November 17, 2006

IT WAS A GREAT RUN... too bad it had to end. As elated as we were with our PK shootout win over Rutgers last Saturday evening, we felt an equal level of sadness in our shootout loss last night to Lehigh University. As I sit here on the bus on the way back from Pennsylvania, I still feel deeply for the players as I know they put everything they had into a game played with 22 players on a 120 yard x 75 yard surface. In the end, the game was decided between two players from a spot just 12 yards from the goal.

You have to know that it was a great atmosphere at Lehigh and a well-hosted event. The weather was warm, the field in good condition, it's the second round of the NCAA tournament and the crowd was a record-setter for the Ulrich Sports Complex. We couldn't have asked for more...

The game began with a good amount of pressure (as expected) by the home team, which had not played in two weeks. Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England), who has gotten better and better as the season has progressed, made a point blank save to preserve the 0-0 score early in.

We weathered the storm and on our first real open chance, Lukasz Tumicz (Biszytnek, Poland) scored his seventh goal of the season off a Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) assist. We felt as though were on our way but Lehigh was not about to lay down, as their 15-1-2 regular-season record and #16 seed would attest.

The game was one of ebbs and flows as each team got their chances to change the score line. Our best chance came when Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) put Tumicz through for semi-break-a-way but the Mountain Hawk GK made a nice stop. It looked as though the game would end with another Rhody win but unfortunately Lehigh equalized off a counter with just 6 minutes to go in regulation.

In overtime, each team had at least one quality chance but the match would end, as regulation did, knotted at one apiece. It would now be up to the shootout and it just was not our day as Lehigh prevailed, 5-4, in sudden death.

It was a tough and abrupt ending to a season we had hoped would extend for at least another week. It was hard for me to watch the players, many with tears in their eyes, agonize over this result. But now, as I did last night, I feel nothing but pride for being a part of this season and such a great program.

As I told the players after the game, that I feel like I am the luckiest guy in the world to have had the fortune to come to Rhode Island, have this great group of men handed to me on a silver platter and do what we did together. I have to thank Tom McElroy and Eddie Bradley for that...

Most of all, I'm honored to have been with this senior class in their final year. They are a wonderful group of people and each contributed to the successes of the season in their own unique ways. My hat goes off to Jim Goetter, Jeff Gonsalves, B.J. Kochis, Mark Sauter and Joe Spofford for the legacy they leave for future URI men's soccer players.

In the next week, as the fog of disappointment lifts, we will be able to look back and realize what a great season 2006 was for all involved. On behalf of the team and our staff I want to thank our parents, friends and alums who have been such great supporters over the fall. URI soccer is here to stay and we will make sure you are a part of it.

GO RAMS!

November 13, 2006

Well, it was an exciting night in Piscataway... maybe not as exciting as the Rutgers vs. Louisville football game the Thursday before, but exciting nonetheless. If you were there you know what I mean.

Our guy's were FANTASTIC, playing with passion, heart and a will to win. We scored about 6 minutes in and were on our way. See if you can picture this....

It all started when freshmen goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) collected a Rugters cross and threw out immediately to Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) who played it first time wide to Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa). Danleigh dribbled inside and found Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) up top who connected with Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) streaking up the field in support. Geoff went wide and got behind the Scarlet Knights on the dribble and sent a driven ball across the goal that Gonsalves (remember now, he was one of the ones who started all this!), who deposited it into an open goal. It was beautiful!

Rutgers tied it in the second half on a bomb from 30 yards... and the rest of the way either team could have won it.

After two 10 minute overtimes it was on to the shootout the boy's prevailed (4-2) in a penalty shootout with Pennock saving one after Rutgers missed one. Tri-captain Callum Bissett (Pencaitland, Scotland) drove home the game winner and it was pandemonium!

It was a performance that would have made you proud! We had an unbelievable crowd of RHODY parents, students, alums and friends at the game who just added to the tremendous atmosphere (Thanks to all of you for coming to support us!).

