December 20, 2007

Dear Friends & Alumni,

I'm off to Toronto tomorrow morning (7:00 am!) for a showcase this weekend and don't return until the 23rd. So, I wanted to drop you a quick note wishing you and yours a Happy Holiday and a wonderful New Year!

It has been quite a busy place around here with the hiring of our new football coach Darren Rizzi '92 (former Rhody football player) as well as watching the UMass soccer team make its run at the NCAA Championship. Although we are jealous that UMass was there and we weren't, it is great for the Atlantic 10 Conference and we are happy for our good friend Sam Koch and his squad. It goes to show you the potential we had but the Minuteman peaked at the right time, got some great performances and had a little luck on their side - which you always need in a special season.

I remember back in 1996 when I took my University of Chicago team to the NCAA Division III Final Four, where along the way we beat the #1 team in the country Wheaton (IL) in a PK shoot-out, #6 Trinity (TX) 1-0 - after being out cornered 19-1 and came from behind to beat the #8 Greensboro to get to there. Only a 3-2 loss to Kenyon in the semifinals stood in our way of our ultimate goal.

URI soccer always has that potential to do the same. So, we will get back to work after the holidays preparing for our spring non-traditional season and of course the 2008 campaign. It will be an exciting ride with all the new faces and energy this young team brings. Stay tuned...

I would be remiss if, before I sign off, I didn't send some special holiday wishes to the 2007 squad for their hard work and unrelenting spirit; to my assistants Gareth Elliott and Mitch Stone for keeping me sane; to our volunteers Ben Smith and Frank Bergren who continually amaze me with how they can juggle their full time jobs and families with helping the boys; to Doug Stone for believing in us and keeping us strong in mind and body; to Lauren Goley for keeping us healthy and for the care and compassion she shows for the squad; and of course to all our parents and alums for their continued and undying support of URI soccer. I'm confident that the new year will bring us an exciting time here in the soccer office and hope that you will continue to be a part of it.

All the best for healthy and happy holiday season from our family to yours,

Coach O'C

December 15, 2007

Seasons Greetings from the URI men's soccer office!

It's been an exciting time here this week as the post-season accolades are beginning to role in for our players.

First, we found out that we had four players make the Adidas/NSCAA All-Region team. Geoffrey Cameron (Attleboro, MA) and Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztnyek, Poland) made the first team while central defenders Callum Bissett (Pencaitland, Scotland) and Adam Howarth (Isle of Wight, England) were voted to the second team.

Then, the second news that you of may have seen is that Geoffrey and Lukasz also were selected to participate in the 2008 adidas/Major League Soccer Player Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, FL from January 11-15. They are two of only three Atlantic 10 players selected and are now among the top 54 seniors in the country who will get a look in preparation of the MLS Superdraft on Friday January 18th in Baltimore, MD. We know they represent themselves, their families and URI well. I am also confident that Callum, Adam and Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) will also get a chance down the road to continue their careers in either MLS or the USL. So, keep your fingers crossed for them.

Anyway, I hope this e-mail finds you well as we move into this busy holiday time. As you probably know by now, we unfortunately finished our season a bit short or our goals. Our loss in the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals brought the season to an abrupt halt. But, I was very proud of the way the players turned around the season after a tough start, losing only two of the final twelve matches. It was exciting to be a part of it, as it just adds to the exciting lore of the program.

Over the past few months there have been a lot of exciting things happening on campus. The Making a Difference campaign kicked off, working to raise money for the new Student Athlete Development Center (SADC). The goal is to raise $5,000,000 which will be then matched by the University to build the SADC and associated projects.

Recently, an anonymous donor gave $1,000,000 to the baseball program, which will be used to renovate the field and build indoor batting cages for use by the baseball and softball teams. It is a tremendous boost to the baseball program and a gift like this is what it is going to take for our program to complete the dugout and scorers booth on our game field.

Like baseball, the enhancements to the facility will not only help recruiting but will enable us to host future Atlantic 10 Championships as well as NCAA Tournament games. THIS IS A MAIN GOAL OF OURS, AND ONE WE NEED TO GET MOVING ON SO THAT WE'RE NOT BEHIND OUR COMPETITORS AND OTHER ATHLETIC PROGRAMS AT URI.

Any ideas on how to finalize this project are welcome!

Along this theme, and in anticipation of this time of giving, we decided to come up with a holiday wish list (beyond completing our facility) which we hope will inspire and help secure the funds necessary to keep our program moving forward. All of the things on our list are items that are not provided by the state budget, but are essential to the continuing success of the program:

1. Annual funding of Second Assistant Position ($25,000)
2. Annual funding for soccer specific strength & conditioning sessions ($5,000)
3. Small sided goals and other necessary practice and training equipment ($2,000)
4. Energy/Recovery Drinks and Gels ($1,500)
5. Technological equipment upgrades ($1,000)

As with every "Wish List" we wrote as children, the big ticket item is the one we really want and need the most, but all are of equal importance. We have developed an annual fundraising plan of events to try and meet our needs, but even with these efforts we still require your help.

In the end, we hope that there is our own "Jolly Old Soccer Elf" out there to help put some of these things under our tree this year!

For those who are able to help (donations of $100+), we would like to reward you for your support with a limited edition 2008 URI Men's Soccer Calendar.

The calendar is a pictorial review of the history of Rhode Island soccer and sure to bring back many memories. These limited addition calendars are also available for purchase for $20.00 (plus $5.00 shipping & handling). Just complete the following order form and return it with a check made out to "URI Men's Soccer" and we'll get your calendar out in the mail!

As always, thank you for being part of Rhode Island men's soccer and we look forward to your continued support of the program. All the best for a great New Year!

Have a Happy Holiday Season, Coach O'C

November 21, 2007

Well, there are some days where things just seem to click and then there are those where your luck seems to run out... and that's what ours did this weekend in Dayton...

We had lost only once in the past 11 games and were undefeated in the last 5 but we would have traded all that for just one more win on Friday night. Disappointment is the only way I can describe it. I feel disappointed not as much that we didn't advance in the Atlantic 10 tournament but more so because we were not afforded the chance to give this senior class one more game in their distinguished careers. It was very hard for all of us but particularly difficult for them - there was not a shortage of tears at the end of the game.

Our season came to a very abrupt end on Friday night, with a 1-0 loss to our travel partner the University of Massachusetts. Our only solace lies in the fact that the Minutemen went on to win the A-10 tournament - and received the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. UMass beat UNC-Charlotte (2-0) after Charlotte eliminated Saint Louis University in a penalty kick shoot-out in their semifinal match (also on Friday night).

Our hats go off to UMass coach Sam Koch and his team - they found a way to get it done under tough conditions, a less-than-favorable playing surface and three games in four days. Our program had been their before, and accomplished the same feat, so through our disappointment, the boys could understand the excitement they felt. Good luck to them!

I know it was hard for the players to watch the game and celebration that followed. I wished we could have gotten a flight out on Saturday, but in the long run, I think it was an important experience for our young players - to see what they will begin to prepare for in a few short months.

At the end of the championship game, it was nice to see Callum Bissett (Pencaitland, Scotland), Geoffrey Cameron (Attleboro, MA) and Adam Howarth (Isle of Wight, England) be recognized as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Tournament Team. It was a well deserved way to finish off their fantastic A-10 careers.

As my assistant Mitch Stone told all the seniors back at the hotel on Friday after the semifinal, you are all defined by the results tonight and the exciting thing is that you have much to look forward to in your future lives.

Well, you would think that we would be able to relax a bit but as they say - there is no rest for the weary. We have a lot to do between now and the end of the semester including organizing our recruiting schedule and trying to fill in the pieces of the class we are losing. They are so special!

So far, the only thing I can say is that we already have some commitments and are on the trail of some very good players who we think fit the URI men's soccer mold for success. People keep saying that we are going to have to re-build - but I just say we are re-loading! With the players we have returning, plus those we will have coming in, we will be ready to compete in "a manner we are accustomed to" once again.

