Shannon Smyth (Mequon/Milwaukee DSHA) was named to the Republic of Ireland squad for the Algarve Cup in Portugal.

The 24-year-old Smyth, who will start her second season with Amazon Grimstad FK in Norway's Toppserien in April, has six career caps. She has dual citizenship because her father, Brendan, was born and raised in Ireland.

Some of the top girls soccer players in the Midwest will be playing in Madison this weekend.

An Elite Clubs National League Elite Player Development Program, featuring 45 players from FC Milwaukee, Minnesota Thunder Academy, Sockers FC-Chicago and St. Louis Scott Gallagher, will be held indoors at the McClain Facility on the University of Wisconsin campus.

Some of the top girls soccer players in the Midwest will be playing in Madison this weekend.

An Elite Clubs National League Elite Player Development Program, featuring 45 players from FC Milwaukee, Minnesota Thunder Academy, Sockers FC-Chicago and St. Louis Scott Gallagher, will be held indoors at the McClain Facility on the University of Wisconsin campus.

The Milwaukee Marquette boys soccer team took on all comers last fall and was nearly perfect, finishing 24-0-1 against a schedule that included top teams from California, Washington, D.C., Missouri, Indiana and Illinois in addition to Wisconsin competition.

The Hilltoppers didn't win a mythical national title – they ended up third in the ESPNHS Powerade Fab 50 and fourth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll – but their performance led a major honor for their coach.

The Comets new signing Bato Radoncic made an immediate impact for the Comets in his first game, as he scored two goals as the Comets continued their push towards a playoff spot with a 14-6 win.
Bato got his Comets career started fairly quickly, as he scored just over 4 minutes into the game to give Missouri the early lead.

Sporting KC were not the only local team to announce a new signing today. The Missouri Comets also added a new player today, as they announced the signing of former Chicago Riot forward, Bato Radoncic. He's spent time in the US minor leagues and indoor games, mainly around the Milwaukee and Chicago area during his time here.

The Missouri Comets found themselves in a position they've been in quite a few times this season, trailing by a few goals with little time left in the game. Last night in Milwaukee it was the 9 points as the Wave took an 11-2 lead early in the 4th quarter before the Comets made a comeback to cut the lead to 11-7 by the final whistle.

FC Milwaukee defender Brittany Von Rueden continues to make an impression on the U.S. women's national team coaches.

U.S. Soccer women's technical director April Heinrichs called Von Rueden in for another Under-18 camp, which starts Saturday in Chula Vista, Calif.

Mequon's Von Rueden, a senior at Milwaukee DSHA who has verbally committed to play at Notre Dame next fall, was part of four Under-18 national team camps in 2011 – most recently last month in Florida.

News started to leak out last night on through Thad, and today it was officially announced that the Missouri Comets have added to their roster by signing former Sporting KC midfielder, Craig Rocastle. Rocastle had been waived by Sporting at the end of this past season after two years with the club. Rocastle should be available for Friday's match up against Milwaukee and then in Wichita to take on the Wings on Saturday.

Back after a hiatus, I present you the latest attendance figures from the Major Indoor Soccer League. As you may or may not know, United Soccer Leagues took over the MISL this season and brought it under their umbrella along with its nascent I-League. The result is a seven-team league that's averaging right about what the old one was through the same number of games a year ago.

Seniors Logan Andryk and Patrick Hodan, who helped lead Milwaukee Marquette to its second consecutive WIAA Division 1 state title, were among 33 players named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Boys High School Scholar All-America team.

Andryk, a midfielder, had six goals and nine assists as the Hilltoppers (24-0-1) finished the season ranked third in the country by ESPNHS and fourth by the NSCAA.

After eight weeks of MISL action Baltimore and Milwauikee continue to reside at the tops of their respective divisions. The Wave remain the lone undefeated MISL club at 7-0 while Norfolk continue their inaugural season without a win at 0-9.
League-wide attendance has remained steady throughout the 2011-2012 campaign.

The Wichita Wings will land in Milwaukee this friday, thirteen days after their last game. In which they beat the winless Norfolk Sharx. Milwaukee is the only undefeated team left in the MISL at a 6-0 record. The two previous matchups between the Wings and Wave saw Milwaukee pull out two victories by a combined 5 points.

FC Milwaukee was rated as the country's 19th-best club for girls soccer in 2011, according to Soccer America's annual rankings.

This is the ninth year the magazine has compiled rankings, with the number of clubs rated varying from year to year. The only other time FC Milwaukee – or any Wisconsin club – has made the list was in 2009, when the Nationals ranked 36th out of 40.