You can see photos of the game and our fans by clicking on the "Photo Gallery" link in the game recap on our website (http://gorhody.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/recaps/111206aaa.html).

Anyway, we are off to the 2nd round of the Division I NCAA tournament which will be held:

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 15TH
7:00 PM
vs #16 SEED - LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
Bethlehem, PA

Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students and there is talk of a fan bus being organized so if you are interested in going drop me a line back and I will let you know. I have heard that one will go if a minimum of 40 people sign up.

If you can't make the game LIVE VIDEO and AUDIO will be broadcast online at: http://www.lehighsports.com/info/broadcast/ (click on the words "CLICK HERE" at the bottom of the schedule and above the broadcast logos) with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports. Additionally, the game will be broadcast on 91.3 FM in the Lehigh Valley.

The winner of our game will face the winner of the Duke-Brown match in the third round of the tournament.

We really hope you can be with us, but if not, make sure you watch us on-line!

GO RAMS!

November 7, 2006

WE DID IT! The guy's brought another Atlantic 10 Championship back to URI. The third in four years! What a streak. Hopefully many of you got to see the games this past weekend via webcast from the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. If you didn't, it was a weekend that would have made you proud.

The team went into the tournament as the #2 seed and the advantage of having the semi-final be our first game. We arrived in Charlotte on Wednesday and got a chance to train and get used to the lay of the land. On Thursday the team spent the morning in study hall, midday training and then watched the quarterfinals to see who we would play on Friday. In the first game #3 seed Richmond beat Xavier 1-0 on a goal in the last 2 minutes. In the nightcap host UNC-Charlotte battled Duquesne in a great game to watch with the Dukes ending up on the plus side of a 1-0 score. Richmond would be our next game by virtue of the Spiders being the highest seed remaining of the four. We could now make our plans.

On Friday the game could not have come any sooner. The guy's spent the day in anticipation of the game that night. After a nice pre-game meal at Cirro's Italian Restaurant which was adjacent to our hotel, we got ourselves ready. When we arrived at the field top seed St. Louis University was deadlocked with Duquesne at the half. The Billikens got a second-half goal with about 20 minutes to go put them in the lead, and eventually into the final on Sunday.

Now it was our turn. The first 20 minutes of the match with Richmond was all URI. The ball was "pinging" around and through the Spider defense creating numerous chances. Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa), who was playing center midfield in place of Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland) who was sitting because of yellow card accumulation, got the best opportunity on a short clearance and made it count. He proceeded to hit a cracker of a volley from 18 yards that deflected off a Richmond defender and into the back of the net. The team was ecstatic! Richmond mounted a formidable comeback but the defense held strong and the game ended 1-0.

The final would now be a rematch of the 2005 Atlantic 10 finals.

Saturday was a recovery day and a chance to relax and have some fun. We had a light training session which mainly consisted of a hotly contested game of soccer tennis. The mood was light and the confidence was high. We returned to Cirro's for another nice meal - carbo loading for Sunday's match. A good nights rest would do us well and I knew after our team meeting that night, the boy's would be ready to play.

We awoke to a beautiful morning on Sunday and the weather was going to be perfect for the final. We headed over and got our warm-up going and before we knew it, it was game time. St. Louis was the 9th ranked team in the country coming into the match in the first 20 minutes they showed us why.

The guy's withstood the attacks and looked to capitalize on Billiken mistakes. Senior forward Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) did just that when he shot a ball at a surprised SLU goalkeeper which deflected off his hands into the goal... 1-0 Rams.

After the interval we returned to the field knowing that SLU would be pressing to score. Just 5 minutes into the second stanza, Atlantic 10 Tournament MVP Danleigh Borman received a ball out of our defense and knocked it over the SLU defenders to Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland), who deftly side-footed a volley over a stranded St. Louis goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead. Now we were cooking!