By the way - exciting things are happening here at URI with the athletic department receiving an anonymous donation of 1 MILLION DOLLARS! Some of this will go towards the new Student-Athlete Development Center, but much will go to improving the baseball field with a new astro-grass infield and the installment of irrigation and new sod in the outfield. We are hoping that in the future we'll be able to finish up our own game facility with the completion of the press box/dugout project as well as resurfacing our practice field - which never seems to get much rest (except for during the winter months). So, if you know of anyone with a spare mil (or even a half or quarter) lying around tell them to go ahead and send it along! :)

Speaking of fundraising, its that time of the year and many of you will soon get a letter/e-mail from us with a request to join (or re-join) the "Friends of URI Soccer". Your donations are important to the lifeblood of the program so we hope you will be able to help.

We will also be in touch with a couple of announcements of "Friends" events including a reception on Thursday January 24th at the first home basketball game of the second semester. It was a fun event last year and we hope to make it even better this time around.

Another special project which our soccer "intern" Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) has been working on is a 2008 URI Men's Soccer Calendar which will include photos from a various eras which have made URI men's soccer what it is today. We will be selling them to family, alumni and friends so keep your eyes peeled for the details!

Finally, don't forget that we have limited edition URI t-shirts for sale out of the soccer office which would make great holiday gifts. E-mail me for details or to have one sent along.

Before I sign off, I want to say thanks on behalf of the players and staff for all of the support you have shown us over the season. After a difficult start against some very good teams, I wasn't surprised to get the e-mails and phone calls of encouragement from all of you. Special thanks to Russell Blank, Terry Casey, Mike Hoffer, Lance Klima, Dan & Vince McCrudden and Mike Rogers (among others) who continually offered kind words, support and encouragement to the players and staff throughout this fall.

We didn't get to where we were ultimately heading, but you can trust me in the fact that you would have been proud at the way the guys represented URI soccer.

Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday and GO RAMS!

November 15, 2007

As I sit here on the bus, on the ride back from Philadelphia, I feel like I have a little time to relax. With Veterans Day upon us and no classes for the guys tomorrow, the office should be quiet. Nonetheless, it's going to be a busy day as we are preparing to take off for the Atlantic 10 Championship in Dayton, OH.

By virtue of this weekend's wins over Temple (2-0) and St. Joe's (4-2) in the "City of Brotherly Love", we secured the #2 seed in the conference tournament. Getting one of the top two seeds is the goal we have been working for all season and after our rough start, it is quite satisfying to accomplish what we set out to do.

On Friday, we played in the afternoon - which is unusual for the A-10 weekends. But Temple does not have lights at its field, so it actually was nice to have the extra time between games. Although Temple was not doing particularly well on the season, we knew that Coach Dave McWilliams and his team were a better playing team than their record showed.

We got a very good performance out of the guys in the beginning of the first half, but Temple found some success in the middle third of the stanza. Credit goes to the boys for getting back on track and as the half was ending, we started to gain momentum.

The build up of energy paid off and manifested itself in a lightning strike to the top left corner from 25 yards out by Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) to put us on top. That confidence kept us going until Geoffrey Cameron (Attleboro, MA) knocked a through ball to Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) for the insurance goal and the win.

The boys would get a good days rest on Saturday - and we knew it was much needed as Sunday's game which was going to literally be a dog fight. We were playing for the second seed and more importantly, St. Joe's was playing at home, on their senior day in a game which would put them in the Atlantic 10 tournament for the first time in 13 years. This was a huge weight for our guys to bear... especially where these games - played on the old time Astroturf on "Hawk Hill" - were traditionally physical.

The guys handled the physical play and their emotions well, netting two first-half goals by Geoffrey Cameron and Callum Bissett's (Pencaitland, Scotland) first of the year, on a corner from Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa).

We began the second half with a bit of a different line-up trying to protect a few players who were carrying yellow cards and in jeopardy of having to sit out the next game (first round of the A-10 tournament) if they received another.

The changes didn't alter things on the field as Lukasz Tumicz netted back-to-back goals to increase the lead. This gave us a cushion to be able to get some other guys some experience. In the final 20 minutes of the game, we only had 3 starters left on the field.

St. Joe's made a brief comeback with two goals off of free kicks but the experience our young players gained after that far outweighed the score of the game. I was very proud of them and think that they will grow from this time on the field.

Well, we're excited to get going to Dayton but it's not all sunshine and daisies as we leave early (6:00 am) on Wednesday. We will get a couple of days to recover and will find out after Thursday nights quarterfinal games who our opponent will be come the semifinals on Friday night.

I feel as though the team is firing on all cylinders right now, although we still have our best game in front of us. Keep us in mind this weekend as we take the field looking for that jewel that is the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship. We're looking forward to the challenge and appreciate the support everyone has shown us over the season...

GO RAMS!

November 7, 2007

Well, I know I am late in getting this edition of "From This End of the Bench" to you all but it's taken me a while to recover from this past weekend's excitement. We may as well be called the "Cardiac Kids" for the time of our game-winning goals over the last four matches. I am sure I have even less hair now then I had before the weekend began. And I have to be honest here, that's not a name by which any coach really wants be known. But, I have to admit it is a lot of fun when you are on the positive side of things.

As anyone who has competed in the Atlantic 10 knows, no game is easy. At times, some become that way, but I never go into the game with the attitude we will win by just showing up. Both Fordham and LaSalle came to Kingston sporting good A-10 records, the former being second in the league with a 4-1-0 record. It took two great efforts and a little luck to come up with the 1-0 wins (and shutouts to boot - which are nice byproducts of the work put in during the match by everyone).

Lukasz Tumicz (Bisznytek, Poland) continued on his hot scoring pace with the winner on Friday off a Steve Mellen (N. Kingstown, RI) assist. Steve had a chance to score himself but set Lukasz up with a goal on a silver platter - which defines Steve to a "T" - he's a hard worker who does whatever is needed for the team to be successful - whether its for 9 minutes or 90.

On Sunday, it was a little different matter. Although we dominated in the statistical categories, we give La Salle a ton of credit for keeping things even and giving themselves chances to win with their counter attack. It was not until about 01:30:00 left on the game clock that Adam Howarth (Isle of Wight, England) slipped a ball under the Explorer keeper off a Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) corner for his first collegiate goal... It's a wonder how a 6'4" central defender would score with a little redirect while going to ground, as opposed to that powerful melon of his. But, the self proclaimed "Henri" of a practice game we play called "Bread & Butter" will remember it for the rest of his life! It was a great way to celebrate "Senior Day" and it kept us on our quest to qualify for the A-10 tournament and gain a top seed.

This weekend was an important one for us and the boys knew it. They came through with flying colors, not only in terms of results, but with performances worthy of the class of players who were competing in their last regular season home games as a Ram. It was a very emotional day for everyone. As I said to Dr. John Sullivan on the sidelines, "This is one of my favorite days but also one of the most difficult."

It was wonderful to have the Algozers (mom & dad), Badeckis (mom & dad), Bissetts (mom, dad, grandma, sister, brother and sister's boyfriend), Camerons (mom, dad & grandpa), Howarths (mom & step-dad) and Mellens (mom & dad) here with us. I also thank Nancy Kelly, Frank Bergren, Jeffrey Gonsalves and Gareth Elliott as well as Sheila, Megan and Michael O'Connor for acting as surrogate families for those who could not be with us on this special occasion.

Whether it was at Dartmouth, Chicago or here at URI, it is always difficult for me to realize how quickly time passes. As I watched these men - Adam, Badecki, Callum, Danleigh, Geoffrey, Gozer, Lukasz, Mellen, Scalzo - walk to the middle of the field to be recognized with their families and friends, I couldn't help but count my blessings to have such a great group to start my career with at URI. They are the reason this program has been so successful over the past four years. To be accepted into such a tight-knit group with such enthusiasm, and to be trusted in leading them, is something I will never forget. My hat goes off to them!

