December 5, 2008

Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays from the URI Men's Soccer Office,

Things are beginning to wrap up here on campus with the final week of classes ending today, followed by reading period and exams coming up next week. It's hard to believe that we are only a few weeks away from the holiday break. Time does fly.

Over the past week, we've been meeting with the players individually and catching up on things from the end of the season. As you know it came to an abrupt end with the 3-2 loss to Dayton at the A-10 Championship. The awards season is now upon us and some of the players have already garnered some post season honors. Senior co-captain Kedan Crosby (St. James Trinidad), sophomore central defender Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) and freshmen forward Erkko Puranen (Viitisaari, Finland) were all named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference team. Erkko also earned a spot on the league's All-Rookie squad and the A-10 All-Championship team. The NSCAA All-Region team will be posted soon so we are confident that a couple of your guy's will get some recognition there as well.

If you were following MLS Soccer this fall, you would have seen our Rhody alums continuing to make an impact on the field and in life. On the veteran side, URI all-time leading scorer Andy Williams '98 (Kingston, Jamaica) completed his 10th season in the league with Real Salt Lake. We send our thoughts and prayers out to Andy's wife, Marcia, who is battling cancer. Her fight has been well-chronicled in the soccer world as her condition requires help with bone marrow transplants. Any support for Andy and his family is appreciated and you can get more information on how you can help by visiting the RSL website.

Elsewhere around the league, you may have also noticed some familiar names... Danleigh Borman '08 (Cape Town, South Africa) and his New York Red Bull teammates made a great run at the MLS Cup - unfortunately losing in the final to Columbus. Houston Dynamo's "Mr. Everything" Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) was a finalist for MLS Rookie of the Year after a stellar season for the two-time defending MLS Champions.

The big news of the fall was Lance Klima '89 being named to the University of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame. An All-New England goalkeeper under URI legend Geza Henni, Lance was voted Atlantic 10 Player of the Year following his senior season. We are excited to see one of our own be inducted which will officially happen the weekend of February 13-14, as a part of URI's "Big Chill Weekend". You can click here to read more about the new Hall of Fame. We hope you will be able to attend and celebrate with Lance and the Rhody Soccer family. Congratulations Lance!

NEWS FLASH: We are tentatively scheduling our Annual Men's Soccer Team Banquet for Sunday, February 15th. to cap off the "Big Chill" weekend. More information and invitations to this always enjoyable event will follow. We hope you will be able to join us and make it a bigger than life event!

Whew, that was a mouthful.

Fortunately, there are still a lot of things on the horizon for URI soccer including the announcement of our new recruiting class this spring, the 2009 schedule - which includes five teams that participated in the 2008 NCAA Division I Tournament - and, most excitingly, our honor to host the 2009 ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS on November 12-15 HERE AT THE URI SOCCER COMPLEX!

While this is exciting and will have a tremendous impact on our program, we continue to rely on our alumni and friends generosity to support the daily operations of our nationally-recognized and respected soccer program. In this season of giving you have the opportunity to make contributions which will directly impact the experience of our student-athletes. These funds will be used to supplement some of the most essential needs of the program would go towards things like supporting our 2nd assistant position, travel to out-of-region tournaments, state-of-the-art video equipment as well as training equipment and recruiting.

We realize in these tough economic times we all have to tighten our belts but WE NEED YOUR HELP! Not everyone can give at the same level but EVERYONE who has experienced and loves Rhody Soccer can give. For instance an annual donation of $500 is just $10 per week over the year...the cost of a cutting back on couple of Latte's from Starbucks. For those who are just out of school and on your own, a $100 annual donation amounts to just $2 per week in change from the tolls on the way from work. If you don't know where to start then begin with a basic $50 donation and add $10 for every year since your graduation or since you have been a fan of URI Soccer. This is what I do with my alma mater UMaine and I know it makes a difference.

Act today as it is almost that time of year to get all the last minute donations into gift processed in time for the IRS. You can make your donation on-line by clicking here. Credit card donations must be received for processing by the end of day on December 29, 2008 in order to count under this years IRS RULES.

As always, you can also send a check made payable to RIRAA - Men's Soccer to the address below.

Friends of URI Men's Soccer
Three Keaney Road, Suite One
Kingston, RI 02881

All gifts into the athletic department by January 8th will be processed by the Friday, January 9th 2009 deadline for 2008 tax purposes.

Our future is looking very bright, and with your help, we can move ahead towards our goal of another Atlantic 10 Championship and a trip deep into the NCAA Tournament like our A-10 rivals UMass Minutemen did in 2007!

We look forward to hearing from you soon and thank you in advance for your support.

Happy Holidays,
Coach O'C

November 18, 2008

The season came to an abrupt end Thursday night with a 3-2 loss to eventual Atlantic 10 Tournament Champion University of Dayton... I wish, for the boys, that it had continued longer. It was a heck of a game, very entertaining to watch as both teams fought for the prize of the championship and NCAA automatic bid. We just ended up on the short end of the stick.