SLU continued but seemed to deflate. However they still came at us because they are a quality team. We got some timely help from super subs Joe Spofford (Waterville, ME), Steve Mellen (N. Kingstown, RI), Kedan Crosby (St. James Trinidad) and Steven Scalzo (Plymouth, MN) and we defended well and killed the game. The A-10 Championship and the NCAA automatic bid were ours!

So, now it's on to the Big Dance... the third time in the past four years! I've received a tremendous amount of congratulatory e-mails and phone calls but I have to thank Eddie Bradley for handing to me (on a silver platter) a great squad and terrific bunch of men. He, along with our parents, friends and alums supported and encouraged us when we were 1-2-2 back in September, having the faith that we could do it.

Other people like Dr. John Sullivan our sports psychologist, Doug Stone in strength and conditioning and GK coach Ben Smith donated their time and are pivotal elements in getting us to this point. Lastly, our athletic trainer Michelle "Dr. Frankenstein" Levreault, Frank Bergren, Pat Laughlin and Gareth Elliott have been consistent forces in keeping our team together (literally).

We're gonna make a run at it and we hope you will keep up with us as we begin the second season at Rutgers University on November 11th!

GO RAMS!

October 30, 2006

BOO AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN! It's been a couple of weeks since I last reported on the team and the season but don't despair, things have been going well. It's just been really busy for all of us involved in URI soccer between games, training and hosting possible future Rams visiting campus the past couple of weekends. So, let's bring you all up to speed...

Over the time since I last wrote, we have been head first into the end of the Atlantic 10 season and preparations for the A-10 Tournament. We've had a terrific run at home since our split weekend at Xavier/Dayton and its' put us in a great position to make another run at the Atlantic 10 Tournament title.

Over the weekend of October 13-15, Temple and Saint Joseph's came to town, and in both games it proved why you can't look past any opponent in the league. On Friday we sandwiched an early own goal with a Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland) finish in the 72nd minute to beat the Owls. It was a really nifty goal as Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) lifted a pass over Temple's defense that Badecki took down and calmly deposited in the goal.

On Sunday, St. Joe's scored first but our guys responded with 6 unanswered goals to down the Hawks, 6-1. This was a great team effort as 9 different players contributed to the scoring with Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) leading the way with two goals and an assist.

Midweek, we had the second of our Rhode Island Darby's with Brown University coming to campus for a re-match of the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, which the Bears won, 2-1. It was an old-fashioned shoot-out and all out entertaining game which ended in a 3-3 draw. We started the game well and got a goal from Lukasz Tumicz only to see Brown equalize. After Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) put the Rams ahead again, the Ivy Leaguers tallied twice in a two-minute span which threw us for a loop. But old reliable Jeff Gonsalves came through to tie the game and that is how it ended. Exciting and well worth the price of admission.

It was also a special night as Danleigh tallied his first goal of the season in front of his mother who had surprised "her baby" a few days earlier. Only the coaching staff knew she was making the 18 hour flight from Cape Town and you should have seen his face and heard him say "Mummy?!" when she came out from behind Keaney during our warm down after training... It was priceless! The hug will last a lifetime...

The University of Massachusetts came to town the next weekend and it took overtime (our seventh OT of the season) to beat the Minutemen. The first half was not a good one for us as we started slow and seemed to be a little out of sorts with Adam Howarth (Isle of Wight, England) missing due to an ankle injury he sustained against Brown.

UMass scored first on a counter attack but we were able to get in the locker room at half-time tied when Dawid Badecki scored on a free kick in the 32nd minute. A missed penalty kick in the second half enabled Massachusetts to stay in the game but Lukasz Tumicz continued his hot scoring streak finishing a Jeff Gonsalves pass just 5 minutes into the extra stanza.

Now things come full circle as we were set up for a furious finish and a chance to win the Atlantic 10 regular season title but in the way were Duquesne and league-leading St. Louis University.