Milwaukee Marquette senior forward Patrick Hodan and former Sugar River midfielder Hannah Kernen, the Wisconsin prep boys and girls players of the year for 2011, were named high school All-Americans by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Hodan, a Notre Dame recruit, and Kernen, who recently completed her freshman season at UW-Green Bay, also led the state contingent on the All-Region V team.

Notre Dame recruit Patrick Hodan (Milwaukee Marquette) and UW-Green Bay recruit Cheenuj Shong (Milwaukee Ronald Reagan) scored Tuesday as FC Milwaukee's Under-17/18 team closed the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase with its first victory of the 2011-12 season, a 2-1 win over New Jersey's NJSA 04 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

After four weeks of MISL action Baltimore and Milwauikee are the tops of their respective divisions. Milwaukee are the lone undefeated MISL club at 5-0 while Norfolk are the only team without a win at 0-6. Here is how the rest of the teams are stacking up in the divisions:
EASTERN DIVISION

1. Baltimore (5-1)
2. Rochsester (3-4)
3. Syracuse (3-5)
4. Norfolk (0-6)

CENTRAL DIVISION

1. Milwaukee (5-0)
2. Missouri (5-3)
3. Wichita (3-5)

After five weeks of PASL action Detroit and San Diego are leading the way in each of their divisions.

FC Milwaukee defender Brittany Von Rueden is headed south for the final U.S. Under-18 women's national team camp of the year.

Von Rueden, a Notre Dame recruit, is one of 26 players called in by U.S. Soccer women's technical director April Heinrichs for the camp Dec. 11 to 18 in Sunrise, Fla.

Milwaukee Marquette, which went 24-0-1 en route to winning its second straight WIAA Division 1 state championship, finished the season in the top five in both national prep boys soccer rankings.

The Hilltoppers remained third in the ESPNHS Powerade Fab 50 rankings and fourth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll on Tuesday as both outlets released their final rankings of the fall season.

Mark Newman, who led Mount Horeb to its first WIAA Division 2 boys soccer state championship, was named the Large Schools Coach of the Year by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association.

Milwaukee Marquette's Steve Lawrence, whose team won its second consecutive Division 1 title and is among the top-ranked teams in the country, was chosen the Private/Parochial Coach of the Year.

FC Milwaukee opens the 2011-12 season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy this weekend with a pair of matches in St. Louis.

The Nationals' Under-17/18 and Under-15/16 teams will play their counterparts from St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Metro on Saturday and St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Missouri on Sunday in their lone league games of the fall.

Milwaukee Marquette senior forward Joe Naughton has one more prep soccer game to play this year.

Naughton was one of 40 senior boys soccer players across the country selected for the inaugural High School All-American Game, which is scheduled for Dec. 10 in Birmingham, Ala.

Depending on results in New Jersey and Maryland, Milwaukee Marquette could be crowned the national champion in prep boys soccer on Sunday.

The Hilltoppers (24-0-1), who completed their season by winning the WIAA Division 1 state title last weekend, are ranked third in the ESPN RISE Fab 50. The two teams ranked ahead of them – No.

State players collected several individual awards Tuesday as the first college women's soccer all-conference teams of the season were announced.

UW-Milwaukee dominated the Horizon League honors: Senior forward Sarah Hagen (Appleton North) was named the league's Player of the Year for a record third consecutive season and was the Offensive Player of the Year, junior goalkeeper Jamie Forbes was the co-Defensive Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year, freshman defender Amy Kauffung (Hartland Arrowhead) was the Newcomer of the Year and Michael Moynihan was the Coach of the Year.

Patrick Hodan was among the state's top goal scorers this season, finding the back of the net 45 times.

But the Milwaukee Marquette senior forward was at his best in the biggest games.

Hodan finished his career with 14 goals in seven WIAA state tournament matches, including eight last weekend at Milwaukee's Uihlein Soccer Park as the Hilltoppers (24-0-1) won their eighth Division 1 title in the past 12 years.

The defending state champion, the state's leading scorer, teams riding long unbeaten or winning streaks and conference rivals.

Yes, there are plenty of story lines for the WIAA Division 3 state boys soccer tournament, which starts with the semifinals Friday morning at Time Warner Cable Stadium at Milwaukee's Uihlein Soccer Park.

After being shut out in back-to-back matches, the University of Wisconsin men's soccer team got goals from new and old sources in a key victory Wednesday night.