The boys started the game very well - motivated, focused and organized. Their preparation paid off in the ninth minute when first-year forward Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) took a pass from his fourth-year striking partner Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) and got through the Dayton defense, scoring a classy bending goal around the Flyers' goalkeeper. The game would prove to be a teeter-totter affair as Dayton equalized at the 20 minute mark and then went ahead just before the half on a PK - after some confusion around the top of the box between one of the center backs and goalkeeper Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS) who was filling in for Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) who was still not at full strength with a hip injury.

At half-time we regrouped and sorted out our challenges, coming out of the locker room with great energy and passion. The momentum of the game moved back and forth and just when things seemed to settle down the Finnish Sniper struck again. This time after a cross by Matt Pryess (Chagrin Falls, OH) found Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) who fed it to Erkko, which has he has done 8 previous times, scored to tie the game at 2-2. But, as statistics in soccer have shown, the most dangerous times are the 5 minutes after a scored or conceded goal. This proved true as just 31 seconds later after a dubious foul call, A-10 Tournament MVP Florian DeCamps - the Flyers 6'5" forward - got his head on a ball served in the box, breaking the stalemate again. The guy's did not give up and had the run of play in the last 20 minutes getting good chances from Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA), Reece Markman (Dallas, TX) and Andres Ruiz (Providence , RI) which were saved or just missed. It was not until a shot over the bar with 10 seconds to go that the game did not seem winnable. But, it was not to be.

Disappointed, yes... proud, yes sir! You would have been very happy of how hard the team played, in true Rhody style. Even in loss, there are a lot of great things to take out of the season. Our goal was always to make the A-10 tournament, which we accomplished. We found a bon-a-fide scorer to follow in the footsteps of great URI snipers such as Mercurio, McCrudden, Williams, McCreath, Crocker, Collis, Elliott, Henni, Gotsmanov and Gonsalves in freshmen Erkko Puranen, who was voted a member of the 2008 Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team. He will only get better with time. Our young players got tremendous experience and most importantly the team represented URI the way we all wanted, with class and dignity even in defeat.

As we move into the holidays and the off-season we say good-bye to seniors Kedan Crosby, Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT), Andres Perdomo (Pawtucket, RI) and James Quiah (Providence, RI). I can't say enough about them and the different roles they each played in the success of the program this season and during their careers. We are excited about next season's incoming class, which is ready to follow in the shadows of the Class of 2009. You'll get to know more about them soon but trust that they will look good in Rhody Blue!

Well, that is about it for now. Here is wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

I'll be in touch after the holiday about the team banquet in January as well as to update you on all the URI news.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON!

GO RHODY!
Coach O'C

November 10, 2008

Well, I promised more details on a weekend that was filled with ups and downs. Luckily the downs were sandwiched by the ups. We had an exciting overtime win on Friday, a disappointing loss on Sunday and then found out that we had secured the 6th seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament following the game so we were up again. I have to say we are thankful as we got a little help with the A-10's from some other teams and results but with that said we are glad to be able to keep playing!

Going into the weekend, we knew that we held our fate in our hands as two wins would guarantee us a spot. But this would be a tall task as coming to town were two very good teams in the form of Charlotte and Saint Louis.

On Friday, Charlotte came to town looking to secure its own place in the A-10 tournament. For those who were there, the game was an exciting one - an epic battle. We started the game out very well, seemingly catching the 49ers with a little jet lag or maybe adjusting to the long and wet grass of the northeast fall. Either way the guy's were buzzing and their hard work paid off when Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) got behind the Charlotte defense and drove a ball back across the box were Andres Perdomo (Pawtucket, R.I.) connected for his first goal of the year. The 49ers came back and equalized with a header that just eluded the fingertips of goalkeeper Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, Kansas) who was filling in for regular starter Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) who was injured in training the day before.

We went into the half tied 1-1 but we came out with a flurry. In the second stanza, we came out firing but the game stayed that way through regulation. Charlotte had some good looks at the goal but was kept off the board thanks to some timely saves by Peyton Warwick. In the second overtime, our chance came when after a cross by Domenic Petrarca (Providence, R.I.) was cleared, freshmen midfielder Reece Markman (Dallas, Texas) collected the ball and drove a ball across the box where Kedan Crosby calmly let the ball run through his legs and healed it under the 49ers goalkeeper for the win. We had done our job for the night but we still had some important business ahead of us.

On Saturday, we had a light workout and a swim to loosen up the muscles from our seventh overtime game of the year. Saint Louis, who was coming to town on Sunday for the final regular season game of the year, had just had their own overtime game at UMass, that they lost 2-1. So, SLU had their backs against the wall too as a loss to us meant that they could be out of the A-10 tournament for the first time since they joined the league. It made for a very interesting storyline...

Sunday was a bright and beautiful day as we honored our four seniors prior to the beginning of the match. Kedan Crosby, Kevin Hamill (Easton, Conn.), Andres Perdomo and James Quiah (Providence, R.I.) were all playing their last regular season home games at the URI Soccer Complex. As always, it is a pretty emotional day for me but the boys were ready to get the game going.