Now it is off to the "City of Brotherly Love" for our last two regular season matches at Temple (Friday at 2:00 pm) and St. Joseph's (Sunday at 1:00 pm). Each one is important in reaching our goal of a 1 or 2 seed in the A-10 Tournament.

Keep an eye on us via "Gametracker" and keep the positive vibes going!

GO RAMS!

October 31, 2007

The local weatherman said that it would be an unpredictable day, but it ended up being an afternoon with an unpredictable start and a very predictable finish...

It only took 44 seconds for UMass to get on the board. I remember turning to Gareth after the goal went in and saying, "We like to make it exciting don't we?" The game still had 89 minutes and 16 seconds to go and, by the time of the final whistle, we would end up using all of that time to get a decisive victory in Amherst.

The shot which scored ended up being the Minutemen's only shot on goal for the half and 1 of 3 for the day.

Massachusetts had beaten Saint Louis a week earlier in Missouri, 1-0, in what (statistically) would have looked like a lopsided victory for SLU. So, UMass knew how to get a lead and hold it, no matter what the box score said.

This was the only thing I was a little apprehensive about.

In the end, I was very proud of the way the team responded after getting behind the eight ball early. They stuck with their game plan and preparation. We were methodical and patient, keeping possession when we needed, and attacking with speed and preciseness when required.

In a physical game, we kept our cool and found the equalizer just before the half on a direct free kick from redshirt freshmen midfielder Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI). It was a great moment for Andres in that it was his first career goal. I was delighted for him as he has worked very hard to get to this point. He got himself up to speed academically in the classroom and trained intensely in the off-season to earn his spot on the team and now on the field. But it was just one of a couple of memorable moments for the day.

The second half opened with our squad controlling play. We were without the services of Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztnyek, Poland) and Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland), who were both struggling with injuries. But, the veterans picked up the slack and the newcomers grew just a little more to provide the push we needed.

Everything came together with about 15 minutes to go when Geoffrey Cameron (Attleboro, MA) dribbled through several UMass players to get into the penalty box where he unleashed a low shot that the Minuteman goalkeeper could only parry away.

First year Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) then pounced on the rebound and slammed home his second goal of the year. It was the second great moment of the day, as Greg had not only notched the game winner but it was done in front of his family and friends. We had eaten dinner at the Balicki's the night before, so now we are convinced that there was something magical in the pasta!

Not soon after, we got a great insurance goal from Domenic Petrarca (Providence, RI) when he overlapped from his right back position and got in the box where Steve Mellen (North Kingstown, RI) slipped him a perfect pass that Dom guided into the far corner for his first career tally. It was a nice finish to a great comeback and effort in an important A-10 match up.

We now sit at 3-1-1 and are in 4th place in the league.

Every game from this point on is important as we control our fate towards our goal to be one of the top two seeds in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. We run the table and we will accomplish this benchmark.

This weekend is yet another big one as second-place Fordham (just two points ahead of us in the A-10 standings) comes to town on Friday.

It's also a special weekend with Sunday's game against La Salle being our last home game of the regular season and "Senior Day" for the nine players who will be playing their last game at the URI Soccer Complex.

It should be a nice pre-game ceremony as Dawid Badecki's parents are here in the US from Poland as are Adam Howarth's (Isle of Wight, England) and Callum Bissett's (Pencaitland, Scotland).

We hope that you can be there with us to celebrate this class of players that has accomplished so much throughout their careers at URI.

GO RAMS!

October 22, 2007

We just finished what seemed to be the longest weekend of the season with our trip to Charlotte and Saint Louis. Of the A-10 travel, this trip was the most difficult not only because of the quality of the opponents but also because of the distance traveled. I know the guys look forward to these trips, but it takes a little out of the old coach.

Friday night's game versus Charlotte stacked up to be a very good one. The 49ers began the weekend 0-2-0 in the conference and were desperate for a win to keep their A-10 tournament hopes alive. We too were looking for 3 points after back-to-back wins at home the previous weekend versus Xavier & Dayton.

The match began with as good a first half as we have played all year. We were without the services of Geoffrey Cameron (Attleboro, MA), due to a red card suspension, as well as grad student Kevin Algozer (Northport, NY), who was unable to travel for the Friday game because of a lab he could not miss. But, we did have Callum Bissett (Pencaitland, Scotland) back from injury so we were almost at full strength.

Anyway, the ball was flying off the guys' feet and they played inspired soccer. It was beautiful to watch and a great example of what we are capable of doing. The effort and concentration paid off towards the end of the first half when Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT) got behind the Charlotte defense and played a great bending cross to Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland), who calmly took it on his chest and the volleyed the ball into the top left corner. It was a beautiful goal and only rivals Danleigh Borman's (Cape Town, South Africa) game-winning scissor kick versus Dayton as goal of the year.

The 49ers did not lay down and die but turned up the heat a notch when the second half began. Their direct play and counter attacking style was all we could handle for a while. Their pressure and determination unfortunately paid off with a goal of their own following a bevy of shots that were blocked by Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) and our defense.

The guys continued fighting on and we got some tremendous chances including a Steve Mellen (North Kingstown, RI) effort as well as a blistering angled shot from Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) that nearly knocked down Charlotte's goalkeeper.

The match continued that way through regulation and into overtime with both teams having chances to win. The 49ers' effort nearly put us on the end of a bad result as the second overtime expired. Going into the extra time, I had told the boys to play to win BUT make sure we come away from the game with a point. In our excitement to do so, we forgot to manage the game and time remaining better. It's a lesson I hope we've learned - in the final minute of the game, do not rush a goal kick, turn over the ball and then foul within shooting distance.

The 49ers ended up heading a ball in for an apparent winner but their own request for a 10 yard wall was not followed with the referees whistle so it was called back. Even then, a last-second shot goes in and not off the crossbar (as it did) and we would be sitting on a 2-1 overtime loss. We were lucky, but happy to have gained a point away from home.

On Saturday, we traveled to our second city of the weekend, St. Louis, MO - "The Gateway to the West". We arrived in time to train at SLU and prepare to be without Adam Howarth (Isle of Wight, England) who faced suspension due to yellow card accumulation. With Kevin Algozer now with us in St. Louis (after his flight down with the URI field hockey team on Saturday) and Geoffrey Cameron back in the lineup, we again had a squad which we felt very comfortable with for our battle with the Billikens.

On a beautiful but blustery day in the city with the famous Arch (not McDonalds), the game was a rematch of last season's A-10 final. The squad came out well off the kick-off and dominated the first 15 minutes or so getting several chances against the wind. But, the game of soccer is a funny one as one mistake and you can be fighting an up hill battle. A lapse in concentration and recovery had a ball which Callum Bissett intercepted and cleared almost straight up, bounce once and then was hit on the volley from 25 yards out for a 1-0 deficit.

We have come back from these type of games before, but another mistake was converted into a 2-0 SLU lead before the end of the half. We knew we had to tighten our belt buckles and come out with all guns a blazing.

In the second half, we had the wind at our backs and it indeed made a difference. Leading scorer Lukasz Tumicz got a long ball from Steve Scalzo (Plymouth, MN), hit an angled shot which the SLU goalkeeper didn't hold and Kedan Crosby calmly tucked it into the net to cut to make it 2-1. We continued to press and found some more success but unfortunately a semi-break away goal against the run of play gave SLU a cushion and the final 3-1 score.

It was a game which we felt we could win, but again, mistakes against high-quality teams will cost you. I was very happy with the players effort - especially after playing 110 minutes of soccer on Friday night.

We now have 5 games remaining, all in the A-10, which - if all goes right - could position us for one of the top 2 seeds in the tournament. It certainly will not be easy. We have a week to prepare for our next game at UMass, who currently stands at 3-1 in the conference after splitting the weekend with a 1-0 win over SLU and 0-1 loss at Charlotte. It should be interesting and we hope you all come along for the ride!

GO RAMS!

October 18, 2007

HOMECOMING 2007... and what a homecoming it was for your Rams! It was a fantastic weekend all around - which was just what we all needed.