The Duquesne match turned into something we did not expect, that of a 4-0 shut out and a bizarre side show. In the middle of the second half the match was interrupted by a pitbull that ran onto the field through the gate by the practice football field and proceeded to attack another dog by the stands.

Now I've seen some weird things happen during a game but this tops them all! Especially since it was Kevin Hamill's family's dog that was attacked! We are glad to report that KH's dog (a fluffy little thing that managed to bite a chunk out of the pitbull) is ok. The pitbull made its way back onto the field and most of the guys scampered around trying to stay out of its way until Dawid Badecki bravely escorted it off the field by its collar... only to see it make a mad dash across the field a couple of minutes later.

Anyway, it was one of those games were things just seemed to be clicking for our guys and after two first-half goals by Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA), and one sandwiched in between from Jeff Gonsalves, we seemed to put the game out of reach.

Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT) scored his first collegiate goal (a BLAST into the side netting from 25 yards... on an angle by the way!) to seal the deal leaving the boys a chance to win the regular season A-10 title with a win over SLU on Sunday.

GO RAMS!

October 13, 2006

It was a weekend of highs and lows which to be honest, is often how the game of soccer goes. We entered the weekend with a chance to get two more Atlantic 10 conference wins and a great set up for the stretch run on the season. We came away with some mixed feelings but confident we are in a great position to do something special with the season.

On Friday we faced Xavier University, which was 1-0 in the conference after defeating local rival Dayton the weekend before. The team started out well, stringing some passes together and combining well in the final third to create some chances. Xavier withstood some early pressure and the game became a battle of the midfield.

Unfortunately, about 20 minutes into the match Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, Mass.) had to come out of the game because of the ill effects of a back injury he sustained the weekend before versus George Washington. With this change in the lineup, Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) was moved to the middle which helped to change the tempo of the match and lend a different dynamic to the position. Coming towards the end of the half an XU player found himself behind the Ram defense off a throw-in from 30 yards out and crossed the ball to an open teammate for a 1-0 score. Our guy's were not happy.

The second half began with a flurry as the Rhody boys pressed to find the equalizer. They worked hard and maintained a solid defense but time became a premium. At the suggestion of Assistant Coach Pat Laughlin, central defender Adam Howarth (Isle of White, England) moved up front to provide a "huge" target and the move paid off.

Howarth was played a ball about 30 yards out, playing it over his head to a streaking Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) who crossed the ball to an on rushing Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) who deposited into the goal for the equalizer. The momentum was with the Rams and if there had been five extra minutes added to regulation, I truly believe we could have won it then.

But overtime was it. And in the extra stanza, it took a great cross by Xavier to beat the Rhody defense and we ended the game on a disappointing note.

On Sunday, we awoke to a beautiful morning which proved to be an ominous foreshadow to the day. From the opening to final whistle, the guys were brimming with confidence. They knew it would be their day and Jeff Gonsalves made sure it would happen with two goals on assists from Callum Bissett's (Pencaitland, Scotland) redirected header off a Dawid Badecki (Jalenia Gora, Poland) free kick and a thru pass from Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT) who collected his first assist of the year.

When Jeff scored his second goal, he ran right to Assistant Coach Gareth Elliot to celebrate because not only was it Coach Elliott's birthday, with the goal, Jeff had passed Gareth on URI's all-time scoring list.

Dayton put on a valiant onslaught of driven balls into the Rhody defensive third but freshmen goalie Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) held things together and earned his second shutout of the season. It was an acceptable end to the weekend as we all realized that it's hard to win on the road and with the victory over Dayton, we were still in the hunt for the A-10 title.

This upcoming weekend is an important one as it pits us against two other Atlantic 10 foes as well as being Homecoming. Top that with of our recruits being on campus and you have pretty busy weekend. We hope you all can join us for one, if not both, of our games which are at 7:00 pm on Friday night versus Temple University* and Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm versus St. Joseph's University.

