Milwaukee Wave 2014-15 Season Schedule

After opening the 2014 season at St. Louis in November, the Milwaukee Wave had only been home once until this weekend. The longest-running professional indoor soccer franchise in the country played just a single game at the new named UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena during its first eight games of the season, a win against the Ambush. But, on Saturday, the team returned to Milwaukee for a six-game home stand, defeating the Tulsa Revolution 9-3 in front of a capacity crowd.

Players commented to reporters that they were relived to finally have some consistent time back at home. Midfielder Ian Bennett said that the bus trips and extensive plane rides were starting to take a toll on the players, evident during the team's final three games of the away-stint, which were all losses.

First-year head coach Giuliano Oliviero said at a press conference that he was disappointed about the sour end to the road trip, hoping to return with at least a 5-3 record. Instead, the Wave enter the home-stand with at .500, with four wins and four losses.

Saturday's game against the lowly Revolution, who have only won a single game this season, bumped the Wave to 5-4, good enough for second place in their division. The unbeaten Missouri Comets maintain a commanding lead of the central division, however, with 8 wins and no losses to date.

The Wave host Missouri on New Year's Eve in Milwaukee as the third game of the current home-stand, which lasts through January 16.

Along with Missouri, the Wave will also welcome Detroit, Rochester, Chicago, and Baltimore to the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena during the six-game home-stand.

Milwaukee Wave Remaining 2014-15 Season Schedule

December 27 – vs. Detroit (1:05PM)

December 31 – vs. Missouri (3:05PM)

January 3 – vs. Rochester (6:05PM)

January 10 – vs. Chicago (6:05PM)

January 16 – vs. Baltimore (7:05PM)

January 24 - @ Detroit (6:05PM)

January 25 – vs. Wichita (3:05PM)

February 6 - @ Tulsa (7:35PM)

February 7 - @ Wichita (7:05PM)

February 14 – vs. Syracuse (1:05PM)

February 21 – vs. Detroit (6:05PM)

Milwaukee Air and Water Show | Fun Along The Lakefront

Did you think that Summerfest is in a class of its own, as one of Milwaukee's largest annual summer festivals? Think again. The Milwaukee Air andWater Show returns to the downtown lakefront this year, attracting nearly 1,000,000 people to the just two-day event in recent years. The 2014 performance, which will be held on the weekend of June 21, is already predicting the largest attendance in the show's ten year history. Free to the public, the best views can be had along Lincoln Memorial Drive on the city's east side as the planes circle Lake Michigan.

This year's Milwaukee Air and Water Show marks a reunion with the famous Blue Angels. The Navy-based stunt team was the show's headlining attraction in 2010, and was scheduled to perform in 2013, though was absent due to budget limits. President of the event, Paul Rogers, told reporters that his group was very excited to welcome back the Blue Angels, further placing the event as one of the best in the country.

Army branch counterparts, the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team will join the Blue Angels as the top-billing in the 2014 show. Stunt pilot's Sean Tucker and Mike Goulian will also be there, along with Team Oracle and a number of other impressive acts and aircraft. Tucker is one of the world's most renowned performance pilots, earning hundreds of honors and awards since introducing his act in the 1970s. He has been named to the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and is recognized as a Living Legend in Aviation.

Not often thought of as a hotbed of flight, Milwaukee's flying past dates back over 40 years. Rudy Malnati, now director of the Air and Water Show, helped to organize the city's first aviation festival in the 1970s. Regular events began in 2002, when Italian Fest hosted an air show. Major sponsor funding began in 2004, the first year the event was dubbed the Milwaukee Air and Water Show.  This year's show will take place from 10AM to 4PM on both Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22. Times are dependent on weather. 