We kicked things off on Friday night, with our opening Atlantic 10 match against Xavier University. The game was the start to the 2007 URI Homecoming schedule and the parents, friends and alumni in attendance got what they paid for in an exciting 2-1 win. After dominating the first half statistically, we unfortunately went into the intermission down 0-1. The boys showed confidence though and they certainly were not ready to fold up the tents. Their hard work and determination paid off in the second half when Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) tallied the equalizer after a great build up with the help of teammates Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) and Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland).

The goal, Lukasz's sixth of the year gave us extra energy and this materialized into a Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) goal from Danleigh Borman (Capetown, South Africa). Danleigh played a nice ball into the box that Geoff flicked back over the on rushing Xavier goalkeeper. Cam nearly got his second in the final minutes on a breakaway after he took the ball off one of the Muskateers central defenders but his slotted ball just went wide of the goal. It was great to comeback from a deficit and finish what we had started.

Following the game, the guys were able to bask in the short-lived glory at the Rhody Rally held in Keaney Gymnasium. The squad got a nice reception when introduced and a couple of laughs when Dwayne "the Hurricane" Williams (Kingston, Jamaica) got a chance to speak to the crowd on behalf of the team... I couldn't hear exactly what he said but the boys found it very funny.

A bonfire and fireworks followed the rally and it was great way to start the weekend!

Saturday morning came quickly for everyone, especially the former players who showed up for our alumni vs. alumni game following the team practice. It was nice to see Dan & Vince McCrudden, Pat McGuire, Brian Bradley, Mike Stricklin, Mike Rogers, Kevin Kennedy, Dennis Richards and Jesse Simmons who all joined in with some of the reserves for a small-sided game. Afterward, we all retired to Rhodyville, where we had a tent and a place to rest the tired bones. We had a nice crowd of about 60 which included the players, parents and our alums. David Caetano who was back in the country from Portugal (to be inducted into the Danbury HS Athletic Hall of Fame) and Cliff Schechter stopped by and we finally got to meet after exchanging a lot of e-mails over the past year or so. It was a nice atmosphere and convenient staging area to support the football game that followed.

On Sunday, you couldn't have asked for a better game from a fans point of view. But, becoming a team referred to as the "cardiac kids" is not exactly what I was looking for in the season but I'll take it. The game, which was broadcast via tape delay (on Cox Sports Rhode Island, Monday night at 10:00 pm) was an epic battle. Your Rams came out firing on all cylinders again and carried the play for most of the first 45 minutes. At the interval, we went in tied at 0-0 but I could tell by their body language and conversation that the guys were confident and we just needed to "tweak" a few things to be successful.

As we all know in life, the "best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" and this was the case in the 59th minute when Dayton found the net and a 1-0 lead. The guys knew that they didn't need to be looking ahead too far, just look for the equalizer... and that we got on a superb effort by Tumicz. He was set up by a great long pass by Steve Scalzo (Plymouth, MN) - who was filling this weekend for an injured Callum Bissett (Pancaitland, Scotland). Steve was outstanding on the weekend after being called into duty under difficult circumstances. Anyway, he sent a long ball through, which Tumicz ran onto... The Flyers' GK came to get the ball on the end line but Lukasz got there first, pulled the ball back and cut around him to deposit it into an empty net. It was electric!

We kept the pressure up and in a "Made For TV" scripted ending, scored the go-ahead goal with 3 minutes to go after Tumicz served a ball from the end line that Danleigh Borman hit on the flying side volley into the goal at the back post. WOW! I'm sure COX TV was delighted with that one!

The final minutes of the match were not without excitement as Dayton pressed for the equalizer. We finished the game off and got the win but not without a loss as Geoff Cameron was shown his second yellow of the day in the final minute for a late tackle when his enthusiasm got the best of him. He will now miss the game at Charlotte on Friday but I'm confident that the guys will pull up their boot straps to fill in during his absence.

Regardless, it was a great weekend and tremendous results for us. We've continued to make strides forward in our goal to qualify for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. I appreciate our parents, friends and alums for being there and showing their support.

I would also like to personally thank Dennis Tierney of the Narragansett Youth Soccer Association and Jay Sisson of Jamestown Youth Soccer Association for coming to the games for their special nights at the URI Soccer Complex. These groups, along with South County Youth Soccer and Soccer Rhode Island, have had "theirs nights" at URI - which have included give-a-ways, an exhibition at half-time and involvement in our pre-game festivities. It has meant a lot to us to have the support of the local community as these youth players could be the future of URI men's soccer.

Well, we're back on track now and looking to keep it going the rest of the way through our Atlantic 10 games. We head to Charlotte and St. Louis this weekend, which will be a great challenge. We follow that with a game at UMass and then return home at the beginning of November for our last home games versus Fordham and La Salle of which the latter will be senior day at the URI Soccer Complex. The season finishes with an away weekend at Temple and St. Joe's, so let's hope we are in position to play in the Atlantic 10 Tournament at that time.

Thanks again to everyone who was with us this weekend... we hope to see you and others soon!

GO RAMS!

October 8, 2007

HOT, HOT, HOT... That was the word to describe the weather in Richmond, VA this past weekend as well as the play of your Rams! It was an excellent performance in difficult conditions and the boys came through with an effort which would have made you very proud.

It was a long day of travel to Richmond as we left campus at 6:15 am to catch a flight out of TF Green to Baltimore. We arrived and loaded up into vans for the 2 1/2 hour ride south - which reminded us all why it is so nice to live in a small state like Rhode Island. The traffic was nothing compared to what I had experienced in Chicago for 10-odd years but it did make you wonder if you could be a commuter around our Nation's capital. We had a big slow down just outside Washington DC, which ended up being caused by people "rubber necking" at a car that had hit a deer. Will wonders never cease.

We got to Richmond in time to train and shake out the travel cobwebs. We experienced outstanding hospitality from the Richmond Assistant Matt O'Toole (who is a Providence grad) who got us situated on an afternoon where I'm sure he would have rather been home watching college football. After a short session, it was off to our hotel and a nice meal at place called "Vinnies". It was just across the street from the hotel so we were not in a rush and had a nice relaxing meal and tremendous preparation for the match.

The boys were very excited for the game and were up early for their pre-game. It got even more exciting for Coach Stone and myself as we were sitting enjoying the tail end of our breakfast after the players had left when a fire erupted in the toaster. Someone had foolishly put a plastic plate with their toast onto the conveyor and it ignited. There was lots of black smoke and no one in the place seemed to be moving. So, in a move that would make my father-in-law (an ex-fire fighter and Fire Marshall) proud I grabbed and extinguisher in the hallway and proceeded to do my best impersonation of "Firefighter John" as I was tabbed later. Everything ended up being fine but it was just the beginning of our exciting day.

At the match, we started out very well and created numerous chances in the first half. We got several quality chances from Lukasz Tumicz and Kedan Crosby as well as super sub Steve Mellen who had a great week of training prior to the match. Andrew Ruiz added a great spark to the team and gave us some much appreciated flexibility to the line-up. The conditions were tough as the players experience HOT feet from the sun and the fact that the Richmond field turf adds another 10 degrees onto the actual temperature!

Richmond only really threatened once - from a melee in front of the goal after a corner kick - otherwise, Chris Pennock and our defensive unit held strong. It should noted that Kevin Algozer, who had received several stitches from a collision in the UMaine game, did a fantastic job defending Richmond's best attacking player who happened to be a good buddy of Kedan Crosby's from Trinidad.

In overtime, our players looked the fresher of the two teams and only a couple of good saves by the Spider goal goalkeeper and some near misses kept us off the board. I thought we deserved better, considering our performance, but that is the way the game goes sometimes. All in all, I felt that it was a tremendous team effort and great preparation for the beginning of the conference schedule next weekend during homecoming.