*NOTE: Prior to the match, the Westerly High School Girls will take on the 2005 RI State Champion Prout School Girls with play at 4:00 pm. Prout is coached by former URI player Kevin Kennedy. All proceeds from the game will go to benefit the Katie Decubellis Scholarship Foundation.

October 3, 2006

It's been a fabulous week and just what the doctor ordered! It's hard to believe that we are at the midpoint of the season already, but I'm happy to report that the team is starting to hit its stride and the pieces are coming together. The beginning of our season was productive but frustrating as we were a team playing an attractive brand of soccer but just not getting the results we wanted. However, the tides have now changed and the team is brimming with confidence heading into the second A-10 conference weekend.

Last week began with a mid-week test versus Ivy League foe Harvard University on a beautiful Tuesday night. The atmosphere was electrifying with the Rams returning home for the first time since September 3rd. This, combined with "Soccer Rhode Island Night" at the URI Soccer Complex, had the stands jammed with youth players from around the Ocean State. Some were even recognized at half-time for their 2006 State Championship performances and appearances in the Regional Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. this past summer. Add in some give-a-ways (generously provided by US Youth Soccer and Soccer Rhode Island) and you've created quite an event! Our thank yous go out to Phyllis and Larry Fish as well as our own director of promotions, Kate Moore, for pulling things together for us.

The game itself was a very entertaining one as Harvard came into the match with quite a pedigree. We had seen them play while we were at their Harvard Invitational as well as when they participated in our own Sheraton/URI Soccer Classic so we knew they were very explosive and talented, especially up front. We got a great start and put pressure on the Crimson immediately, nearly getting a couple of goals within the first 10 minutes.

The game settled down and both teams exchanged blows until Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland) rifled a shot from 25 yards out which the Harvard goalkeeper could not handle. Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) was "Johnny on the Spot" and finished the rebound for his first goal of the year and a 1-0 half-time lead. The Rams where excited and came out blazing again in the second half. Just 15 minutes in, midfielder Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, Mass.) connected with forward Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) streaking down the left side. Tumicz took a touch inside the box and finished under the onrushing HU keeper.

Harvard scored on a broken play with about 10 minutes to go but our defense, backed by a couple of good saves by senior goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, Ohio), held strong for this important win. The victory alleviated a lot of the players' concerns and brought them the positive energy needed going into the opening Atlantic 10 weekend.

After a short break and a trip to the "City of Brotherly Love", a game with La Salle University was next for the Rams and the boy's were chomping at the bit to get back on the field. Friday night couldn't have come any sooner, but we filled the day with a walk through at La Salle in the morning and study hall in the afternoon. All throughout the day you could just tell in the eyes of our players that this would be URI's night.

If you missed the first half you would have missed quite the performance by senior forward Gonslaves, who scored a natural hat trick on assists from Tumicz (2), Cameron and outside back Kevin Algozer (Northport, N.Y.), who made a brilliant run down the left side and got into the box. The Explorers got on the board with a goal to make it 3-1 but that only made our lads more determined to put their stamp on the game.

Second-half goals by Steve Mellen (N. Kingston, RI), Badecki and Crosby sealed the deal. The last of the goals saw Crosby tally a clever goal after the LU goalkeeper dropped a ball, "Trini" flicked the ball over his head and tapped it in on the other side... It was a bit of magic which the team delighted in celebrating. Everyone on the trip got some playing time that night, including "Danger" Dan Lucas (N. Providence, RI) who nearly created a seventh goal for Rhody.

On Saturday, the squad travelled to Washington, D.C. in preparation for the final match of the weekend against George Washington University. It was a nice trip down to the nation's capital with our bus driver "Double D", who couldn't have been more accommodating to the boys and our staff. That's always a nice luxury to have as it keeps everyone loose and able to relax and prepare.

Morning came, the sun was out and it couldn't have been a better end to the weekend. The boys came put and picked up where they left off on Friday night, dominating GW from the start. Gonsalves continued his torrid scoring streak, kneeing a ball which was headed back across the net by Mellen off a Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) cross.