However, if we had known what the outcome was going to be beforehand, we might not have been as eager to start. A good Saint Louis team dominated us from start to finish scoring 4 of their 5 goals on re-starts. To be on the short end of a 5-0 score on Senior Day was definitely not what we wanted but our disappointment soon turned to elation as we discovered through Assistant Sport Communications Director Jodi Pontbriand that a 1-0 Charlotte loss to UMass coupled with the 2-1 upset of George Washington by St. Bonaventure had given us the 6th seed in the A-10 Tournament. We had another chance to keep playing and prove to ourselves that Sunday's performance was not a reflection of the capabilities of the this team.

Now we are preparing to head off to Pittsburgh, Pa. where Duquesne University is hosting this years' tournament. We will face 3rd seeded Dayton which looked to be the run away winner of the regular season title, until late losses to Temple and Xavier spoiled it for them. They are a talented team which we beat in the regular season in 2007 on a spectacular flying side volley by Red Bull New York player Danleigh Borman '08 with about 3 minutes to go. We have our work cut out for us but we are excited to have the opportunity to compete for the A-10 Tournament title again.

Before I sign off, congratulations goes out to both Geoff Cameron and Danleigh Borman who have been working towards an MLS Championship. Geoff was recently named one of the three finalists for Major League Soccer Rookie of the Year. Danleigh's NY Red Bulls and Geoff's Houston Dynamo also played against each other in the first round of the playoffs with the Red Bull upsetting the two-time defending champs 4-1 on aggregate. Geoff is also up for Sierra Mist MLS Goal of the Year... CLICK HERE to vote for him!

In one of the other MLS quarterfinal, former URI Ram and all-time leader in points Andy Williams came on as a substitute in the 80th minute for Real Salt Lake to help them secure a spot in the semi-finals.

Well, that's about it from here. Keep an eye out for the results through www.gorhody.com and if you are in or around Pittsburgh we would love to see you come out and support the team!

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

November 3, 2008

Well, we are still in the hunt for the A-10 Tournament after splitting the weekend in New York and Philadelphia. We were hoping to come away with two wins but we were on the good and bad end of 1-0 scores.

On Friday night in the Bronx, we came up against a tough Fordham team who, like us, was fighting for a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship. So, the table was set for a hard competitive match. The first half was a little of a seesaw battle and as it progressed we seemed to be getting our rhythm and some chances but could never get too close. Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) got behind the other Rams' defense dangerously a couple of times and we just nearly missed a driven cross that went through the box. And then - as of late - the worst thing happened... halftime came.

Fordham came roaring out and we were suddenly under siege in a very direct style of soccer. Goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) was called upon to make three outstanding saves to keep us in it. On the attacking side, we got very few chances - mostly coming from midfielder Kevin Hamill (Easton CT) - but other than that we had a tough time generating any attack in a game that was basically played from one 18-yard box to the other. Fordham kept coming and eventually their midfielder crossed a ball that a Fordham forward just barely headed away from Pennock, and ever so slowly found its' way behind, lightly off the post and in... with 3 minutes to go. If was a difficult pill to swallow, particularly in that we weren't able to muster any good chances ourselves.

Saturday we travelled to Philadelphia and were tempted to drop in on the Meadowlands in NJ to catch the MLS playoffs which featured former Rams Geoff Cameron of the Houston Dynamo and Danleigh Borman of New York Red Bull. By the way, the match was a draw with the second leg being in Houston this week. But, we had to get to the "City of Brotherly Love" to get used to the surface at La Salle which was only 66 yards wide but 120 yards long. Sunday couldn't have come any sooner after the team had a heart-to-heart on Saturday night. We boys were up and ready to go, partially because of the change in day light savings time and the need to get out there and prove themselves to get back in the A-10 hunt.

As any team in the league will tell you, La Salle is a tough place to play and their record was in no way indicative of their abilities as they had beat Charlotte earlier in the season. The game was an entertaining one which saw both teams getting at it from the start. It was senior day for the Explorers so emotion was on their side. But, our resounding need to get things back on track was in our minds and hearts. We got some great performances out of central midfielders Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) and Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI) who locked down the midfield. The effort paid off midway through the second half as freshmen midfielder Reece Markman (Dallas, TX) took a feed from Domenic Petrarca (Providence, RI) and hammered a shot from the right side of the box into the left side netting that the goalkeeper never moved for... 1-0 Rams!

After withstanding a little pressure and getting another great save from Chris Pennock, we nearly made in 2-0 in the waning minutes when Errko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) went through and got around the LU goalkeeper but ran out of field while trying to deposit it in an empty net. It proved not to be needed as the game ended without change.

Now, the big test comes this weekend when Charlotte and Saint Louis come to town for the last regular season games of the year. The A-10 tournament is still in reach and I believe if we stay together we can get there. Sunday will be an emotional game as it is senior day where we will honor our seniors Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad), Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT), Andres Perdomo (Pawtucket, RI) and James Quiah (Providence, RI) who will be playing their last games...at least at home! Hope anyone who is around will come by and cheer us on in the all important weekend!

