Peter Knezic
Encyclopedia
Peter Knezic is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League
, American Soccer League
, United Soccer League
and American Indoor Soccer League
. He coached at the professional, collegiate and youth soccer level where he is currently the coaching director at FC Milwaukee.
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 where he was a 1979 Honorable Mention (third team) All American soccer player.
of the North American Soccer League
and the Chicago Horizon
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
drafted Knezic. He signed with the Horizon and played one season with them before the team folded. In 1982, he signed with the Oklahoma City Slickers
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 United Soccer League
. In 1985, he moved to the Tulsa Tornados
, but the team and league collapsed six games into the season. In the fall of 1985, he signed with the Milwaukee Wave
of the American Indoor Soccer Association. 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 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.
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
, American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
, United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
and American Indoor Soccer League
American Indoor Soccer League
The American Indoor Soccer League was a semi-professional indoor soccer league founded in 2003 and for now folded in 2008.- History :Founded in 2002, the AISL's headquarters are based in West Springfield, Massachusetts, but the media relations office is based out of Cleveland, Ohio. The league...
. He coached at the professional, collegiate and youth soccer level where he is currently the coaching director at FC Milwaukee.
Youth
Knezic grew up in Cudahy, WisconsinCudahy, Wisconsin
Cudahy is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,429 at the 2000 census.-History:Originally known as the Buckhorn Settlement, it was renamed in the late 1800s when Patrick Cudahy purchased 700 acres of land in the Town of Lake, two miles from the Milwaukee city...
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 where he was a 1979 Honorable Mention (third team) All American soccer player.
Professional
In 1980, both the Chicago StingChicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and the Chicago Horizon
Chicago Horizon
The Chicago Horizons was a member of the original Major Indoor Soccer League 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 that played its home matches at the Rosemont Horizon, which also...
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
drafted Knezic. He signed with the Horizon and played one season with them before the team folded. In 1982, he signed with the Oklahoma City Slickers
Oklahoma City Slickers
The Oklahoma City Slickers was an American soccer club based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that played in three lower division U.S. leagues, the American Soccer League, United Soccer League and USISL.-American Soccer League:...
of the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
. 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 United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
. In 1985, he moved to the Tulsa Tornados
Tulsa Tornados
The Tulsa Tornados were a professional soccer team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played for one season in the USL. The 1985 season only lasted six games as the league folded halfway through....
, but the team and league collapsed six games into the season. In the fall of 1985, he signed with the Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the American Indoor Soccer Association. 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 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.