In the second half, the Polish connection hooked up when Tumicz found Badecki for a volley from 8 yards out to pad the lead, 2-0. Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) handled every shot and cross with ease, earning the first shut out of his career.

We headed home with a great start to the A-10 season and the assuredness that we could do whatever we put our minds to in the game. It will be a short week for us as we are off to Ohio on Thursday for games against Xavier and Dayton... another great test and opportunity for our guys.

After this weekend, we return home for the remainder of the season including Homecoming Weekend October 13-15. If you are in the area come on by and see what the team is up to this year!

GO RAMS!

September 20, 2006

It's been a busy couple of weeks with back-to-back weekend tournaments hosted by Harvard University and then this weekend at UMass with an Atlantic 10/America East challenge. Soccer is a funny game, as are a lot of sports, and it can run you through a gambit of emotions. All in all, we found out a lot about ourselves and got some good performances.

At Harvard we opened the weekend with Loyola Marymount University (CA) who came into Cambridge having recently knocked off perennial Big East Conference challenger University of Connecticut. We got on the board just two minutes in on a goal from Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) and were in the position we wanted to be. Unfortunately, Danleigh Borman (Capetown, South Africa) reacted poorly to a foul committed on him by an LMU player and was ejected two minutes later.

For the next 75 minutes we played a man down against a good team. We seemed to weather the storm fairly well, getting great minutes from Steve Scalzo (Plymouth, MN), Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) and James Quiah (Providence, RI) whose lungs were needed trying to contain a very technical LMU team. Unfortunately in the final 16 minutes Loyola broke the seal with the equalizer and then tallied the game-winner shortly there after. It would have been quite a feat to hold off any team for that long but I was proud of the team and there effort.

On the following Sunday, we met New England rival Northeastern University. Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland), who was just coming back from injury, netted his first goal of the season. We continued to dominate the game but a missed clearance by our defense left first year goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) at a huge disadvantage and the equalizer found its way into the back of the net. The squad worked away and had chances but after 110 minutes the game ended as a draw. We all were frustrated as out of our first five games, we played three overtimes and twice a man down. But the Providence College game we dominated and had quality chances that we could have converted for the win.

This past weekend we traveled to Amherst, MA, the home of A-10 rival UMass. It was a beautiful weekend to play and our foes from the University of Vermont and the University of Hartford were ready and able to meet the challenge we would bring.

On Friday, we faced the boy's from the Green Mountain State in our first game and our players were rested and ready to go. We started the game very well, creating several chances and dominating the attacking side of the ball. But, like as in many of the games here early in the season, one mistake can cause problems and when a UVM forward was able to reach a ball knocked over the top of our defense and spin inside two Ram defenders, the Catamounts' only chance of the half turned into a goal.

The boys were not happy and turned up the heat, using crisp passing and speed to put the UVM defense back on their heels. Borman got behind the Catamounts and served a good ball into the box that Gonzalves redirected to tie the game. Less than five minutes later, a nifty one-two at the top of the penalty box with Tumicz got Gonzalves his second goal of the afternoon. He later returned the favor to Lukasz who netted the game-winner on his second goal in as many games. This barrage showed the offensive fire power waiting inside our Rams. UVM got a late goal on a well placed free kick but it was not enough. We won the game, 3-2.

On Sunday against Hartford, Gonzalves scored his third of the weekend after some scrappy work from Steve Mellen (N. Kingstown, RI) who had just returned from an injury he sustained way back in our pre-season scrimmage with the University of New Hampshire. But, like many of our matches again, Hartford found that one kink in our armor and equalized.

A barrage followed with our boys hitting the cross bar and post and seeing the Hawks' goalkeeper make some key saves. We were not without our lucky moments either - Hartford hit the post on what would have been an overtime game-winner and a real shame. In the final two seconds, we had a chance to win it but our free kick just went over the net and the game ended a 1-1 tie.

