Peter Knezic is a retired American

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 ...

player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League,

United Soccer League The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...

and

American Indoor Soccer League The American Indoor Soccer League was a semi-professional indoor soccer league founded in 2002 and folded in 2008. History Founded in 2002, the AISL's headquarters were in West Springfield, Massachusetts, but the media relations office was ...

. He coached at the professional, collegiate and youth soccer level where he is currently the coaching director at Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club.

Youth

Knezic grew up in

Cudahy, Wisconsin Cudahy () is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,204 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A suburb south of Milwaukee along the shore of Lake Michigan, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan are ...

where in 1967 he began playing youth soccer with the Milwaukee Serbians. He moved up the club ranks and eventually played for their senior team where he was part of three Wisconsin Major Division and two Wisconsin Challenge Cup championships. He attended the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...

where he was a 1979 Honorable Mention (third team) All American soccer player.

Professional

In 1980, both the

Chicago Sting The Chicago Sting (1974–1988) was an American professional soccer team representing Chicago. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1982–83 season and again from ...

of the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

and the

Chicago Horizons The Chicago Horizons was a member of the original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) for only the 1980–81 season. It was the first of two franchises that represented Chicago in the circuit's history. It was the first professional sports team th ...

of the Major Indoor Soccer League drafted Knezic. He signed with the Horizons and played one season with them before the team folded. In 1982, he signed with the

Oklahoma City Slickers The Oklahoma City Slickers was the name given to two different American association football, soccer clubs based in Oklahoma City. The first team competed in the second American Soccer League (1933–83), American Soccer League in 1982 and 1983. ...

of the American Soccer League. He remained with the Slickers through the 1983 season. When both the team and the league collapsed, he moved to the Oklahoma City Stampede of the newly established

. In 1985, he moved to the

Tulsa Tornados The Tulsa Tornado's were a professional outdoor soccer team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played in the 2nd division United Soccer League (1984–85), United Soccer League during the partially completed 1985 United Soccer League season, 1985 season. ...

, but the team and league collapsed six games into the season. In the fall of 1985, he signed with the

Milwaukee Wave The Milwaukee Wave are an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that competes in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional indoor footbal ...

of the

American Indoor Soccer Association American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

. He was selected for the All Star game that season. Knezic suffered from back problems during the 1986–1987 season and when not playing, served as the team's assistant coach and general manager for player personnel. He continued to play for the Wave through the 1989–1990 season. In March 1992, the Wave retired his playing number - #5. In 1989, Knezic was hired to coach the

UW–Milwaukee Panthers The Milwaukee Panthers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level, competing in the Horizon Leagu ...

women's soccer team. Over two seasons, he compiled a 17-17-4 record and resigned on March 13, 1991. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007.2007 Wisconsin Soccer Hall of Fame
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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knezic, Peter 1959 births Living people National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) coaches National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players American soccer coaches American men's soccer players American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Chicago Horizons players Chicago Sting (MISL) players Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players Milwaukee Wave players Oklahoma City Slickers (ASL) players Oklahoma City Slickers players Tulsa Tornados players United Soccer League (1984–85) players Milwaukee Panthers men's soccer players Men's association football defenders People from Cudahy, Wisconsin Soccer players from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Player-coaches Men's association football midfielders 20th-century American sportsmen