| Full name | Madison 56ers | ||
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| Nickname(s) | 56ers | ||
| Founded | 2005 | ||
| Stadium | Breese Stevens Field Madison, Wisconsin (Capacity: 2,700) |
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| Owner | Charles Billings | ||
| Head Coach | Jim Launder | ||
| League | National Premier Soccer League | ||
| 2010 | 1st, Midwest Playoffs: National Semi Finals |
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| Current season | |||
Madison 56ers is an American soccer team based in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Midwest Division. Prior to the 2009 season the team was known as the Princeton-56ers.
The team plays its home games at Breese Stevens Field, where they have played since 2005. The team played one season at Warner Park in 2008 due to renovations at Breese Stevens Field. The team's colors are red, black and white.
The team is part of the larger Madison 56ers soccer club, which was founded in 1956. The club has won 22 youth state championships, one men's national championship, six men's state championships, four men's USASA Region II championships and three women's state championships. The 56ers will have a team in the Women's Premier Soccer League in 2010.
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The team's first game was a 5-1 victory over Minnesota club Inferno 95 in a friendly on May 15, 2005 at Breese Stevens Field, with Jed Hohlbein scoring the team's first goal. The team finished 6-8 overall and finished third in the NPSL Midwest with a 5-5 record, behind NPSL champion Detroit and Milwaukee. Jed Hohlbein was named to the inaugural NPSL All-Midwest team.
In 2006, the Princeton-56ers were 12-2-4 overall and won the NPSL Midwest title with an 8-0-2 record. They lost to the Sacramento Knights 2-0 in the NPSL championship game on July 29, 2006, with Anthony Chimienti and Alfredo Renteria scoring in the final 19 minutes. The game drew a team-record crowd of 1,351. Princeton-56ers goalkeeper Eric Mickschl was named the NPSL Midwest MVP, while teammate Jed Hohlbein also made the All-Midwest team.
In 2007, the team went 13-3-1 overall and repeated as NPSL Midwest champion with an 8-1-1 record. They lost to the Southern California Fusion 1-0 in the NPSL semifinals on July 27, 2007 in La Mesa, California, then defeated the Sonoma County Sol 1-0 in the third-place match on July 28, 2007. 56ers midfielder Brad Ring was named the NPSL Midwest MVP, and was joined on the All-Midwest team by goalkeeper Ryan Germann, defender Reed Cooper, defender-midfielder Tenzin Rampa and forward Jed Hohlbein. The 56ers made their debut in U.S. Open Cup qualifying in 2007, as the NPSL representative. They lost to Detroit United 2-1 in the first round of the USASA Region II qualifying tournament on April 21. The match against German Fourth Division side SC Wiedenbruck on June 23, 2007, was their first match against international competition.
In 2008, the team went 7-3-2 overall and tied for second place in the NPSL Midwest with a 3-1-2 record. Henry Aiyenero was the team's leading scorer with five goals. Jed Hohlbein, Brad Ring, Reed Cooper and midfielder Trevor Banks were named to the All-Midwest team. In the 2008 US Open Cup, they won by forfeit over the Bloomington (Ind.) Cutters in the first round of Region II qualifying, then lost to RWB Adria 2-0 in the semifinals.
In 2009, the team finished 8-3-2 overall and 5-2-1 in the NPSL Midwest, tying the St. Paul Twin Stars and the Chicago Fire NPSL atop the standings. The Twin Stars were awarded the regional title and a berth in the NPSL national semifinals on a tiebreaker. Keith Dangarembwa led the team with four goals and was one of five 56ers players named to the All-Midwest team, joining goalkeeper Jon Szafranski, midfielder Pablo Delgado and defenders Trevor Banks and Brian Bultman. The 56ers made their debut in the USASA Region II Amateur Cup, losing to Croatia Cleveland 3-0 and defeating FC Indiana 3-1 and Illinois' AAC Eagles 5-3 at the competition in Oak Forest, Ill., but failing to advance to the final.