GO RAMS!

October 27, 2008

Sorry that this will be a short one today... Its one of our only full days rest in a while and I am off to do some errands this morning and then take the kids to get their pumpkins for Halloween after school. This past weekend when we had the guys over for pre-game brunch, my kids Megan and Michael were excitedly telling all the players what they would be for "All Hallows Eve". Megan is going as Jesse the cowgirl from the Disney movie Toy Story II and Michael (of course) will be a POWER RANGER!... The red one. Unfortunately, we will be in NY for Halloween but by the looks of the "bed head" some of the guys had on Sunday morning, they won't have to bring along a fright wig to scare anyone... that was scary enough!

Well, it wasn't the weekend we were hoping for but we came away from it with some important A-10 points... just not as many as we had hoped. We ended up tying 1-1 and 2-2 to George Washington and Richmond, respectively - our fifth and sixth overtime games of the season. Tying is always better than losing of course but it is a little disappointing considering we had chances to win in both games.

As tough as that is, its all we could ask of the guys and I'm proud of them for it. To be able to play that many extra periods takes a special bunch of players with the mental and physical toughness to get through it. We can attribute the latter to Director of Soccer Operations Frank Bergren who has them fit as a fiddle with "just 15 minutes". The former is a tribute to the competitiveness of the squad. The work hard every day in training, pushing themselves and their teammates to be better.

The league itself has been quite a strange one this season with Dayton being the only team to separate itself from the rest of the pack to date. If you look at the standings, it is still wide open for berths in the A-10 tournament - which is hosted by Duquesne the weekend of November 12-16. These weekends become more and more important to us and I am confident that we will rise to the occasion and be one of the top 6 by season's end. The greatest thing is that we have something to play for and that is incentive enough for player's as competitive as ours.

Freshman Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) had quiet a weekend after missing last Sunday at St. Bonaventure following a very curious ejection in the Duquesne game. He was VERY dangerous on Friday night, having a breakaway saved and just missing another point blank shot. He continued his work rate on Sunday and it paid off when he scored twice versus Richmond. He is a dynamite kid - both on an off the field - and I have been increasingly impressed with his progress. I look forward to what the future brings for him in Rhody Blue!

This weekend we hit the road for games at Fordham in the Bronx and La Salle in Philadelphia. Both should be great matches and we hope that all those alums and friends in the New York and Philly area will come out and see the guy's play. If you're not close, you can follow all the action thru Gametracher on www.gorhody.com.

Before I sign off, our friend Jodi Pontbriand from URI Sports Communications sent me this nice article on Danleigh Borman '08 concerning his career with New York Red Bull.

Both he and classmate Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo) continue to do well as does Lukasz Tumicz in his native Poland.

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

October 20, 2008

For all of you who were on campus this past weekend for Homecoming 2008, we're sorry we missed you. Unfortunately, we were away for two important Atlantic 10 Conference games at Duquesne and St. Bonaventure. We hope all of you were in town for the festivities had a great time visiting with your friends, classmates and former Rhody teammates. It was fun to be around that atmosphere last year and we look forward to being in Kingston in the future.

The first leg of the doubleheader weekend was an exciting one... maybe more than we wanted but with the help of our international connection and a key goal in extra time, the team earned at Duquesne 3-2 which is always tough. The Dukes will host the 2008 Atlantic 10 Championships in November so it was nice to get familiar with the surface and environment.

The game itself was a tale of two halves, the first being a defensive struggle between the two sides with each team getting good chances. Duquesne's came VERY early in the first 45 minutes when one of their forwards slipped behind our defense an got off a quick shot that was destined to score. But, junior captain and goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) shot off his line and down to his right to snare a sure goal.

The game stayed at a stalemate going into the intermission but our boys came out of the gate on fire, determined to grab the lead and a victory. After a Duquesne foul in the attacking third, senior captain Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) alertly played a quick free kick to our Finnish striker Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) who burst behind the Dukes' defense and in on the goal to collect his team-leading fifth goal of the season. Kedan would later push the lead to 2-0 as he collected his own unassisted goal. The 2-0 advantage felt good but as those involved in the game will tell you, this score is often the most dangerous. And that it was...

After this time, the game took on a completely different look when Erkko - while trying to get through on goal for his second of the day - was fouled and ended up being sent off by the official. The reason was a mystery to us, since there was no fight or altercation, but we had to deal with it. Not surprisingly, that one decision changed everything, turning the game into what resembled a street fight at times. With 6 minutes left on the clock, the Dukes scored to make it a 2-1 game and again in the final minute (actually with just 14 seconds to go) got the equalizer. What a turn-around! It again shows why the 2-0 lead is the most dangerous.

Going into overtime we refocused, knowing that this was going to test our players' character and resolve. We had been in this position before and I reminded them that character was not about the size of their biceps but making the right decisions and doing the right things during moments when it is hard to do so.