Just a last push for Homecoming - which begins next Friday night (October 12th) with our game against Xavier at 6:00 pm and the Rhody Rally and fireworks to follow. Saturday, as noted in earlier game reports, will feature an alumni vs. alumni game at 10:00 am followed by a BBQ at noon in "Rhodyville" (outside Keaney Gym) just prior to the Homecoming Football game versus James Madison.

The cost of Saturday's events is $25.00 person which includes a t-shirt, BBQ, ticket to the football game and help in defraying the cost for our current players. The weekend finishes up with our game versus Dayton on Sunday at 1:00 pm which will be shown locally on Cox Sports television.

So, if you haven't already told us that you are coming, then sort yourself out, drop me an e-mail and get your butt to Kingston. It's going to be a great time!

GO RAMS!

October 1, 2007

WHEW! We knew it was coming and I am so happy for the guys that their hard work has paid off. Sunday was a strange match as we were not only facing off against my alma mater the University of Maine but the team is now being coached by former URI assistant coach Pat Laughlin. Games like this can always be strange because as good of friends as we all are, and as much as we follow one another's progress, all of the sudden we are competitors.

We knew that it would be a good game as Pat is a good coach and would have the Black Bears organized and ready for a squad that he knows very well. The beginning of the game started off well as the teamwork and sharing of the ball paid off with a well-placed header from Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) from Danleigh Borman (Capetown, South Africa) found its way into the net and there was a collective sigh of relief... at least from the old coach on the sideline!

A second goal followed about 10 minutes later when Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) slipped a pass to Lukasz Tumicz (Biznytek, Poland) who blasted it in the net. The goal was great but the build-up even better.

Maine responded with one of its own to make it 2-1 but a goal wasn't all we lost as just before the half an accidental collision of Kevin Algozer (Northport, NY) and a Black Bear player resulted in stitches for Gozer and 9 staples in the head for our opponent. It was not something you would have wanted to be the result of two competitors going at it. We're just glad they are both ok!

In the second half, we were fortunate to extend the lead on goals about 10 minutes apart from Tumicz and Greg Balicki. Balicki's goal was the first of his URI career and came on a well executed free kick from about 30 yards out. I'm sure its a moment Greg won't forget as he was mobbed by his teammates. The team finished the game out well and was happy for the final score.

After a nice day off today, we're back to training tomorrow in preparation for this weekend's match at the University of Richmond. Although the Spiders are in the Atlantic 10, the game does not count towards our A-10 record as they are one of four teams not in our league rotation this season. It will be a re-match of the 2006 A-10 Tournament semifinal game, so we know it will be a good one.

Before I sign off, Homecoming is just around the corner and we've heard from a few of you who have said you are coming. PLEASE E-MAIL AND LET US KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE HERE SO WE CAN BE SURE TO HAVE ENOUGH FOOD AND T-SHIRTS FOR EVERYONE!

The cost of the event is $25.00 which includes a limited edition Homecoming t-shirt designed by our assistant coach Mitch Stone, a BBQ and ticket to the football game... So, let us know NOW if you will be in attendance as we must purchase everything in advance. It should be a wonderful weekend with our Xavier & Dayton games, alumni vs. alumni match, the BBQ and the traditional homecoming football game.

Well, that's about it from here. We're back on track and appreciate all the e-mails and calls of support and encouragement. Keep the faith and we hope to see you in a couple of weeks...

GO RAMS!

September 24, 2007

As you can imagine, it hasn't been a happy weekend here in Kingston as the squad suffered another frustrating defeat, Friday night to Boston University. It looked to be a great day, beginning with tremendous weather, a heartfelt letter of support from URI alum and 2006 All-American Jeff Gonsalves in pre-game and a great crowd which included youth players from all over the state for Soccer Rhode Island Night. It all looked to be going our way...

I think we all felt that we were prepared after a great week of training and some tweaking with the line-up to accommodate missing Lukasz Tumicz (Bistzynek, Poland) who is struggling with a nagging injury. We chose to keep him out in order to have him ready for Atlantic 10 play down the road.

We started off the game really well and we seemed to be firing on all cylinders. We were able to create a few chances and limited BU to some routine defensive clean-ups. But like many of our games so far this season, a little lapse in concentration and all of the sudden the Terriers are on the board. It was a shock to us and the crowd of over 1,100. We rebounded well and almost equalized when Geoff Cameron (N. Attleboro, MA) got through on the goal and just shot wide.

Both teams settled down and the play seemed to even out. It looked as though we would get into the half without further damage. But, a controversial foul just outside the box was converted into another goal and we now had a real up-hill climb.

The second half started as the first but we were able to maintain pressure and threaten the BU goal. It looked as though we would make the last 15 minutes exciting when Callum Bissett (Pencaitland, Scotland) headed a cross in but was whistled offside. The game ended in a 2-0 loss for us and our frustration continued...

It's a funny thing because I feel so strongly that we are on the verge of bursting out - but just need a little luck. I know the boys are putting their hearts, legs and souls into the games and do not deserve these results. As their coach, I have to take responsibility for the results as I am the one who is training and preparing the team for these contests. I can assure you they are putting in the effort so I need to make sure they have a way to create chances and keep the ball out of our net.

Up next is a game at the University of Hartford on Friday at 6:00 p.m., followed by a match at home against the Black Bears of the University of Maine on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. That day we will we welcome back to campus former assistant coach Pat Laughlin, who took over in Orono last winter.

Well, we had some exciting news this past week when we found out that our match on October 14th versus the University of Dayton will be broadcast, live, on Cox Sports Rhode Island. Play-by-play will be done by our fantastic PA announcer and alum Mike Mancuso with former-Ram (and son of my predecessor, Eddie Bradley) Michael Bradley, doing the color commentary. It will be a great way to cap off Homecoming Weekend!

Speaking of Homecoming, a second reminder about what we have planned for HOMECOMING 2007. The schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12th
6:00 p.m. Match vs. Xavier University
8:00 p.m. Rhody Rally in Keaney Gym
9:45 p.m. Fireworks behind Keaney Gym

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13th
10:00 a.m. - Alumni vs. Alumni Game (odd years versus even)
Noon - Alumni, Parents & Friends BBQ (located in "Rhodyville" in front of Keaney)
1:00 p.m. - Homecoming Football game vs. James Madison

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14th
1:00 p.m. - Match vs. University of Dayton

As you can see, it's going to be a tremendous weekend. The cost of the weekend will be $25 per person which will include a limited-edition URI Soccer Homecoming t-shirt, BBQ and ticket to the football game.

So, let us know if you are going to be coming so we can get a count for the BBQ and have a t-shirt for you (send us your size). If you can't be there and you want to help underwrite the weekend feel free to help at whatever level you feel is appropriate.

Well, that's it for now. We appreciate your continued support and hope to see you soon.

All the best...GO RAMS!

Coach O'C

September 19, 2007

It's been a long week so far.

"No one said it was going to be easy...if it was, then everyone would be doing it." I heard that somewhere, and it has never rang more true then after this five-game stretch to start our season.

Sunday's 1-0 loss to Brown was a particularly painful one for us all because we felt it was a game that was there for the taking. Add that to the fact it was a match against nationally-ranked in-state rival the Brown Bears and you can only imagine what it meant to the team.

It was a great game to watch as witnessed by the crowd of nearly 1,500. There was a tremendous group of alums seated right behind our bench, including recent alums Jim Goetter, Joe Spofford, our Academic Advisor Nicole Poloski, former trainer Michelle Levreault and her family, local alumni stalwarts Kevin Kennedy, DJ Burns, Matt Moriarty as well as our family support from the Preysses, Donigans, Balickis, Camerons, Petrarcas, Ruizes and Mellens to name a few. It was nice to have the support in what can be a hostile environment - considering the history between these two teams.

The game itself was a battle of styles... the Bears looking to capitalize on their very effective "flip throw-in" specialist, corners and free kicks and our boys mixing up direct play and a quick build up to get into the Bruno penalty box. The ball selection the final third, whether it was a shot or cross, became our Achilles heel as we just couldn't get what we wanted to threaten the Brown goal. I was proud of the boys for the way they fought all the way to the end - where we got a final chance on a free kick just outside the box. But, the effort sailed over the bar and with it the game. Brown is on a role and we're just hoping that, down the road, we get a chance to meet them again.

