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)