It did not take long for Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) to change early into his Halloween costume in the form of a Superman cape and "bock" (Jamaican slang for heading the ball) a corner into the back of the net for the game winner. This was Dwayne's 3rd game-winning goal of the season which he credits all to the service of Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) which has been superb.

I commend the guys for showing their character and determination and finding a way to finish the game off.

The trip up to St. Bonaventure from Pittsburgh started off as an interesting one. We chartered a bus up to Olean, NY from the Steel City but did not expect what we got for our transportation. Upon gathering in the lobby for departure we met our bus driver who had arrived the day before from CANADA in his "chariot" (as he called it) that was a 28 passenger Niagara Falls Tour bus. It was not what we had ordered but after some phone calls to the bus company with some rather poignant words from assistant coach Mitch Stone, we none the less departed and got a tour of the beautiful Allegheny National Forest along the way. It was a great day to take a ride but took a little longer then expected as our chariot struggled a bit going up the mountains at times. We arrived in Olean, trained, had a nice meal and retired to our rooms to catch the Red Sox win game 6 of the ALCS.

The next day, we prepared for the second game of the weekend but unfortunately we didn't fair as well as Friday. St. Bonnies was in crisis mode to stay alive in the hunt for a place in the Atlantic 10 tournament and came out with a lot of energy. We played ok in the first half which ended 0-0 but a strike from about 30 yards out that hit the underside of cross bar and bounced down found it's way in the net in the second half.

The guys worked to get the goal back, but in the end could not find that one good chance to equalize and give us a chance to win. It was not for lack of trying! We just seemed a little flat and I've been racking my brain to figure out why. I told the players that it was as great opportunity to put us in a position to secure an early spot in the A-10 tournament, but unfortunately, we were unable to convert on the day.

This week we will prepare for our first home A-10 doubleheader weekend when George Washington and Richmond come to Kingston. I am confident the boys will rebound from the disappointing weekend in Olean and get back on track. It will be a dog fight in the league and we need to make sure we show our teeth and keep the other hounds at bay.

Before I sign off, I need to send along public congratulations to former Ram Michael Bradley '97 and Grandpa Ed Bradley on the birth of Brooke Neumann Bradley born Sunday October 19th at 4:28am, weighing 7lbs 12 oz and measuring 21 inches long. Another little Rhody Ram in the stable...

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

October 13, 2008

Don't ever under value a rivalry... just ask the Hatfields and the McCoys. It may not be that bad, but as our alums told me when I first came to URI... the UMass games are pretty close. Today's match was an exciting one - so exciting I had to have my blood pressure checked at half-time. UMass was coming off a fantastic 2007 season where they reached the NCAA Final Four but history and past results go out the window when the Minutemen and Rams face off!

We started the day with a pre-game brunch at the O'Connor household. Although the guys enjoy the food on campus it is always nice to get them together away from campus for a home cooked meal. We had a beautiful day to work with, our first A-10 game to look forward to and three great recruits visiting campus. So, all looked right for the Rams.

I think the players would admit that we did not start the game the way we had hoped. It was a physical match - which didn't make it any easier - and were a little lethargic so it took us almost 30 minutes to get going. UMass took advantage of this, so going into the intermission we felt fortunate for the score to be 0-0.

The second half began much better with inspired play from junior defender Domenic Petrarca (Providence, R.I.) and co-captain Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) as well as freshmen Reece Markman (Dallas, Texas) that got us into a good rhythm. The Minutemen are a good squad that has experienced some tough results so we knew it would not be easy to break them down.

A week or so ago, Kedan reminded the team that former Ram Danleigh Borman (now in MLS with the New York Red Bull) used to tell the boys that sometimes you have to "grind out" a win... well the team remembered that today. It took 87 minutes to do so but after a yellow card foul by UMass, junior Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) sent a great free kick (one of many he has been serving this season) into the box that center back Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) redirected past UMass GK Zack Simmons, who by the way is a classy kid.

It was a little hairy in the end with UMass getting one last chance on a free kick but the horn sounded and all was right in Rhodyville...

Although the guys get today off for the Columbus Day holiday, it will be a short week leading into an Atlantic 10 doubleheader weekend at Duquesne (Pittsburgh) and St. Bonventure (Olean, N.Y.) next Friday and Sunday. As nationally-ranked Saint Louis (1-2 loss to Fordham) and Charlotte (1-2 loss to LaSalle) found this past weekend, there are no easy games in the A-10 so we can't and aren't going to take any of the remaining games lightly if we want to be playing in the A-10 tournament come November.

GO RAMS!

October 6, 2008

Well, former assistant coach and alum Gareth Elliott '02 must still have a little of that URI magic from his days as a player and coach with him when he came to Kingston this past Friday night. Maybe it was in the pre-game meal at Kingston Pizza or that he sprinkled it on his Siena College side in warm-up. Whatever the big elf did, he combined it with a good work ethic and determination for a 2-1 overtime win. As he told me after the game, it was a little strange for him and his two assistants (URI alums Ahmad Manning `02 and Aiden Byrne `01) to come back home to Rhode Island and defeat a team they are so attached to. But weird or not, he and his Saints took advantage of our errors in OT and capitalized on them.

