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 FC Milwaukee coach Christian Lavers has been outspoken about the Women's Premier Soccer League Midwest Conference North Division, noting how strong the division is from top to bottom.
That was further borne out on Thursday.
The Chicago Red Stars, the former Women's Professional Soccer club that is fielding a team in the WPSL for the first time, ended FC Milwaukee's 10-match unbeaten run in the division with a 2-0 victory in Oakbrook, Ill.
Then a few hours later, the Madison 56ers surprised Chicago Eclipse Select 3-2 in Oak Brook, Ill., for their second win in as many games – matching their victory total from their inaugural 2010 season.
"It was a good result for us," said 56ers coach John Reddan, whose team lost to Eclipse 3-0 and tied them 1-1 last year as it finished 2-5-1 in the division. "We were strong throughout."
Iowa midfielder Alex Melin (Verona) opened the scoring for Madison for the second straight game midway through the first half.
"Just typical Alex, she's got a nose for hitting shots and she hit it well," Reddan said. "It took a slight deflection and dipped over the goalie's head."
The 56ers made it 2-0 in the second half, as UW-Green Bay recruit Hannah Kernen (Sugar River) finished off a give-and-go with Jackie Kondratko with a shot over the Eclipse goalkeeper.
After Eclipse (1-1-1) pulled within 2-1, the 56ers restored their two-goal cushion thanks to a "beautiful" goal crafted by Lindsey Holmes (Verona) and Marquette's Taylor Madigan (Waunakee) with about 10 minutes to go.
"Eclipse was definitely putting us under a lot of pressure and we were able to break out," Reddan said. "Lindsey Holmes from the left sideline just pasted a 40-yard ball with her left foot over the top to Taylor Madigan, who was able to take a couple of touches and finish low to the left side. A very nice pass and a clinical finish."
Holmes, a University of Wisconsin recruit for 2012, has played a role in four of the 56ers' seven goals this season with two goals and two assists.
Eclipse Select scored with about 5 minutes remaining to make it 3-2 and had the ball in the net again before the final whistle, but the would-be equalizer was waved off because of a foul. The teams are scheduled to meet again Monday night at Breese Stevens Field, but there have been discussions of rescheduling the match, Reddan said.
The 56ers play host to the Red Stars on Wednesday night, after which Melin will join up with a U.S. Youth Soccer Under-19 Select team for a trip to Europe. Reddan expects the influential midfielder to miss three WPSL matches.
"I don't want to minimize what the other players have contributed ... but I think everyone acknowledges that she's a key individual for us," Reddan said of Melin.
FC Milwaukee (3-1-1) is without one of its top players, UW-Milwaukee forward Sarah Hagen (Appleton North), who is with the U.S. Under-23 women's national team in Sweden.
Still, the Nationals had their chances in their loss to the reformed Red Stars (1-1-0), whose lineup included former UW players Kara Kabellis and Elise Weber and UWM goalkeeper Jamie Forbes.
The Red Stars opened the scoring in the opening 20 minutes when Vanessa DiBernardo scored an "Olympic goal," bending the ball into the net untouched off a corner kick, and sealed the victory on a late counter attack that ended with Shayla Mutz's cross deflecting into the net off an FC Milwaukee defender.
"At the end of the day, it came down to who made plays inside the box," FC Milwaukee coach Christian Lavers said. "We had several chances to finish in the second half inside the 6 and we didn't take them. And then they had a chance at the end and took it."
The Nationals return to action Sunday afternoon against Minnesota Kings FC in St. Michael, Minn.
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