Written By:   Joe Chatz
              Central Region Contributor

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The Midwest Conference, part of the WPSL’s Central Region, features 10 teams, including six expansion teams this summer. The conference is also split into two divisions for the 2022 season: the Heartland Division and the Lake Michigan Division.

The Heartland Division consists of Fire & Ice SC and four of the conference’s six expansion teams: Central Illinois United, Iowa Raptors FC, Quad Cities Rush Soccer Club and Kansas City Current Reserves.

The Lake Michigan Division consists of returning teams, Bavarian United SC, Chicago Dutch Lions FC, and FC Milwaukee Torrent. The division rounds out with the other two expansion teams, Chicago KICS Football Club and the Midwest Select SA Muskrats.

With the league’s return of its traditional postseason, the Heartland Division champion will host the Lake Michigan Division champion in the Midwest Conference Championship match on July 9.

 

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HEARTLAND DIVISION

Fire & Ice SC (Belleville, IL)

Fire & Ice SC return to the WPSL for its ninth season as the lone veteran club in the Heartland Division. In its tenure, Fire & Ice has reached the postseason four times and claimed the 2017 WPSL Championship after an undefeated season.

Head coach, Lindsey Eversmeyer, who’s been with the club since its inaugural season, will lead Fire & Ice after finishing third in the 2021 conference standings to improve its +3 goal differential from last season.

Fire & Ice SC will again call Althoff Catholic high school in Belleville, Ill. its home field. The 2017 WPSL champion will begin the 2022 season on June 4 when it hosts expansion-side Iowa Raptors FC.

Central Illinois United (Rantoul, IL)

Central Illinois United is one of four expansion teams in the Heartland Division, though the club has been around in a youth capacity since the turn of the century. The club will call the Rantoul Family Sports Complex in Rantoul, Ill. home for its inaugural WPSL season.

Central Illinois United’s 2022 season begins on the road, facing Fire & Ice SC on June 5. The club will host its home opener on June 8 against Quad Cities Rush.

Iowa Raptors FC (Cedar Rapids, IA)

Iowa Raptors FC is one of two Iowa-based expansion teams joining the Heartland Division this season. The club began as a men’s team in 2019 before forming a women’s side in 2021. Gordy Gurson serves as the club’s general manager and appointed Curt Lewis to serve as the club’s head coach for its inaugural season.

The Raptors are utilizing the in-state college talent pool, securing 10 players who are either from or attend school in Iowa. The club boasts Siri Ott, Waverly-native and Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team member who just finished her first year at Northern Iowa. Iowa Hawkeyes Kenzie Roling and Delaney Holtey also make up the homegrown Division I players on the Raptors’ inaugural roster.

The club will play its home matches at Prairie high school and will host its season opener on May 28 against Kansas City Current Reserves.

Kansas City Current Reserves (Riverside, MO)

The WPSL has been no stranger to the National Women’s Soccer League’s presence in its league membership as past seasons have featured reserve teams from its professional counterparts including the Chicago Red Stars and the former Utah Royals organization.

For 2022, NWSL’s Kansas City Current join NJ/NY Gotham FC by entering its reserve team into the WPSL this season. Kansas City will also serve as the lone Missouri representative in the Heartland Division. Not the first NWSL reserve team to make its mark in the league, the Current’s reserve team will look to take the WPSL by storm.

The club will play its home games at the Kansas City Current’s Training Facility in Riverside, Mo. After playing the first two matches on the road, the Current Reserves will host its home opener against Quad Cities Rush on June 4.

Quad Cities Rush Soccer Club (Davenport, IA)

As the largest soccer club in the Quad Cities area, the Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois club rounds out the division’s expansion side. Quad Cities Rush Soccer has been in operation in one form or another since 1978, as an entity of Rush Soccer.

For its inaugural season, Quad Cities has named Randy Bollman and Colleen Rumpza to its 2022 coaching staff with Bollman serving as head coach and Rumpza as his assistant.

Quad Cities Rush will play its home matches at the St. Vincent Athletic Complex in Davenport, Iowa. The club will face the Kansas City Current Reserves in its home opener on May 27.

 

LAKE MICHIGAN DIVISION

Bavarian United SC (Glendale, WI)

Bavarian United SC return to the WPSL for its second season, though the suburban-Milwaukee club has been in the fold of soccer in the Midwest since 1929. For 2022, Bob Spielmann is set to return and lead as head coach.

Bavarian look to improve upon its 4-3-3 record from 2021 that secured a third-place finish in regular-season standings. The club also saw four players named to the 2021 All-Conference team – Hailey Block (MF), Gaby Schwartz (D), Josie Kelderman (D), and Maggy Henschler (D)

Bavarian begin its season with two matches on the road before hosting Chicago Dutch Lions FC at Heartland Value Fund Stadium on June 4.

Chicago Dutch Lions FC (Wheaton, IL)

One of six Dutch Lions clubs in the WPSL, Chicago Dutch Lions FC are back for its second season. The Wheaton, Ill.-based club finished last season in second place of conference, with four draws haunting them en route to its 4-2-4 record.

Even so, its inaugural season proved to be successful as the team collected end-of-season Best of the WPSL conference awards with forward Abby Schwartz earning Offensive Player of the Year and head coach Nikhil Erlebach earning Coach of the Year. The Dutch Lions also secured Franchise of the Year for the conference.

The club will play its home matches at Joe Bean Stadium on the campus of Wheaton College. The Dutch Lions will host fellow Chicago-based club, Chicago KICS Football Club in its season opener on May 27.

Chicago KICS Football Club (Chicago, IL)

One of the two expansion teams in the Lake Michigan Division this season, Chicago KICS Football Club joins the WPSL after launching on the south side of Chicago in 2010.

The KICS has a primarily local roster as six of its members play their collegiate soccer in Chicago, with three players just finishing their final year at De La Salle high school – where the club will play its home matches.

Tom Shergen and Antonio Godinez will serve as head coaches for the 2022 season

 

FC Milwaukee Torrent (Wauwatosa, WI)

FC Milwaukee Torrent, the veteran of the division, is back for its fourth season in the league. The suburban-Milwaukee side returns after a fourth-place finish in 2021.

Andres Davi will return in his capacity as head coach for the new season after a 4-3-3 record in 2021 – which he handles alongside his ownership duties.

The Torrent open its season on May 27 when it will host Bavarian United SC at Hart Park in Wauwatosa, Wis.

Midwest Select SA Muskrats (St. John, IN)

The lone Indiana-based club in the Midwest Conference, Midwest Select SA Muskrats join the WPSL as part of the 2022 expansion class as the second newcomer in the Lake Michigan Division.

The state of Indiana is represented well on the Muskrats' inaugural WPSL roster, with 24 members of the squad being from the state including Kelly Shaffer of the University of Indiana Northwest.

Omar Gallo, David Bock, Chloe Kane and Camryn Rassbach have all been named to the Muskrats coaching staff for 2022.

After beginning its season on the road, the Muskrats will host Chicago KICS Football Club on June 4 at Lake Central High School in St. John, Indiana.

 

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