WAVE NOTEBOOK: DUTCHIE FLIES SOLO, SUPRISE DEBUTS

For much of his seven seasons with the Milwaukee Wave, goalkeeper Marcel Feenstra has shared starting duties with veteran Nick Vorberg. But with Vorberg now rehabilitating a hand injury, Feenstra has been in goal for the last six games and will be again Saturday when the Wave take on St. Louis at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

Feenstra said being on call every game doesn't change much for him, preparing the same whether he's the only keeper available or part of a platoon. It's easy to forget he's now quite a veteran himself, with more than 60 starts in his career in Milwaukee.

“I'm reading the game a little better, and I won't say it gets easier, but it gets a little more natural,” said Feenstra, who played both outdoor soccer and futsal in his native Holland.

Coach Keith Tozer said he's sometimes a little uneasy having that single keeper, knowing Feenstra isn't afraid to put himself in front of an opposing player, but that he's happy with the defense overall.

“I'd give the defense a B-plus, A-minus,” he said. “Man down team, I'd give an A-plus, I think we've only given up two power play goals.”

Suprise debuts: Rookie Philip Suprise earned his first professional action Saturday in the 16-4 victory over Missouri, with JC Banks and Marcelo Fontanaboth scratched. Though he didn't score, Suprise made himself noticed by creating a handful of dangerous scoring opportunities and blocking three shots.

“He has the potential to be a future star for the Milwaukee Wave and in the MISL,” Tozer said. “He's fast, quick strong, fearless. Techically, he's extremely strong with both feet. He's got great self-esteem, confidence in his game. And he's what I call a 'footballer,' just a good soccer player.”

Another kind of surprise: After losing their first 11 matches — often by wide margins — the Pennsylvania Roar certainly turned heads around the MISL by not only getting in the win column, but shutting out St. Louis 16-0 last Sunday.

Tozer watched the game on YouTube, and said having two expansion teams backed by veteran goalkeepers — Peter Pappas for Pennsylvania and Jeff Richey for St. Louis — created a recipe for something like that to happen. The Ambush — which lost both games on its weekend trip out east by a combined 30-2 count — have to visit Missouri on Friday night before coming to Milwaukee on Saturday.

Team of the Week:Jonathan Greenfield, with a 2-pointer and 3-pointer in the first half of Saturday's victory over Missouri, was named to the MISL Team of the Week.

This Week in Wave History: Michael King and Todd Dusosky scored game-winners on consecutive nights as the Wave beat the Baltimore Blast 12-10 and Philadelphia Kixx 21-12 on Jan. 21-22, 2000. They were the first two wins in a 10-game winning streak that helped propel the Wave to the 2000 NPSL Championship.