So, as you can see soccer is a funny, and sometimes cruel, game. In the past four matches, we have out shot and out cornered (as well as out fouled) our opponents but also found that one mistake could ruin a wonderful effort. I am a firm believer that we are a work in progress and our best soccer has yet to be played.

We're off to Boston University this Wednesday and then following a weekend off we return to the comfortable confines of the URI Soccer Complex for a Tuesday evening match versus Harvard University at 7:00 pm. It should be an interesting one as the Crimson are on a good roll right now. It is also Soccer Rhode Island night so we're looking forward to seeing all of the Ocean state youth players at the game!

September 2, 2006

What a great night of soccer! Two great matches in the URI/Sheraton Classic on a great night to play. If you were present at last nights games you would have seen come exciting soccer. In the first match Old Dominion University started out strong with a 2-0 lead at half-time against Harvard. They increased it to 3-0 and looked to be cruising but the Crimson were determined to show better than their Ivy League regulated 8 day pre-season allowed. They came storming back with 3 goals in the last 16 minutes to tie. But, with all that energy expended they lost focus in the last minute and a half, allowing ODU to get through and tally the game winner. ODU coach Alan Dawson looked concerned but relieved that it all worked out in the end.

In our game versus Villanova our first game of the URI/Sheraton Classic you would have seen a barn burner. It was a hard fought soccer at which unfortunately the boy's in blue could not find a goal to put the W on our side. After 110 minutes the match ended in a 0-0 draw.

We had a group of great performances with players stepping up their game and pitch in to help a depleted squad due to injury and suspension. Senior goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, OH) earned the first shutout of his career while classmates Joe Spofford (Waterville, ME), Steve Scalzo (Plymouth, MN) and B.J. Kochis (Naugatuck, CT) gave us a much needed lift off the bench. We had some great chances to score but the Villanova goalkeeper was sharp and made several game saving stops.

I can't say I'm not disappointed at not getting a more positive result but I am very happy with the effort and leadership shown by every player on the squad whether they were playing or not. The support shown to each other was something that can be the difference in the end. ODU is another great test tomorrow...another chance to move forward in the development of the team. It should be fun and we hope you be able to join us...

September 2, 2006

What a great night of soccer! Two great matches in the URI/Sheraton Classic on a great night to play. If you were present at last nights games you would have seen come exciting soccer. In the first match Old Dominion University started out strong with a 2-0 lead at half-time against Harvard. They increased it to 3-0 and looked to be cruising but the Crimson were determined to show better than their Ivy League regulated 8 day pre-season allowed. They came storming back with 3 goals in the last 16 minutes to tie. But, with all that energy expended they lost focus in the last minute and a half, allowing ODU to get through and tally the game winner. ODU coach Alan Dawson looked concerned but relieved that it all worked out in the end.

In our game versus Villanova our first game of the URI/Sheraton Classic you would have seen a barn burner. It was a hard fought soccer at which unfortunately the boy's in blue could not find a goal to put the W on our side. After 110 minutes the match ended in a 0-0 draw.

We had a group of great performances with players stepping up their game and pitch in to help a depleted squad due to injury and suspension. Senior goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, OH) earned the first shutout of his career while classmates Joe Spofford (Waterville, ME), Steve Scalzo (Plymouth, MN) and B.J. Kochis (Naugatuck, CT) gave us a much needed lift off the bench. We had some great chances to score but the Villanova goalkeeper was sharp and made several game saving stops.

I can't say I'm not disappointed at not getting a more positive result but I am very happy with the effort and leadership shown by every player on the squad whether they were playing or not. The support shown to each other was something that can be the difference in the end. ODU is another great test tomorrow...another chance to move forward in the development of the team. It should be fun and we hope you be able to join us...