In 2010, the team finished 10-7-2 overall and 8-2-0 in the NPSL Midwest, claiming its third regional championship. The 56ers lost to Chattanooga FC 2-0 in the NPSL national semifinals on July 29, 2010, and lost to FC Sonic Lehigh Valley 3-1 in the third-place match on July 30, 2010. Brazilian Werebetth Rocha, known as Betinho, led the team with eight goals. Midfielder Trevor Banks was named to the All-Midwest team for the third time, while midfielder Keenan Newallo, defender Brian Bultman and goalkeeper Jon Szafranski were honored for the second time. Defender Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly, in his first season with the team, also was an all-region selection. The 56ers finished 0-1-1 at the USASA Region II Amateur Cup, tying Detroit United 1-1 and losing to Illinois' Inferno SC 3-0; their scheduled finale against Missouri's Kutis was canceled due to field conditions with both teams out of contention for advancement.
In 2011, the 56ers will make their first appearance in the U.S. Open Cup since starting the NPSL team. An earlier men's amateur team from the club qualified for the tournament in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Jed Hohlbein, who starred at nearby Middleton High School and played two seasons at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, led the team in goals in each of its first three seasons, scoring 10 in 2005 and 13 in both 2006 and 2007. He scored three goals in 2008 and one in 2010 and is the team's career leading scorer with 40 goals.
Hohlbein had the 56ers' first hat trick in a 3-2 home victory over the St. Paul Twin Stars on May 20, 2006, then added another in a 4-1 home friendly win over German Fourth Division side SC Wiedenbruck on June 23, 2007. Andre Francois also had a hat trick in a 9-1 home win over the Madison Latino League All-Stars in a friendly on July 2, 2006. Henry Aiyenero had the fourth three-goal game in team history on July 12, 2008 in a 7-0 win over the Milwaukee Bavarians and Betinho posted the fifth on June 28, 2010 in a 9-1 victory over Eau Claire Aris FC. The nine goals against the Madison Latino League All-Stars in 2006 and Eau Claire Aris FC in 2010 stand as the team record for goals in a match.
Eight Princeton-56ers/56ers players have gone on to professional careers. Defender Aaron Hohlbein, like his older brother a former standout at Middleton High School and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, was selected by the Kansas City Wizards with the third pick of the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft. He signed a senior contract with the Wizards on March 1, 2007, and made his MLS debut on April 14, 2007. He spent time on loan with Miami FC of the U.S. Soccer Federation Division-2 Pro League in 2010 and signed with the team in 2011. The team was renamed the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and is playing in the North American Soccer League. Midfielder-defender Noah Goerlitz, a native of Neenah, Wisconsin who also played at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, played with Canterbury United in the New Zealand Football Championship in the 2006-2007 season. Brad Ring, a midfielder for the team in 2007 and 2008, was selected by the San Jose Earthquakes with the 17th pick of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Jed Hohlbein played with VfB Susterfeld in Germany in 2009, helping the team earn promotion from the Seventh Division in the process. Midfielder Andy Adlard was selected by the Columbus Crew in the third round of the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft and signed with the club on February 21, 2011. Scott Lorenz and Alex Horwath, also former University of Wisconsin–Madison standouts, were free agents who signed with MLS teams in 2011, Lorenz with Sporting Kansas City and Horwath with New York Red Bulls. Forward J._C._Banks signed with the Rochester Rhinos in the USL Professional Division.
Source: [1]
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Year | Division | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | / | / | / | / | Regional Round |
| 1990 | / | / | / | / | Regional Semifinals |
| 2005 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd Midwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2006 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Midwest | Runners-Up | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Midwest | Third Place | Did not qualify |
| 2008 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, Midwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2009 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, Midwest | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
| 2010 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Midwest | National Semi Finals | Did not enter |
| 2011 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, Midwest | Did not qualify | 1st Round |
Launder coached the University of Wisconsin–Madison men's soccer team to its only NCAA championship in 1995 and was an assistant coach for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer from 2002 to 2004. From 2005 to 2007, their assistant coach was Danny van Mol, who also was a player-assistant coach for the team in 2005. Enzo Fuschino served as assistant coach in 2008. Henry Aiyenero has been a player-assistant coach since 2010.
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