Although we sit in a hole - which some teams would not be able to climb out of - I'm confident that our guys have the constitution to battle back. They have that kind of character and resolve. We really aren't that far away and the learning curve that has come through these rough times will serve us well down the road. I guarantee it!

Our next match will be against another good team in the form of the Boston University Terriers. Last season we dropped a disappointing 1-0 loss in Boston, so the guys are looking forward to the re-match. Should be a great crowd as it is SOCCER RHODE ISLAND NIGHT where we will honor the youth players in the state, including a ceremony recognizing the RI state club champions who represented the Ocean State at the 2007 USYSA regional championships in Brunswick, ME this past summer.

Well, we're less than a month away from HOMECOMING 2007 and we hope you are making plans to join us. It will be a great weekend of soccer with our game Friday October 12th at 6:00 pm versus Xavier followed by the "Rhody Rally" afterwards to kick off the weekend. On Saturday it's the Alumni vs. Alumni game at 10:00 am followed by a BBQ hosted by URI men's and women's soccer, followed by the Homecoming Football game at 1:00 pm. On Sunday you get a chance to see another great Atlantic-10 match-up versus Dayton 1:00 pm. It should be a very exciting day as the game will be broadcast locally on COX Television.

Drop me a line at joconnor@mail.uri.edu to let me know you will be coming so we can plan for food and such. Hope you will be able to join us...GO RAMS!

September 10, 2007

MIKE BERTICELLI MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT - South Bend, IN

Friday, Sept. 7
No. 8 Notre Dame 3,
Rhode Island 0

Sunday, Sept. 9
No. 4 Indiana 3,
Rhode Island 1

All-Tournament Team: Adam Howarth & Callum Bissett

Well... it wasn't the weekend we were hoping for, but it also wasn't a weekend which didn't teach us something about ourselves and where we need to be at the end of the season. Both our hosts (the University of Notre Dame) and Indiana University were quality opponents with players who have won and competed for national championships at all levels. My hat goes off to them for playing the game the way its supposed to be played and exposing weaknesses in our game - which we can fix now. As a team, we certainly respected the Irish and Hoosiers but know that with some work and luck we had the ability to win.

When I accepted the invitation to the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament from my former Dartmouth boss (and current Notre Dame head coach) Bobby Clark I knew it wouldn't be easy task to go into South Bend and play these two squads. We were hoping to get some positive game results from the weekend and unfortunately we didn't. In both matches our mistakes were converted into goals and out boys were unable to capitalize upon the minimal mistakes that our opponents made. It's important that we recognize that, because down the road - in any match - we may only get a few chances. And if that is the case, we need to use them to our advantage.

In the end, the best thing that came out of our time in Indiana was that our players know what it will take to be at the top of our game. I'm confident that the lessons learned from the weekend will take us far... or at least until the next game versus Brown on Sunday.

Before I sign off a special thanks goes out to John and Valerie Tanke (parents of freshmen Michael Tanke) who treated us to a great meal while we were in South Bend. Michael grew up in Niles, MI which is only a stones throw from the ND campus. We also were lucky to have a contingent of parents and supporters including the Preyss family, Greg Balicki's dad and brother, the Mellens, freshmen GK Peyton Warwick's dad, the Petrarcas, former Ram GK Dean Ruddy's brother and parents Luanne & Jim, alum Dan McCrudden and his son Kyle as well as what seemed to be the whole town of Niles... When Michael Tanke came on in the first half of the Notre Dame game he received a huge round of applause... it was the most popular substitute I have ever made in my coaching career! Add all that to some of my former UChicago players and Assistants and we had a nice supporters section right in the middle of Irish land.

Well, the Brown Bears are the next up and they are on a tear with wins in their own tournament over Fordham and Santa Clara. Hope to see many of you there - and please note that the game date and time has been changed to Sunday, Sept. 16 at 1:00 pm at Brown.

GO RAMS!

September 6, 2007

Dear Alums & Friends,

Sorry for not posting until now but things have been a little hectic with the beginning of the season and our preparation to go to South Bend tomorrow morning. We've have a good start to the season after a wonderfully productive pre-season. The guys came back in great shape and the squad is really starting to come together.

As I've said previously, pre-season training really was great. The squad of 25 worked hard and had a lot of fun along the way. Besides training, the guys had some good "down time" together - living in the new Eddy Residence Hall and dining in the renovated Hope Commons. If you haven't seen either, you've got to get to campus and experience them... they are fantastic!

We also spent some time off the field doing fun team-building exercises, highlighted by our visit to the URI Boat House! We took a morning to head down to the river where URI women's rowing head coach Shelagh Donahue (A-10 Coach of the Year) and assistants Jessica Lizzi and Bridgid Meyers showed the guys the techniques of rowing, preparation of the boats for races (i.e carrying them down to the river every day) as well as the importance of being very careful with these $30,000 dollar crafts.

The best part was that they taught them how to work together as a team to get the boats moving. If one person isn't on the same page then you mind as well pull out a fishing pole as you're not going anywhere. I don't think we are in jeopardy of losing anyone to the sport but it was a lot of fun and well worth the work. Thanks so much to Shelagh, Jess and Bridgid for their patience and humor... especially Bridgid!

The exhibition games against UNH (0-0 tie) and Holy Cross (2-3 loss) were a great test for the squad. They gave the veterans a chance to be back on the field and the newcomers a taste of what its like to be a part of URI men's soccer. The results weren't as important as the process, which gave us a lot to look at and tinker with in preparation for the season.

Well, as most of you know, the season has now begun and we stand 1-1-0 going into this weekend's trip to South Bend, IN. The season-opener against Harvard was a heartbreaker as we took on the 15th-ranked team in the country. We had a bit of a sluggish start and conceded an early goal but got it back on a Lukasz Tumicz tally after a throw-in and flick on from Geoff Cameron.

We then had another let down, characteristic of some early season errors, but I was proud that we came right back at the Crimson to get another equalizer. Unfortunately, Harvard answered one more time - on a good goal - and we couldn't break them again even though we got two cleared off the line. It was a disappointment but something we were able to build on going into the next match versus in-state rival Providence.

For the PC game, it was an exciting night not just because of the rivalry between the two Ocean State schools but because of the atmosphere. We had a crowd of over 2,500, which included the usual suspects of alumni, parents and friends - but add to that the freshmenm, who had just arrived on campus, and South County Youth Soccer Night and the place was buzzing!

As you can imagine, it was a tightly contested game but the boys took all of the electricity in the air well and played their game. After some initial PC pressure and a couple of corner kicks, we settled down and created a few of our own chances. Just before the half we got a good defensive effort to win the ball back in the PC defensive third, where redshirt freshmen Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI/LaSalle Academy) slipped a little pass to Steve Mellen (North Kingstown, RI/Bishop Hendricken) who juked a Friar and blasted a 25-yard left footed rocket into the bottom left hand corner. It was pandemonium!

In the beginning of the second 45, we picked up where we left off and Ruiz was in the middle of it again. Andres got a great strike off a layoff at the top of the box and drilled a shot - which the PC keeper made a great save on - only to have the rebound find it's way to the left where Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) crossed it back to the other side of the box. Lukasz Tumicz (Biszneytek, Poland) was waiting there and volleyed the ball into the ground and over the PC keeper to make it 2-0.

We were on our way but needed to make it exciting in the end. For the second year in a row, we had a player sent off with about 20 minutes to go (no names mentioned, but it was the same player as last year's PC game) and had to play a man down for the remaining time. I was very proud of the way we handled it as it was very different then the end of the game at PC in 2006. The experience of our team showed through and we held on and remained in control to capture the shutout which goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) so richly deserved for his outstanding performance!

