The Milwaukee Wave are an American professional

indoor soccer Indoor soccer or arena soccer is a form of five-a-side football, five-a-side or six-a-side version of minifootball. It is derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arenas. It differs from the FIFA, FIFA ...

team based in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, Wisconsin, that competes in the

Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a professional indoor soccer league in North America. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. The league is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. The le ...

(MASL). Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional indoor

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

team in the United States and are seven-time league champions, most recent being the 2018–19 champions of the MASL. The team plays their games at the

UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena The UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena (originally the Milwaukee Arena and formerly MECCA Arena and U.S. Cellular Arena) is an indoor arena located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The arena, which seats as many as 12,700 people and offers of floor space, is ...

. The team colors are black and yellow. The team has won 7 league championships in their history, three in the NPSL, three in the MISL, and one in the MASL.

History

The team was founded on August 3, 1984, as a member of the American Indoor Soccer Association and played in every season and incarnation of that league (see MISL). They have also played in the Xtreme Soccer League and the third version of the MISL. The team is currently a member of the

. Milwaukee also hosted the 2003 and 2006 MISL II All-Star Games. Keith Tozer was the team's coach for 21 years before leaving to become United States national futsal team head coach. While with the Wave, he was the all-time winningest coach in North American indoor soccer, with six league championships and more than 700 wins. The Wave played in the first season of the Xtreme Soccer League in the 2008 – 2009 season, but moved to the new Major Indoor Soccer League for the 2009–2010 season. After the 2013–2014 season, the team announced that it was leaving the MISL along with five other teams and join the MASL. In 2014 the ownership group ROC Ventures, headed by Mike Zimmerman, became a partner in the team's ownership. Just before the 2014–15 season began, the Wave replaced their traditional green

artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...

with a black turf to match the team's colors and marketing strategy. Reception by fans and the press was mixed but generally positive.

Players

:''''

Active roster

Inactive roster

2022–23 transfers

Transfers in

Transfers out

Wave Hall of Fame inductees

Retired numbers

* 5 – Peter Knezic * 11 – Steve Morris * 27 –

Victor Nogueira Victor Nogueira (born July 17, 1959) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper. Nogueira spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League, but gained his greatest recognition in over twenty seasons in three indoor leagues, the Major Indoor ...

* 13 – Michael King * 17 – Todd Dusosky * 19 – Troy Dusosky

Other notable former players

* Brian Loftin * Jimmy Banks

Year-by-year

* Regular season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Head coaches

* Keith Tozer missed parts of the 1997–98 & 1999–00 season coaching the US Futsal team. Both times, Art Kramer filled in.

Owners

* Luis Antonio Ramos - Tony (1984) * Ron Creten, Wayne Lueders, Dr. Christiansen (1985–87) * Michael H. Bazelon (1987–2002) * Charles Krause (2002–09) * James Lindenberg (2009–2013) * Sue Black (2013–2014) * Mike Zimmerman (2014–present)

Arenas

* MECCA Auditorium 1984–1988 * Bradley Center 1988–2003 *

2003–present

References

External links

* {{Wisconsin Sports 1984 establishments in Wisconsin Association football clubs established in 1984 Indoor soccer clubs in the United States Major Arena Soccer League teams Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008) teams Major Indoor Soccer League (2008–2014) teams National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) teams Xtreme Soccer League teams Soccer clubs in Wisconsin