The game was a good one with a fun crowd comprised not of only parents, coaches and players from Chariho Youth Soccer but our loyal friends and alums, who were excited to see Gareth and his new team. The match was an entertaining one with both teams coming out with a fury. The stalemate was not broken until the 28th minute when Siena opened the scoring with goal from 25 yards that was shot along the dewy grass of a fall night, squirted under goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) and off the post for a 1-0 lead into intermission.

While the Chariho Youth Soccer U12 squad entertained the crowd with a halftime exhibition game, the team re-grouped and got ready for the second period. The boys came out with a renewed sense of purpose and it did not take long for it to pay off. Things all came together when sophomore forward Josh Sousa (Barrington, R.I.) took on a couple of Saints defenders and unleashed a shot that the Siena GK could not hold. Senior co-captain Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) was there to volley in the rebound for his first goal of the season knotting the game at one. It was a well deserved goal for the work he has been doing thus far.

Down the stretch we gained momentum and only a couple of good saves and blocks by the Siena defense and netminder kept it 1-1. So, it was on to overtime.

The overtime seemed to belong to the Rams and we were on the cusp of finishing our third overtime game this season the way we did the first two, with a win. But, as the game of soccer can be a cruel one, the game unfortunately would not be ours that night.

Coach Elliott got the upper hand on his old boss and handled it with the class and respect he always showed as a player and assistant. The result was a tough pill to swallow, especially when we were in a position to win the game. But, this is the way the game goes and we must tip our hats to Siena for finding a way to win.

The great thing for us is that we have another game next week - and it's a big one!

Next Sunday we not only open the Atlantic 10 season but we host our neighbor and rival UMass - which made it to the NCAA Final Four in 2007. It will certainly be a competitive one as the Minutemen are not only a quality squad - but also the team that put us out of the A-10 tournament in last year. So, if you planned on coming to a game this year, and have not yet, this will be a good one to see!

Before I sign off, I wanted you to be aware that you will soon be receiving a letter from me concerning our annual alumni & friends appeal. This is an important time of the year as we are looking for the financial support to cover expenses and needs of our program that the state budget does provide us with. There are things we need to keep up with our contemporaries including: video scout and computer editing equipment, training equipment and needs in preparation for hosting the Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2009. We want it to be a first class event so we need your help in making it so.

For those of you here in Rhode Island, you know with the recent and continued budget cuts from the State House, being self-sufficient will become even MORE imperative in the coming years so keeping up with annual donations is crucial. Included in this letter will be a chance to support at the level that exemplifies your ability as well as the experience you had while at URI. We realize that our more recent and younger alums cannot give at the level that our older and more established veterans. But, I truly believe that EVERYONE has the ability to give something to the place that gave you so much in return. We are encouraging EVERY alum and friend to join us in important drive whether through your continued support or as a first time donor. PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AND GO RAMS!

Coach O'C

September 30, 2008

Dear Alums & Friends,

It was a very good weekend for the Rams as we traveled to Amherst, MA to take part in the UMass Invitational Soccer Tournament. It was excellent few days as we met up with America East Conference foes the University of Vermont on Friday and the University of Hartford on Sunday. These would be the 4th and 5th America East opponents the team faced in the early part of the season so we felt it was a great test for us building towards the A-10 part of the schedule.

We had a strange start to the weekend as the weather almost put a wet blanket on the tourney with torrential rain predicted for Friday. The UMass administration was worried about field conditions - not only because of the incoming weather - but also the fact there would be three games on Rudd Field that day. The UMass women were playing their A-10 opener at Noon, followed by the UMass men vs. Hartford at 2:30 pm and our match against Vermont at 4:00 pm. But in the end, the call was made for "game on" and off we went after training on Thursday.

It seemed like a long wait for the game on Friday... We filled the time with study hall in the morning and then our pre-game meal in the early afternoon. We were ready to go and the timing was right but the "best laid plans of mice and men often go astray"... the Minutewomen went to OT in their match as did their male counterparts versus Hartford (which won on a "golden goal" after a goalkeeping error). So, this left our game beginning at 5:15 pm, which was not good on a dreary, cloudy and rainy afternoon. The downpours and intermittent rain contributed to a rather sloppy game as well as the eventual suspension of the game after 70 minutes - due to darkness. Because we got that far the game was official and ended as a 0-0 tie. To be very honest, with the conditions and play it was a fair result.

After a good day off filled with morning training, some college football (and nap) in the afternoon and a great dinner at the home of sophomore midfielder Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA), the boys were ready to get back on the field for the second game of the weekend.

By the way, special thanks to the Balicki, Tanke and Preyss families for creating such relaxing atmosphere Saturday night as well as for the AWESOME food!!!