So, we head to South Bend tomorrow to play #9 Notre Dame and #4 Indiana. It will be a big test as they both just beat the previous week's #1 ranked team UCLA at IU's tournament last weekend.

It will also be a homecoming-of-sorts for me (as well as freshmen Michael Tanke who is from Niles, MI - a stone's through from ND). Every summer, I work at the Notre Dame camp where my former boss (from Dartmouth College) and friend Bobby Clark is head coach. I know a lot of the Irish players so it will be a great match to be a part of...

Well, that's it for this edition. Don't forget about Homecoming Weekend October 12-14. Keep an eye on the website for a chance to sign up for the alumni vs alumni game on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. as well as the BBQ to follow. We hope you will be thinking of us this weekend and will join us in October. All the best and GO RAMS!

August 23, 2007

Greetings from Kingston! Hope the summer has gone well for you and you're enjoying what's left of it. Time flies as we all know!

I wanted to extend a "thank you" to all who participated in the 11th annual men's soccer golf outing on Monday August 13th at Green Valley Golf Course in Portsmouth, RI. We had over 20 foursomes of alumni, parents and friends of the program. Special thanks go out to our corporate sponsors Hudson Companies, KenBro Soccer Camps, Stantect (formerly Geller Sports) as well as our tee sponsors Charlie O's Tavern, Herff Jones, Ikon, American Power Conversion, G2 Interactive, Banner Buick-Olds-Pontiac-GMC-Saab, GN Mortgage, Taste Rite, Rams Football Club and Rhode Island Elite Soccer Academy. We were very happy to have our new Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn on hand at the post-round reception to say a few words before the awards ceremony and raffle that followed. Alum and assistant coach Gareth Elliott, Steve and Kyle Froberg, Chris Simon and Corey Sullivan all were instrumental in ensuring that things ran smoothly.

Well, we're a little over a week into preseason training and so far we are very pleased - not only with the effort but with the play as well. The guys came back in good shape and everyone met the minimum standard our fitness guru Frank Bergren set for them. The freshmen have performed well and after a few day of training have already made things much more competitive and realistic.

Sunday we had our first exhibition game of the year with a mid-afternoon match up with the Wildcats of the University of New Hampshire. It was a beautiful day to play and nice to get out and face someone besides ourselves. We also got a chance to look at a couple different line-ups over the 90 minute game. In the end we were very pleased but not satisfied with the 0-0 result. Tonight we travel to Worcester, MA to meet up with Holy Cross for our second and final exhibition games before out Blue vs. White practice on Monday night at 7:00 pm here in Kingston.

Following the final tune-up to the season we'll start getting ready for our opening match at #24 Harvard University on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 1:00 pm. Following out game against the Crimson will be a Monday night home-opener against interstate rival Providence College at 7:00 pm.

Classes begin on the 5th of September and it doesn't get any easier from there as we travel to South Bend, IN for the Mike Berticelli Memorial Soccer Tournament where we play host and 10th-ranked University of Notre Dame on Friday Sept. 7. After a days rest, we complete our visit to the Midwest with a match against the No. 7 Indiana University Hoosiers on Sunday.

Our return to Rhode Island only gives a short reprieve until we slip up the road to play our other Ocean State foe Brown University on Sunday Sept. 14 at 1:00 pm. It'll be quite a challenge, as our first five games are against teams that all competed in last season's NCAA Tournament. It will be a GREAT test for our veteran team!

Take a look at our complete schedule... hopefully you can plan a trip to see us play either here in Kingston or on the road.

Just a quick reminder about HOMECOMING 2007! There is a tremendous weekend planned with two great Atlantic-10 games, alumni vs. alumni game, Friends of URI Soccer BBQ and the traditional Homecoming football game versus James Madison. The schedule looks like this:

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12th
6:00 pm Match vs. Xavier University
8:00 pm Homecoming Rhody Rally followed by fireworks.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 13th 10:00 am Alumni vs. Alumni Game (Odd years versus Even Years) 12 Noon Men's Soccer BBQ 1:00 pm Homecoming Football Game

SUNDAY OCTOBER 14th
1:00 pm Match vs. University of Dayton

We really hope that you can join us!

Before I sign off, I want to welcome our new assistant coach, Mitch Stone. Mitch joins us from New Hampshire where, most recently, he was the director of the Grantham Indoor Soccer Center. He's also the former head coach at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. I've know Mitch and his family since I was an undergrad at the University of Maine and I'm sure you will all join me in making him feel at home with the URI soccer family!

Well, that's about it from the soccer office. Keep in touch, thanks for your support and GO RAMS!

May 1, 2007

Greetings from URI Men's Soccer,

As I sit here writing this final report of the spring (on Sunday afternoon) I can feel that I am in need of a nap after a busy but fantastic weekend! It was an action-packed couple of days during which, miraculously, the weather cooperated for the alumni game on Saturday. We were worried when some heavy rain on Friday threatened to continue into Saturday. So, we were a little nervous on how it would affect the game and our final non-traditional fixture of the semester. The spring season turned out to be a very good one as we finished with a 2-0-2 record and didn't concede a goal. We defeated Southern Connecticut (2-0) and UMass (3-0) while tying Boston University and UMass-Lowell 0-0. We had also scheduled a game with UConn, but unfortunately, the Huskies cancelled - which was too bad because that would have been a good match-up too. All in all, I am very pleased in the performance from the small group that we had.

Anyway, Saturday came and the sun appeared just as our alums where arriving... and they did arrive in droves! All in all there were over 25 alums ranging from veterans Lenny Mercurio '81, Mike Stricklin '77 and Mike Rogers '79 to Chris Simon, Jesse Simmons '00 and Dan Brownridge '01 all the way up to our just graduating seniors and every era in between. The alums warmed up with an alumni vs. alumni small-sided half-field game.

The actual alumni game began with a flurry as both sides got up and down the field... some breathing harder than others. Fifteen minutes into the first 30 minute period, freshmen Mitch Trainor (Amenia, N.Y.) opened the scoring with his first goal in a URI uniform after gathering a rebounded off a Robbie Dircks (Rockaway, N.J.) shot which came off the post. The score was increased to 2-0 when sophomore forward Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) fed junior Steve Mellen (North Kingstown, R.I.) who hammered the ball in the top corner.

The alums regrouped after that and Lenny Mercurio '81, showing the skill that made him the third all-time leading scorer in Rhody history, nearly got a goal after he chipped at freshmen goalkeeper Anthony Tavares (East Providence, R.I.) from 35 yards out and just missed to the right of the goal.

The alums then got an oxygen break which allowed them to get some ice and bring on the subs - which brought some renewed energy to the squad (as well as a younger average age). Led by Kevin Kennedy '03, Jesse Simmons '00, Michael Bradley '97, Emerson Aguilera '05 and Perek Bellah '04, the alums were able to generate play and earned a corner kick. Unfortunately while jockeying for a position in the box, now-assistant coach Gareth Elliott '02 (who had been pumping up the alums' chances in the game during training that week) broke his nose on the back of junior midfielder Geoff Cameron's head. As URI Director of Soccer Operations Frank Bergren would point out later at the banquet, "G" came on the field and was off before he even touched the ball.

The alums' player/coach/spiritual leader was down and out and so seemed the alums' chances in the game. After that, the flood gates opened with Mitch Trainer assisting on a Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) goal which was then followed by tallies from Danleigh Borman (from Crosby) and two by Lukasz Tumicz (Biszytnek, Poland). One was unassisted on a free kick (around a misaligned wall which could have been caused by an optical illusion from the prescription sports goggles goalkeeper Steve Pickman was wearing) and a second on a breakaway, making the final 6-0. The score was certainly not reflective of the alumni's effort. They well and just came up short... kind of. Following the game, the players, alumni, parents and friends moved to the Holiday Inn-South Kingstown for the 1st Annual Friends of Soccer Team Banquet. A pre-dinner reception provided a great atmosphere for everyone to mingle and catch up including Michael Hoffer '61 who was in attendance and played on the very first URI men's soccer squad! The buffet dinner was followed by the annual team awards ceremony.