August 29, 2006

It was another classic battle with PC and luckily our Rams ended up on top 2-1. On what started out as a rainy forecast threatening the start of the game, we headed up to Kingston Pizza for our traditional pre-game meal at Kingston Pizza. If we had believed that the events that started the day were going to be an indication of how the game was going to end up then our goose would have been cooked. In addition to the rain we left campus a little late and even got caught behind a funeral procession on Route 2 going to the veterans cemetery. So, things were a little slow in going to start but we made it to PC's campus with enough time to change and get down for a proper warm-up.

The game began with a flurry as both squads tried to imprint their game on the other. With the wet surface and rivalry brewing, we got a little impatient trying to win every tackle and this led to an ill advised challenge which gave PC a free kick just outside the right side of the box. The result was a bullet of a shot that hit the back support for a 1-0 PC lead just about 15 minutes into the game.

The guy's were not happy but regrouped well, carrying play over the next 25 minutes. Tri-captain Jeff Gonzalves (Markham, Ontario), and midfielders Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) and Jeff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) all had excellent chances and we were on the verge of equalizing. With about 6 minutes to play in the half we were awarded our own free kick 35 yards out. Junior Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora/Poland) served a tremendous ball to the back post where junior central defender Callum Bissett (Pencaitland/Scotland) got on the end of to knot the score. After the half-time interval Rhody continued their surge and a great individual effort by Gonsalves found him through and past four PC defenders to slot home his first goal of the year. We were back level and on our way...

But, as with any game versus Providence or our other rivals from the Ivy League, this would not be the end of things. A late tackle by freshmen defender Dominic Petrarca (Providence, RI) earned him his second yellow card of the day and subsequent ejection. Not a great way to start his career as now were down to 10 men with 26 minutes to go. We ended up bunkering in a bit trying to withstand the onslaught the Friars put on us using the energy they got when they felt we were at a disadvantage. As many coaches will attest, when you are in this situation like this the clock seems to creep along. But, our guy's had trained men down in practice and it paid off. The guy's did well to keep together as a unit and give away less than a handful of chances. Goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, OH) was only asked to make a couple of saves on the day but both were key in preserving the score and in the end, the result. We snuck away with the 2-1 win and more importantly a resolve which will serve us well down the line.

We returned to campus a bit tired, but because of the victory and the manner at which the boy's did it together, made it all the easier to withstand the pain. Exciting times to start and I'm sure more to come.

August 26, 2006

Greetings from Kingston! Well, we've just completed double sessions and essentially our pre-season is over. We'll begin to taper down in preparation for our opening match of the season away at Providence College. It's a great game to begin with as even though we are away to start, the interstate rivalry will even the home field advantage for us. I don't think anyone will suffer from lack of motivation from what I hear.

We've been working hard together to teach and learn some new concepts, common soccer vocabulary and slight changes in the way the team has been playing tactically. The guy's have picked it up quickly and are really beginning to "get it". It's not easy to change your mentality and habits but I give the guy's a lot of credit in keeping an open mind. Our scrimmage versus the University of New Hampshire was a good chance to test out what we had been learning and although the result was not indicative of how we played (a 0-4 loss), it was a litmus test to where we were at this point. I must say that training through the pre-season was very, very good and the focus excellent considering we had 18 days to fill. I love the fact that we get all this time together as it gives us the opportunity to do some things off the field as a group as well as time off to rest and recover. Over the almost three weeks of training we were able to take the team over to the Alumni Golf Outing to "meet and greet" before tee off, then trained right there in Portsmouth, returning for the post golfing dinner and awards ceremony. On another day we went up to the top of campus to the ropes course to have a little fun, find out some things about ourselves while also accomplishing some often under appreciated team building. A couple of post session trips to the beach, off campus meals as well as the boy's driving themselves up to the New England Revolution vs Chicago Fire game were nice ways to break up the monotony that can occur during pre-season. I felt the guy's were fresh at every session and this of course directly related to their execution.

Although we are nursing a couple of injuries I am confident we are on the right track and are going to be ready for PC next Monday. Hope to see you all there...