Wisconsin Soccer Central

Bret Dietz scored in the 3rd minute and goalkeeper Jim Jones (Kenosha Tremper/Cardinal Stritch) made the slim lead stand up the rest of the way as the Milwaukee Bavarians held off longtime rival Croatian Eagles 1-0 in a Premier League of America West Division match Wednesday night at Heartland Value Fund Stadium in Glendale.

Scott Lorenz (UW) and Milwaukee School of Engineering's Braden Andryk (Milwaukee Marquette) assisted on Dietz's early goal for the Bavarians (5-1-3), who have all but clinched one of the two West Division playoff berths.

Cedar Rapids Rampage United (4-1-3) and SSC Minneapolis City (3-2-3) also are in the playoff chase, and meet Sunday in the Twin Cities. Regardless of other outcomes, Milwaukee can secure a spot in the PLA semifinals July 30 in Springfield, Ohio, with a win or draw in its regular-season finale July 22 at the Madison 56ers.

Should the Bavarians fail to get a result at Breese Stevens Field and end up tied on points with Cedar Rapids and/or Minneapolis City after 10 league matches, the first tiebreaker is goal differential – the Bavarians currently lead that category at plus-9, while Cedar Rapids is plus-6 and Minneapolis City is plus-2.

The Croatians finished 2-5-3 in the PLA West and currently stand fourth in the six-team division.

• Andryk (Milwaukee Marquette) and Bavarians defender Dogara Zamani were named to the PLA Team of the Week for July 9. Malian midfielder Boubacar Sylla also made the honor team after scoring twice for the Croatians in their 4-0 victory over the Madison 56ers on Saturday.
• Fifth-seeded Atotonilco pulled off the only upset of the Wisconsin Soccer Leagues First Division quarterfinals, slipping past No. 4 seed United Serbians Reserves 2-1 on Tuesday night at St. Sava in Milwaukee. The Major Division and First Division semifinals are Saturday at the Midwest Orthopedic Complex in Brookfield, with both finals set for July 23 at the Bavarians' Heartland Value Fund Stadium in Glendale.

WISCONSIN SOCCER LEAGUES PLAYOFFS
Major Division
Saturday's semifinals
At Midwest Orthopedic Complex, Brookfield
No. 1 Bavarian SC (12-1-1) vs. No. 4 Milwaukee Sport Club (7-6-1), 1 p.m.
No. 2 Croatian Eagles (12-1-1) vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers (8-5-1), 3:30 p.m.
Final
Saturday, July 23
At Heartland Value Fund Stadium, Glendale
Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.

First Division
Tuesday's quarterfinal results
No. 1 Bavarian SC Reserves 7, No. 8 Elm Grove Upper 90 Sports Pub 1
No. 2 North Shore United Reserves 4, No. 7 SC Waukesha 0
No. 3 Milwaukee Kickers Reserves 2, No. 6 Croatian Eagles Reserves 0
No. 5 Atotonilco 2, No. 4 United Serbians Reserves 1
Saturday's semifinals
At Midwest Orthopedic Complex, Brookfield
No. 1 Bavarian SC Reserves (16-2-2) vs. No. 5 Atotonilco (11-4-5), 1 p.m.
No. 2 North Shore United Reserves (15-3-2) vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Kickers Reserves (12-3-5), 3:30 p.m.
Final
Saturday, July 23
At Heartland Value Fund Stadium, Glendale
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.

• UW's Tom Barlow scored the 90th-minute equalizer as the Des Moines Menace pulled out a 1-1 draw with the Thunder Bay Chill in a Premier Development League match Saturday in West Des Moines, Iowa. "(The ball) was bouncing around in the box, and it fell right at my feet," said Barlow, who earned honorable mention on the PDL Team of the Week. "So I took a shot, and I think it took a bounce and went right through the keeper's legs." Barlow's sixth goal of the season, which ranks second on the team, extended the Menace's three-year home unbeaten streak to 21 games. Des Moines (9-2-2) secured its third consecutive Heartland Division title Tuesday night when the St. Louis Lions tied the Chill 3-3 in a regular-season finale.
• UW's Mark Segbers set up Mauricio Pineda's 54th-minute goal as the Chicago Fire Under-23 team topped the Lions 1-0 in their season finale Saturday in St. Louis. The Fire (8-4-2) tied Thunder Bay for second place in the Heartland with 26 points, but the Chill earned the second berth in the Central Conference playoffs thanks to their 1-0-2 record against Chicago this season. Segbers scored a team-best four goals and tied for the team lead with three assists in 13 appearances this season.
• UW defender Elan Koenig has started the past six matches for FC Golden State Force, which has won five of those games to improve to 7-4-2 in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference heading into Saturday's regular-season finale.
• Top-seeded Epic FC (12-4-2) cruised past defending champion and second-seeded Vilas Rangers 4-1 in the delayed Madison Soccer Association Division 2 final Friday night on the Goodman Pitch at Reddan Soccer Park in Verona.