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.

Milwaukee Wave In First Place

The Milwaukee Wave's recent win over the rival Baltimore Blast has put the professional indoor soccer team in first place of the Major Indoor Soccer League standings. The overtime win extends the organization's win streak to ten consecutive games, putting them at twelve-and-two on the season. With losses at Baltimore and at home against the Missouri Comets, the Wave continues to struggle against the pair, though later wins both at home against the Blast and in Missouri against the Comets have been part of their now month-and-a-half long win-streak.

Exactly half-way thorough the season, the Wave have beaten every team in the league at least once in the season. They go into the second-half with vigor and confidence, especially against their neighbors to the south, the Chicago Soul. Having managed two of their largest winning margins this year against the Soul, the Wave will face the team another four times before the season ends in March.

An unprecedented five consecutive away games will greet the Wave throughout February. Playing just two confirmed games at the US Cellular Arena that entire month, the team will travel from the seventeenth to the twenty-seventh, meeting teams in Missouri, Chicago, Baltimore, Rochester, and Syracuse.

The team finishes the regular season in the early days of March, facing the Syracuse Silver Knights and the Wichita Wings on the second and third of the month, respectively.

2012 Milwaukee Wave Season – Second-Half

-        January 18^th, 2013 – at Chicago Soul 7:30PM

-        January 19^th – vs. Chicago Soul 6:00PM

-        January 25^th – at Wichita Wings 7:35PM

-        January 27^th – vs. Chicago Soul 3:00PM

-        February 2^nd, 2013 – vs. Missouri Comets 6:00PM

-        February 6^th – TBD 10:30AM

-        February 10^th – vs. Rochester Lancers 3:00PM

-        February 17^th – at Missouri Comets 3:10PM

-        February 18^th – at Chicago Soul 7:00PM

-        February 23^rd – at Baltimore Blast 6:35PM

-        February 24^th – at Rochester Lancers 3:00PM

-        February 27^th – at Syracuse Silver Knights 6:00PM

-        March 2^nd, 2013 – vs. Syracuse Silver Knights 6:00PM

-        March 3^rd – vs. Wichita Wings 3:00PM

Milwaukee Wave Wins at U.S. Cellular Milwaukee | Norfolk New to Indoor Soccer

It was a great night for Milwaukee Wave defender Joe Hammes as he scored three goals at the U.S. Cellular Arena last night. The recipient of his scoring barrage was a Norfolk team that had no hope of slowing him down. The Wave went on to a 21-7 victory, and Milwaukee fans went home happy.

Norfolk New to Indoor Soccer
The Wave built up a ten point cushion before Norfolk scored their first points of the evening. Norfolk is a new team, and has yet to put a "W" up on their stats sheet. They are still getting their "sea legs" when it comes to indoor soccer, so their fans need to cut them some slack. When the Wave were new to the indoor soccer world, they lost their first seven or eight games. Keith Tozer says that there is a bunch of talent on the Norfolk bench, and in time they will be winning games.

For the Wave, all of their scoring came in the first three quarters. Norfolk rallied in the second, cutting Milwaukee's lead in half, but that's as close as they got to being a real threat. Hammes had the hot foot last night, and there was no stopping him. Each team had a penalty, Norfolk was charged for too many men, and Milwaukee had one for dangerous play. Other than that, it was a night of fun for the fans that made it down to the U.S. Cellular Arena.