Sunday couldn't have come sooner... the weather broke and it was amazing how well Rudd Field had held up, considering all the rain we had received over the weekend. It would be an interesting game as junior transfer Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland) was facing his old team and friends. The game kicked off on time and both squads came out with some fire. Our Rams started off well, dominating play in the first 15 minutes but Hartford, coming off their overtime win over UMass, found their way and created some chances of their own.

The guys battled back and held serve, getting some good chances from freshman Errko Puranen (Visitasaari, Finland) and senior co-captain Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad). Junior goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) managed the game well and even got a little help from the cross bar in the second half to keep it 0-0.

Regulation ended and overtime began with neither team getting any clear chances. In between the first and second OT periods, the boys were reminded by assistant coach Mitch Stone that this moment was the reason why "Coach Bergs" (Director of Soccer Operations Frank Bergren) works them so hard during fitness sessions - to be able to get to this point in the game and have enough left to finish it.

Well, "Finish" it we did... in more ways than one. Less than a minute into the second overtime Kedan Crosby fought for a loose ball on the right side off the kick off, dribbled past a Hawks defender and delivered a driven cross which Erkko "the Finnish Flash/the Sniper" Puranen got on the end of, headed down and the game was ours. It was well deserved and the result earned the guys the tournament championship as Vermont and the hosts tied 0-0 later that afternoon.

Although we were looking for two wins this weekend, we are happy with the results over the past 4 matches. We've done well only conceding 1 goal but need to work this week to create more clear cut chances for ourselves.

Our next game will be a special one as we welcome back former Ram and assistant coach Gareth Elliott to the URI complex - wearing the green and gold of his new Siena College squad. The match kicks off on Friday, October 3rd at 7:00 pm and will mark the end of our non-conference slate for this fall.

Hope to see you all there supporting URI men's soccer!

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

September 19, 2008

Dear Alums & Friends,

Hopefully by now you have seen the tremendous 1-0 overtime result during our midweek game versus Harvard University here at the URI Soccer Complex. I was very proud of the guy's for the way they came out and handled themselves after the disappointing game at BU. Wednesday nights tilt was an exciting match and a night which included a doubleheader with the URI women's program who finished off the night with a 2-0 shutout of Vermont. In our match we got a great overtime goal from Erkko Puranen (Visitasaari, Finland) on a "no look" pass from Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) that sent the "Finnish Flash" on a breakaway. He took it well and the win was a good one over a very talented Harvard squad which includes two players on the Herman Trophy (College Player of the Year) watch list. If not for a couple of Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) saves and the organization of our defense led by Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland) and Dom Petrarca (Providence, RI) we could have been on the short end of that result so we are happy it went our way in the end.

Well, it is on to the next match which will be another big one for the Rams as we take on intra-state rival Brown University at 7:00 pm tomorrow at Stevenson Field. It is a big night as not only is it Soccer Rhode Island Night (the youth soccer organization in the state of Rhode Island) but is also the culmination of a joint fundraiser for Grassroot Soccer.

As you may or may not know, Grassroots Soccer is a global AIDS prevention organization works to deliver prevention messages to children in the world's most HIV affected countries. ALL youth soccer players wearing a soccer jersey will be admitted FREE to the game. Our players as well as the players will be wearing limited edition jerseys (yellow for URI and red for Brown) during the match to bring attention and raise awareness to our cause.

We hope those who are in the area will be able to attend not only to support URI Men's Soccer during this VERY important match but also to help us help the children of these African nations as all proceeds from the game go to Grassroot Soccer. I feel it is a VERY worthwhile cause and one I have close ties to with as two of the founders, Methembe Ndlovu (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) and Dr. Tommy Clark (Hanover, NH) are former players from Dartmouth College who played there when I was an assistant coach there from 1990-1995. I also have one of my former players from the University of Chicago Stuart Phelps who is in South Africa right now training in preparation for his work with Grassroot Soccer. They have worked hard to bring attention to this global problem and we hope that you will join me in supporting their cause.

Anyway, it will be a great night and one which everyone will be a winner in the end...hopefully our Rams more so then not. On behalf of Grassroot Soccer and the University of Rhode Island men's soccer program we thank you in advance for your support! Hope to see you there...

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

September 4, 2008

Dear Alumni & Friends,

Hope you all had a good labor day and have been enjoying weather as beautiful as what we have had here in Kingston. We just returned from the first games of the 2008 season, coming away with a win and a loss in the 19th Annual UNH Nike Fall Classic hosted by the University of New Hampshire. It was a great setting to begin the season after 15 days of pre-season training. It was nice to get away on our own and begin the fall campaign.

In the first game of the weekend, we came up against former URI Assistant Coach Pat Laughlin and his University of Maine Black Bears. As many may know, I am a Maine graduate (Pat is too) so it was a doubly special game for both of us. Maine is a much improved team from a year ago and that is something I expected considering Pat's knowledge and experience. The guys were excited to get things going but also nervous at the same time. The Black Bears were the better team the first 30 minutes and earned a great goal on a 25 yard strike. It came from a corner that we defended well, but the ball bounced out to Maine center midfielder Niko Bogdonovic who drove it through a crowd into the corner of the goal. Ironically, Niko worked at our camp this past summer so I told him after the game he was "fired"...LOL. The half ended 0-1 to the other guys in blue.