The first presentation of the evening was the Bob Butler Sportsmanship Award, named for the first soccer coach at URI and given to the player on the team who "exhibits the spirit of athletic competition and fair play". Director of Soccer Operations Frank Bergren passed it on to junior transfer "Danger" Dan Lucas (East Providence, RI) who's energy, enthusiasm and undying support for the players, staff and program made him a very appropriate recipient.

The second presentation of the night was the URI Rams Academic Achievement Award, which was established this year to recognize the team member who best defines the term "student-athlete". Academic Advisor Nicole LaBranche-Poloski presented the award to senior goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, OH). A double major in History & Political Science, Mark was a Dean's List student in each of his semesters in Kingston and graduated in December. He also won the Margaret Thomas Phi Alpha prize for outstanding work in history in his junior year and was honored at the Rhode Island State House this past Monday, April 30th, as a scholar-athlete. Mark will enter law school next fall, at the University of Cincinnati.

The Len Mecurio Offensive Player of the Year was next on the docket and the winner was no surprise to anyone in the room. Named in honor of the legendary Ram forward (who did, by the way, play in the alumni game earlier in the day) was won by senior All-American Jefrey Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario). Unfortunately, Jeff was unable to attend the banquet as he was in the Czech Republic visiting teammates Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland) and Callum Bissett (Pencaitland, Scotland) who have been studying abroad in Prague this spring. As the reigning Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year, Jeff was the second-leading scorer in the country in 2006 with 18 goals and 5 assists for 41 points. Jeff scored in 13 of 23 games played, had four multiple-goal games, five game-winning goals and moved into fifth place on the all-time scoring list this past fall. Jeff was also later honored as the recipient of the Geza Henni Most Valuable Player Award, which I'm sure would have made the former skipper of the Rams very, very proud.

The final presentation of the afternoon was another newly-established award, honoring Alumni Service. The yet-to-be-named award will be given annually to the alumnus who "has shown dedication, passion and leadership in support of University of Rhode Island men's soccer program". In a surprise announcement, especially to its' winner, Assistant Coach Gareth Elliott's name was called. "G" has be an invaluable part of the program for nearly 10 years - as a player and now coach. He has made it possible for such a smooth transition between Coach Ed Bradley's departure and my hiring. Luckily, I was able to keep this presentation a secret - even though Gareth was the one who arranged for the inscribing of the awards for the banquet. I know the alums were unanimous in their support of his winning this inaugural award!

The evening was ended with a tribute and presentation of gifts to the senior class of Kevin Algozer (Northport, N.Y.), Jim Goetter (Marlborough, Conn.), Jeffrey Gonsalves, B.J. Kochis (Naugatuck, Conn.), Mark Sauter and Joe Spofford (Waterville, Maine), followed by a slide show. In spite of some "technical difficulties", it was a nice way to finish the academic year up. Special thanks to junior midfielder Steve Mellen for his computer expertise in getting things up and running!

All in all, it was great day and something which we are confident will grow and grow each year.

A reminder to all alumni, parents and friends that our next event will be the 12th Annual URI Men's Soccer Golf Outing, which will be held on Monday August 13th at Green Valley Country Club in Middletown, R.I. This fall, we will also be sponsoring an alumni vs. alumni game and BBQ on Homecoming Weekend (October 12-14). More information will follow on our website, www.GoRhody.com.

Hope to see you soon!

March 12, 2007

Greetings from URI Men's Soccer,

Hope all is well and you are enjoying the winter months. I just returned from Florida where I was on vacation with my family. It was a nice diversion and a chance for my kids to see both sets of grandparents who are down there for a few months. With the weather here in Rhode Island as of late being fairly fickle, I am not sure if I would prefer to have the snow over rain so I will be careful what I wish for... I know my kids would love to have one last snow storm to build a snowman and go sledding.

Things have been busy here in Kingston with the team as we're finishing up our NCAA-allowed eight hours per week of training. Although it is great to keep connected with the team over the winter months, we can't wait until after spring break to practice outside.

Speaking of spring, below is our non-traditional schedule which we think is a pretty good test for the guys:

Sunday, April 1
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT
12:00 Noon

Saturday, April 14
University of Massachusetts Spring Tourney
(vs. Hartwick, Army & UMass)
Amherst, MA
10:00 am start

Thursday, April 19
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
Kingston, RI
6:00 pm

Saturday, April 21
Boston University
Boston, MA
1:00 pm

Wednesday, April 25
UMASS-LOWELL
Kingston, RI
7:00 pm

Saturday, April 28
ALUMNI GAME
Kingston, RI
1:00 pm

We will have fairly small squad due to the loss of our seniors, an injury to junior Dan Lucas (broken foot) and with juniors Dawid Badecki and Callum Bissett abroad for the semester in Prague. They are both in the International Business program here, so this is a great experience for them and it should be fun to hear all about it when they return!

Anyway, before I sign off I wanted to let you know how excited we are to be holding our inaugural Rhode Island Elite Soccer Academy camps for youth and high school players this spring and summer here on campus. The first will be an April school vacation half day camp (co-ed, April 16-20) from 8:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Then we will hold a day camp (co-ed, June 25-29) and an overnight camp (July 21-24) for boys grades 9-12. The Elite Residential Academy will hopefully help our recruiting as it allows those who are serious about soccer (and also playing at URI) to visit campus, stay in the residence halls, eat in the dining halls, meet our players, work with our staff and of course be evaluated. I am sure the participants will make some friends too!

If you want more information or know someone who would be interested go to our website at http://gorhody.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/uri-m-soccer-body.html. We hope you can attend and learn more about us!

Well, take care and feel free to give me a call or drop me an e-mail if you have any questions or we can do anything for you. I will drop you a line later in the spring with my recruiting schedule for the summer.

Sincerely,
Coach O'C

January 16, 2007

Happy New Year! Hope both you and your family had a great holiday season. Sheila, Megan, Michael and I had a great one...our first in Rhode Island. The only thing that was missing was a white Christmas but it was wonderful to wake up in our home with a fireplace where Santa could come down and leave presents for the kids. We video taped the whole thing so we will cherish that morning.

Anyway, I just returned from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) annual convention in Indianapolis where I attended our Atlantic 10 conference meetings as well as got to see clinics, presentations and even catch up with friends and colleagues.

The highlight of the convention for us was seeing Jeffrey Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario, Canada) selected in the Major League Soccer draft by the expansion Toronto FC. Jeff was nervous about his chances because, as you may or may not know, he came down with mononucleosis in December and was not able to participate in the MLS Combine in Florida. He is on the road to recovery now and we'll get to work getting him fit and ready for pre-season. We were all confident as we have seen what kind of player he is (and can be) so we are very, very happy for him!

It's been a busy 2007 so far with this travel to Indiana as well as to Florida before New Years to recruit at the Disney Showcase, one of the premier events in the country. It's a good start to the 2008 freshman class as we will wrap up the 2007 incoming class in the next couple of months. We'll be sending out an announcement of those student-athletes soon so keep your eyes peeled.

On January 24th, our team will be honored for it's accomplishments in 2006 at half-time of the men's basketball game versus UMass. Prior to the ceremony, we will host a "Friends of Soccer" reception for a cost of $20 per person. That price includes a ticket to the game as well as food and beverages prior to the start.

Well, the players return to campus in the next week or so and we're excited to get going with our winter training which will be comprised of 2 hours a week of technical training and 6 hours a week of fitness with Coaches Bergren and Stone. I know the guy's want to get back to work and begin to prepare for another run at the A-10 title and NCAA Tournament.

We have a great non-traditional game schedule set up for the spring, with games against Boston University, UMass, Army, Hartwick, UMass-Lowell and UConn. The spring will conclude with our annual alumni game on April 28th, followed (at night) by our first annual team banquet which will be open to parents, friends and alumni. We hope you will be able to join us... More details will follow.

Take care and enjoy the winter months...

GO RAMS!