Sophomore midfielder Blake Succa scored his first collegiate goal on a 23-yard strike in the 25th minute and junior midfielder Tomislav Zadro added his team-best fifth of the season nine minutes later as the Badgers blanked UW-Milwaukee 2-0 in a non-conference match at Engelmann Stadium.

The 30th annual WIAA boys soccer state tournament kicks off Thursday with the Division I quarterfinals at Time Warner Cable Field at Milwaukee's Uihlein Soccer Park.

If you can't make it to Milwaukee, Fox Sports Wisconsin will provide a live stream of the matches online. Here's a look at the eight sides hoping to raise the gold ball after the Division 1 state final Saturday afternoon.

The field for this year's WIAA state boys soccer tournament could look a lot like last year's.

Twelve of the 16 sides that played at state last fall advanced to Saturday's sectional finals, including the defending champions in all three divisions.

In Division 1, reigning champion Milwaukee Marquette (20-0-1) – ranked first in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state poll all year – leads a group of six 2010 state qualifiers that are one step away from return trips to Milwaukee's Uihlein Soccer Park.

FC Milwaukee defender Brittany Von Rueden was called back into camp with the U.S. Under-18 women's national team.

U.S. Soccer women's technical director April Heinrichs is overseeing the week-long camp, which starts Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Von Rueden, a Notre Dame recruit, also was part of the Under-18 national team camp in June.

The new Missouri Comets season is less than a month away at this point. The team is preparing for the season, and one thing that has changed is the number of teams. The Chicago team is no longer looking like it'll be in the league. The team's schedule has no reference to the Chicago team that was mentioned in previous releases by the league.

Syracuse, NY---The Syracuse Silver Knights are pleased to announce the signing of USL PRO standout Darren Toby, pending league approval. Toby, a member of the Charlotte Eagles, will travel to the welcoming city of Syracuse to prepare for the upcoming 2011-2012 indoor season.
A native of Lowlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Toby made his professional debut with the Eagles in April of 2008.

Syracuse, NY---The Syracuse Silver Knights are pleased to announce the signing of USL PRO standout Darren Toby, pending league approval. Toby, a member of the Charlotte Eagles, will travel to the welcoming city of Syracuse to prepare for the upcoming 2011-2012 indoor season.

A native of Lowlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Toby made his professional debut with the Eagles in April of 2008.

Milwaukee Marquette didn't lose last week, but the Hilltoppers fell in both major national prep boys soccer rankings.

Marquette traveled to California to play two nationally ranked sides, and rallied from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to tie Carmichael Jesuit 3-3 on Saturday. That came a day after the Hilltoppers came from behind to beat Granite Bay 2-1.

All three divisions of the NCAA women's soccer national goal-scoring charts this week feature Wisconsin players at or near the top of the list.

UW-Milwaukee senior Sarah Hagen (Appleton North), right, led Division I players in goals per game (1.231), points per game (2.85) and game-winning goals (eight) and was second in points (37) and tied for second in goals (16) heading into the week.

If the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association polls are a good barometer of the state's top boys soccer teams, then the WIAA Division 2 Pewaukee sectional figures to be an incredibly difficult bracket.

The 17-team sectional includes the top four teams in the latest WSCA Division 2 poll – Milwaukee Thomas More, Shorewood, Pewaukee and Waukesha Catholic Memorial – along with East Troy, which is now honorable mention after being ranked earlier this year.

The wins keep coming and Milwaukee Marquette keeps moving up the national prep boys soccer rankings.

The Hilltoppers (16-0-0) inched up one spot to No. 2 in the ESPN RISE Fab 50 and rose two places to No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings this week.

Players on the U.S. Futsal National Team scrimmage Thursday at South Coast Soccer City in Torrance (Photo by Staff Photographer Brad Graverson).

When it comes to U.S. national outdoor soccer teams, the South Bay is already home to all but the Under-17 boys national team program (that has its HQ in Bradenton, Fla.

The state's top two prep boys soccer teams are headed to St. Louis this weekend for one of the country's top tournaments.

Milwaukee Marquette and Middleton, ranked first and second in the most recent Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Division 1 state poll, are among 60 teams from 13 states taking part in the seventh annual Gateway City Classic.

Milwaukee Marquette's victories in last weekend's Jesuit Classic at Quad Park vaulted the Hilltoppers up the ESPN RISE Fab 50 national rankings.

Marquette (10-0-0) moved up nine places to No. 4 in this week's rankings after beating then-No. 9 Kansas City Rockhurst 1-0 and Washington, D.