Milwaukee Wave New League Information | Giuliano Oliviero Replaces Tozier

Things continue to become brighter for the once lowly-looking Milwaukee Wave indoor soccer club. Just a month after falling from the playoffs for the second time in as many years, acknowledging a lawsuit against owner, Susan Black, and losing veteran head coach, Kieth Tozer, the longest-running indoor soccer franchise in the country seems to have found its feet again. The team joined a number of counterparts from the former Major Indoor Soccer League in transferring to the newly formed Professional Arena Soccer League in May. The Wave's new league features teams from the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and is the largest entity of its kind in North America.

This week brought another bit of good news, as the franchise announced it had hired Giuliano Oliviero to fill the vacancy left by Tozer, who left the position this off-season after over 20 years as head coach.

Oliviero is no stranger to Milwaukee or its fans. The 40 year old Vancouver native has worn a Wave jersey for nearly his entire career as a professional soccer player and coach, starting in 1995 and returning in 2003 after spending five seasons elsewhere. He was promoted to an assistant coaching position under Tozer in 2008, maintaining his duties as a player as well.

When asked this week by reporters if he would now retire as a player, Oliviero was vague, though he did say that his full concentration would now be on coaching.

Regardless of weather he continues his dual roles, Oliviero has made quite the impact for the Wave both on and off the field. He was one of the most important ambassadors between Tozer and the players during his tenure as an assistant, also helping to broaden the team's scouting net, recruiting multiple internationals. As a player himself, Oliviero earned second-place in Rookie of the Year voting in 1995 and is currently the Wave's sixth all-time leading scorer.

Outside of the Wave, Oliviero lives with his wife and children north of Milwaukee. He also coaches at Waukesha West High School.

Stepping-up to fill head assistant role for the 2014 season will be Wave goalkeeper Nick Vorberg. Vorberg was chosen by Oliviero soon after his own promotion, citing the goalie's 11 years with Milwaukee and his place as team's second-most winningest player.   

Keith Tozer And Milwaukee Wave Make Big Changes

The longest-running professional indoor soccer franchise in the country is undergoing its largest restructuring in decades. The Milwaukee Wave announced last week that it would be parting ways with longtime head coach Keith Tozer this off-season, as well as departing from the Major Indoor Soccer League. First-year owner Sue Black made the news public at a press conference last Friday.

Black also gave reporters an update on the lawsuit currently in progress against herself and the organization for unpaid merchandise fees and loans on Friday. She refused to go into detail, but assured concerned parties that the issue was going forward peacefully and would soon be resolved.

Speculation on terms of Tozer's dismissal has been feverish since the news broke. Both he and Black publicly stated the cancellation of his contract, which had two years remaining on it, was mutual. However, Tozer did not mention the owner personally in his farewell thanks to the Wave franchise, and he concluded his statement with a call to other teams looking for a coach.

Earlier this week, Tozer unveiled his next soccer-related endeavor in southern Wisconsin, announcing the creation of the K. Tozer SoccerAcademy. The youth development program will be run in conjunction with former Milwaukee Wave owner Jim Lindenberg.

Toner’s resume includes 21 seasons at the helm in Milwaukee, with 20 postseason appearances and six league championships. His tenures outside of the city are equally as lengthy and successful, highlighted by over 15 years of playing experience with six different organizations and a coaching report that dates back to 1984. Tozer is also the current head coach of the United States men's Futsal team, a position he has held since 1998.

A statement on the Milwaukee Wave's official website clarified more questions regarding the league change this week. The page announced that the franchise had been released by the Major Indoor Soccer League and was now in talks with the Professional Arena Soccer League, the largest professional indoor soccer league in the country. Four fellow former MISL members are also negotiating contracts with PASL along with the Wave, including Baltimore, Syracuse, Kansas City, and Rochester.

Assuming all five teams do end up signing with PASL, the league will field over 20 teams for the 2014-15 indoor season.

Vampire Weekend Moves Milwaukee Show To BMO Harris Pavilion

Things must be working for Vampire Weekend.  The band just announced that they are moving their June 4 date from the Riverside Theater to the BMO Harris Pavilion, on the Summerfest grounds. The band is still supporting their 2011 album titled Modern Vampires of the City. It was released in 2013, and has received very positive reviews in Rolling Stone.
The album won Best Alternative Album in that same year.  Now even more fans can see them live in Milwaukee.  At the time of this post Vampire Weekend tickets were available, but you might want to get moving if you are looking to see them play live this summer.

