Wisconsin Soccer Central

For two teams that had many players introducing themselves to one another during warmups, the Madison 56ers and the Croatian Eagles Under-23 team did well to give the fans at Breese Stevens Field a pretty entertaining match Saturday night.

The 56ers scored twice in the opening 10 minutes in a tuneup ahead of next week's National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region opener, but the young Eagles answered with a pair of goals in a 17-minute stretch as the teams settled for a 2-2 draw in a friendly match.

"It wasn't good enough, but there are a lot of things we can work on now, let's put it that way," said 56ers coach Jim Launder, whose team opens defense of its regional title at home next Saturday night against the expansion Quad City Eagles.

Forward Cody Banks (Madison Memorial), who had a tremendous spring season for UW-Milwaukee, continued his fine form.

Banks ran onto a ball chipped in over the Croatian defense by Keenan Newallo and finished the breakaway against Stas Miaskowski (Appleton Xavier/Carroll) to open the scoring in the fifth minute.

Four minutes later, Banks flicked a ball that took a fortunate hop past Miaskowski and left Jed Hohlbein all alone to finish into an empty goal on the back post.

"However it comes, I'll take it," said Hohlbein, who is the leading scorer for the 56ers since they joined the NPSL but saw limited action last year because of a foot injury. "It was just a lucky bounce. But you take any goal you get."

Eagles coach Patrick Hodgins said that communication was a problem on both goals.

"I think the goals that we gave up were just a matter of some guys not knowing each other's names, literally," he said. "They were meeting each other for the first time, they're not going to be on the same page. We were worried about that. I think we settled in after that. We played a good 80 minutes of soccer."

And they got one back in the 14th, as right back Christian Stoiber (Muskego) found UW-Parkside teammate Spencer Bursten (Grafton) on the right side of the box. Bursten pulled 56ers keeper Kyle Dillman (Madison La Follette) off his line, went around his defender and slotted a shot into the vacant net.

UW-Whitewater midfielder Josh Chamberlain (De Pere) nearly equalized seven minutes later, but his free kick from 23 yards out pinged off the far post past the outstretched Dillman.

The Eagles, though, eventually pulled even as UW-Oshkosh forward Tony Starnes (Green Bay Notre Dame) threaded a ball to Kevin Ferron (Brookfield Central) that the UW-Milwaukee midfielder finished in the 31st.

"I thought we played really well, kept possession well, we created good chances, some dangerous chances and I think we played pretty well for the first time out," Hodgins said. "Very well, actually."

After all the action in the opening half hour, the second half lacked such fireworks. However, both teams switched keepers and UWM's Bryce Boyd (Milwaukee Marquette) and Parkside's Ryan Onwukwe each came up with nice saves in the final 10 minutes to preserve the tie.

"I think it was too easy for us," Launder said of his team's play after taking the early lead. "I think we got a little bit lazy."

The 56ers were without several players expected to be regulars, due to academic obligations or injury.

One key injured player is Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly, an All-Midwest defender for the 56ers in 2010 who has struggled with a groin injury for the past few months. He said he hopes to be ready for Madison's trip to Minnesota May 21 and 22.

Quad City lost to the Des Moines Menace of the USL Premier Development League 4-2 Saturday in its final tuneup before its NPSL debut.

The Croatian Eagles Under-23 team doesn't play in a league, instead focusing on training, playing a few friendlies – including another against the 56ers on July 23 – and the U.S. Adult Soccer Association Region II tournament.

Madison 56ers – Cody Banks (Keenan Newallo) 5
Madison 56ers – Jed Hohlbein (Cody Banks) 9
Croatian Eagles Under-23 – Spencer Bursten (Christian Stoiber) 14
Croatian Eagles Under-23 – Kevin Ferron (Tony Starnes) 31

MADISON 56ERS: Kyle Dillman; Demba Camara, Paul Monsen, Luke Klees, Ryan Buda; Luke Goodnetter, Trevor Banks, Keenan Newallo, Andrew Wiedabach; Jed Hohlbein, Cody Banks. Substitutes (open): Ryan Onwukwe (GK); David Kommavang, Hunter Martin, Edison Crespo, Thiemoko Kone, Aymar Sinaise, Alfredo Ramirez.

CROATIAN EAGLES UNDER-23: Stas Miaskowski; Christian Stoiber, Aaron Cranfill, Jacob Pope, Chris Kurth; Kevin Ferron, Andy Kohel, Josh Chamberlain, Spencer Bursten; Trevor Swentik, Tony Starnes. Substitutes (open): Bryce Boyd (GK); Jason Rodgers, Paul Marx, Marc Hietpas, Tim Windler, Joey Chiappetta, Jon Gourlay, Nick Grbavac.

Saves: M 1 (Dillman 0, Onwukwe 1), CE 2 (Miaskowski 0, Boyd 2). Shots: M 12, CE 7. Fouls: M 10, CE 6. Corner kicks: M 2, CE 3. Offsides: M 2, CE 6. Discipline: M – Monsen (caution-foul, 84).