has one goal and one assist in seven games for the Cedar Rapids Rampage in the Major Arena Soccer League this season. On Twitter: @diegobobadill13

CROATIAN EAGLES: 2016 PLA SCHEDULE

May 28: at SSC Minneapolis City, 2:05 p.m.
May 29: at Minnesota United Reserves, 4 p.m.
June 4: Milwaukee Bavarians, 5 p.m.
June 11: SSC Minneapolis City, 4 p.m.
June 18: Minnesota United Reserves, 4 p.m.
July 2: at Madison 56ers, 7 p.m.
July 9: Madison 56ers, 4 p.m.
July 13: at Milwaukee Bavarians, 7 p.m.
July 30-31: PLA Tournament in Toledo, Ohio
Home matches at Croatian Park, Franklin

MADISON 56ERS: 2016 PLA SCHEDULE

May 27: at Milwaukee Bavarians, 7:30 p.m.
June 12: at Minnesota United Reserves, 4 p.m.
June 18: at SSC Minneapolis City, 4:05 p.m.
June 25: SSC Minneapolis City, 7 p.m.
July 2: Croatian Eagles, 7 p.m.
July 9: at Croatian Eagles, 4 p.m.
July 16: Minnesota United Reserves, 7 p.m.
July 22: Milwaukee Bavarians, 7 p.m.
July 30-31: PLA Tournament in Toledo, Ohio
Home matches at Breese Stevens Field, Madison

MILWAUKEE BAVARIANS: 2016 PLA SCHEDULE

May 21: SSC Minneapolis City, 8 p.m.
May 27: Madison 56ers, 7:30 p.m.
June 4: at Croatian Eagles, 5 p.m.
June 19: Minnesota United Reserves, 2 p.m.
June 26: at Minnesota United Reserves, 4 p.m.
July 9: at SSC Minneapolis City, 4:05 p.m.
July 13: Croatian Eagles, 7 p.m.
July 22: at Madison 56ers, 7 p.m.
July 30-31: PLA Tournament in Toledo, Ohio
Home matches at Heartland Value Fund Stadium, Glendale

All dates and times subject to change

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