Milwaukee Winter Events 2014 | Things To See And Do During This Cold Winter

As the second weekend of February approaches, the month’s calendar at the Wisconsin State Fair Park continues to fill up. The state of the art exposition grounds, most noted for hosting the annual Wisconsin State Fair, has already welcomed the Great Lakes Multisport Expo, the Great Lakes Pet Expo, and the Spirit Group Badger Challenge and DanceFest this month. In January the venue held over a dozen events, including some first time attractions.

The Woman Up! Festival will premiere at the Wisconsin State Fair Park for one day only on Saturday February, 8^th. Over 150 vendors and businesses will be on-hand for the all things women tradeshow, which features the latest in fitness, nutrition, health, and lifestyle. Television personalities from the popular Real Housewives and Project Runway series will be address the audience in a special keynote speech, as will a number of doctors specializing in women’s health.

Two of the venue’s most anticipated events come to town on Thursday February, 13^th. The Drive-Thru Valentine’s Day Sale opens in the north parking lot at 5 PM on Thursday, closing at 8 PM for the day. Early birds on the 14^th can start buying their darlings the array of flowers and candies offered at 6 AM. For the serious procrastinators, the events goes through 8 PM on Friday.

The four-day Home Improvement Show kicks-off on the 13^th, as well. In its 57^th year hosting the event at the Wisconsin State Fair Park, the annual trade show is the longest running attraction at the grounds besides the State Fair. Running through 5PM on Sunday, the Home Improvement Show is one of the largest of its kind in the country, and this year estimates that over 300 national and international vendors will attend. Classes and demonstrations from top remodeling experts are also offered with admission.

Patrons can also hop on over to the Wisconsin Products Pavilion on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the Wisconsin Muskie Expo.

On Friday, February 21^st, another of the Wisconsin State Fair Park’s most loyal tenants returns to host its exposition. For the 52^nd year, O’Reilly Auto Parts brings its spectacular World of Wheels show to Milwaukee, showing off a fleet of classic cars and the latest in automotive technology. The international tour is one of the most popular car shows in the world, and draws over 1 million attendees in the United States and Canada every year.

The monthly Rummage-A-Rama runs concurrently with the World of Wheels at the Wisconsin Products Pavilion.

Closing out the month is the Milwaukee RV Show. Wisconsin has one of the most rabid fan-bases in recreational vehicles, and the Milwaukee RV Show regularly draws crowds into the thousands. 300 hundred vendors will debut new models, accessories, and fun gadgets at the 2014 show, and even campgrounds will be on-hand to take reservations for the upcoming spring and summer season.

Wisconsin State Fair Park February Calendar

8^th

-          Woman Up! Festival (10AM-5PM)

13^th & 14^th

-          Drive Through Valentine’s Day Sale (13^th: 5PM – 8PM, 14^th: 6AM-8PM)

-          57^th Annual Home Improvement Show (13^th: 12PM – 8PM, 14^th: 10AM – 8PM)

-          Wisconsin Muskie Expo (14^th: 12PM – 9PM)

15^th & 16^th

-          57^th Annual Home Improvement Show (15^th: 10AM – 8PM, 16^th: 10AM – 5PM)

-          Wisconsin Muskie Expo (15^th: 9AM – 6PM, 16^th: 9AM – 4PM)

21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd

-          52^nd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels (21^st: 3PM – 10PM, 22^nd: 10AM – 10PM, 23^rd: 10AM – 6PM)

-          Rummage-A-Rama (22^nd: 9AM – 4PM, 23^rd: 9AM – 3PM)

27^th & 28^th

-          Milwaukee RV Show (27^th: 1PM – 8PM, 28^th: 1PM – 8PM)