Wave Win Overtime Bout; Fourth Quarter Dominance Mounts Comeback in Utica
MASL Milwaukee Wave

Wave Win Overtime Bout; Fourth Quarter Dominance Mounts Comeback in Utica

Published on March 1, 2026 under Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Milwaukee Wave News Release


UTICA, NY - The 7-Time Champion Milwaukee Wave complete comeback to defeat Utica City FC in the Wave's final away game of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) season.

Sunday afternoon saw the Milwaukee Wave play their one and only game of the weekend at Utica City FC. Through the first half, the Wave allowed the momentum to sway in favor of the home side, defending 17 shots through the first two quarters. MASL All-Star Kelvin Oliveira made the most significant impact for Utica CIty FC, scoring all but one goal in their unfortunate defeat on home turf.

Oliveira was the goal scorer of the first two consecutive points in the game. Rookie target Oscar Flores had an answer early in the second quarter to bring the deficit to just one. With two blue cards given for illegal substitutions, the Milwaukee Wave would not score throughout the rest of the second quarter and Utica City FC won the shooting battle 11-2 that period and Oliveira's third goal brought the score line to 1-3 in the home team's advantage.

"I don't think it was our best performance," Head Coach Marcio Leite said. The Milwaukee Wave saw their deficit increase further in the third quarter, caused by some minor lapses in defensive discipline. Juan Salazar contributed the one and only goal of the game for Utica City FC which wasn't created by Kelvin Oliveira. Oliveira scored again to increase the difference to a score line of 1-5 and the home team would not score again.

"This team is very brave," Leite said. With a mountain to climb in the fourth quarter, the Milwaukee Wave employed Ricardo Carvalho as a sixth attacker from the period's opening kick. The comeback began less than two minutes into the quarter upon Carvalho's goal. The two-time MASL MVP Ian Bennett scored two successive goals which generated the most significant shift in energy the game had felt. The Game tying goal came with a scorching top corner finish struck by Max Ludwig.

"It says a lot about their ability to handle those tough moments," Leite said, proud of his team for their resilience when against the wall on the road. The Milwaukee Wave continued to play with a sixth attacker in overtime, with the goal of finishing the game quickly. Carvalho netted the go ahead finish and the wave would win the golden goal period 6-5.

Following the weekend results, the Milwaukee Wave sit in third place, just one point separating themselves from the first-place tie of the St. Louis Ambush and the San Diego Sockers. The Wave will look directly ahead to their home return against the Tacoma Stars, which will kick off their stretch of five straight home games to finish the regular season.

The Milwaukee Wave will face the Tacoma Stars at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Sunday, March 8 at 2:05pm CST.

Check out the Milwaukee Wave Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major Arena Soccer League Stories from March 1, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central