Posted: Jan. 19, 2010

Soccer fields across the state are frozen over, and there is a nip in the air that would make even the bravest players shiver.

So some of the area's best soccer players are taking it indoors.

Thirty of the top suburban-Milwaukee high school senior soccer players will participate in the second annual NOW/Milwaukee Wave Senior Soccer All-Star Game on Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The match pits East and West squads in an exhibition that follows the Wave's game with the Baltimore Blast.

Whitnall's best

Half of this year's players received all-state recognition, including Whitnall goal keeper Jacob Bye, a two-time all-state honorable mention during his four-year varsity career.

Bye, who verbally committed to Division I Wright State University in Ohio, was a first-team all-Woodland Conference goal keeper as a junior and senior (honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore).

He has played club soccer for FC Milwaukee since 2000 and won three state championships (2005-07) with that unit.

He has also participated in the United State Soccer Federation Academy League since 2010.

"Jacobs's high-energy attitude contributed to the success of our program along with making players around him better," Whitnall coach Steve Miskov said.

Joining Bye on the East team will be his Whitnall teammate Nikolai Miskov, a team captain like Bye who was a first-team all-Woodland Conference forward last fall and finished second in the league's player of the year voting.

The team most valuable player and four-year starter finished with 30 career goals and 18 assists. The state-caliber sprinter who owns two school track records has played club soccer for the United Serbian Soccer Club since 1992 and will play at Carroll University, where he will major in Medical Science next fall.

"He's an extremely unselfish player with a complete knowledge of the game and excellent ball skills," coach Miskov said. "In his career, both in club and high school, he never received a yellow or a red card. He played hard but fair. The dimension he added with his speed allowed us to compete with the top teams of the state.

"Both of these fine young athletes will be missed by our program, but will be an asset to their future squads."

Eastern stars rising

Oak Creek will be represented on the East squad by a pair of players, including all-state honorable mention Miguel Guiterrez, the school's all-time leading scorer.

The four-year varsity forward was a first-team all-Southeast Conference choice following his junior and senior campaigns, during which he led his team in goals twice. He was a co-captain as a senior.

"Miguel's skills, both technically and tactically, were well-respected by teammates and opponents alike," Oak Creek coach Bert Duerrmeier said. "Miguel's greatest ability was that his play made his teammates better."

The same could be said about Oak Creek's other all-star selection, midfielder Nick Tripoli, who was a two-year captain, four-year varsity player and all-SEC second-team choice as a senior, when he led the Knights in assists and scored at least one goal in all but one league match.

"Nick's exceptional work ethic was a great example for others to follow," Duerrmeier said.

Also on the East squad is Greendale forward Ross Fieldbinder, the Panthers' captain who was a second-team all-Woodland choice after scoring 15 goals with five assists.

A team MVP and scholar athlete, Fieldbinder played during the offseason for the Polonia Whitestars after moving to Wisconsin from the Detroit area in 2007, where he played for Waza.

"Ross is a very skilled player who has love and passion for the game of soccer," Greendale coach George Knezic said.