In the second, after re-organizing and a spirited speech by junior transfer Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland), the boys came out with a fury. Their hard work and resolve paid off when sophomore Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) drove a diagonal cross over everyone, from the left side to the back post, where sophomore Josh Sousa (Cumberland, RI) headed it in. Maine would not back down and only a great save on a mini break-a-way by junior goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) would keep the score even at 1-1. The boys continued the pressure earning the game winner, this time off a corner. Junior transfer Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) bent a left footer to the back post where freshmen defender Franco LoPresti (Whitby, Ontario) headed it back into the 6 yard box. Sophomore defender Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) connected with it, glancing the ball off a Maine defender and in to put us up 2-1. The score remained the same and we got our first win of the season.

After a day off on Saturday, we moved onto Sunday's tournament final versus host New Hampshire who had beaten Adelphi University 2-1 in the first game on Friday. The Wildcats were a big crew so not only did we have to match their size but also playing against a stiff wind in the first half. The game started out well for our boys with the ball moving crisply on UNH's new field turf. Greg Balicki came out on fire getting several quality crosses into the box while Josh Sousa and senior forward Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) nearly put us on the board early. Unfortunately, UNH would find the net first on a 45-yard driven free kick. We had hoped to withstand the wind without any damage on the scoreboard and nearly did it.

The second half saw the Rams getting several very good chances and only a big save by the Wildcat GK kept us from equalizing. With 5 minutes to go, we pushed forward in an attempt to tie the game but with 47 seconds left on the clock, UNH broke on a 3 v 1 and only after Chris Pennock saved an initial shot did the home team tally to make the final score 2-0. It was a disappointing result in a game we felt good about, but kudos to the champions. Kedan Crosby, Greg Balicki and sophomore defender Ryan McCormick (Cranston, RI) were named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts.

All in all, I thought we learned a lot about ourselves over the weekend. At this point in the season we are not the finished product and continue to work together to develop the squad. We began the Maine game with 1 freshman, 5 sophomores , 3 juniors and 2 seniors on the field with a deep bench of contributors who could be starters behind them. We are young and still looking for the best in each and every one of us. So, I'm confident we will find the consistency that will carry us through the season.

Today classes begin and we will now prepare for in-state rival Providence College next Tuesday. The Friars upset Boston College (which was ranked No. 4 at the time) 1-0 on Labor Day so this will just add to the already intense atmosphere that comes with this rivalry. The match - which is scheduled for a 3 PM start on Tuesday September 9th, will air locally on Cox Sports (via tape delay) on September 11th at 7:00 pm. We really hope that all of our local alums and friends will be there to cheers us on!

And don't forget... our HOME OPENER is Friday, September 12th at 7:00 pm at the URI Soccer Complex!

Follow the RAMS at www.gorhody.com and for an inside look at the team/season, check out Kedan's Korner - senior co-captain Kedan Crosby's season-long blog.

GO RAMS!

P.S. Click here to watch Lukasz Tumicz `08 scoring two goals this past weekend as his club Jagellonia Bialystok picked up a 2-0 win!

August 27, 2008

Dear Alumni & Friends,

Yesterday we finished up our last day of double sessions in pre-season with the regular season right around the corner. It has been a long couple of weeks but very productive as we head into the first weekend of the 2008 campaign. Thursday we head to the University of New Hampshire for the UNH Nike Classic. Friday we come up against old friend and former URI Assistant Pat Laughlin and the Black Bears of Maine and finish up the weekend versus host UNH on Sunday. These will be two challenging matches against these America East Conference rivals and a great test for our young team.

Pre-season, as I said, has been marked by hard work and a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. This year, the squad had the addition of nine new players that included 3 transfers. The latter group brings us experience while the remainder, a great base for the future. It has been a very competitive situation for everyone and our depth in every position is tremendous. I've been very proud of the captains, senior Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) and junior Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) who have done a great job bringing the squad together.

we've also had a chance to see the squad in action outside of training in an exhibition game versus Bryant College (which is moving to Division I in 2010) as well as a Blue vs. White game this past Saturday night. Against Bryant, we got goals from sophomore Josh Sousa (Barrington, R.I.) and Kedan Crosby for a 2-0 win. In the Blue vs. White game Sousa tallied again but sophomore defender Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) equalized to keep the score knotted at 1-1. Many thanks to alumni Kevin Algozer, Brian Bradley, Paul Fanning, Steve Froberg, Kevin Kennedy and Dennis Richards who came along to help us make up numbers due to some injuries.

I don't want to forget to remind all of you to join us for our home opener on Friday September 12th at 7:00 pm versus the University of Albany. We have some great matches this season including 7 against teams that made the NCAA tournament in 2007. Our game against in-state rival Providence College on Tuesday September 9th will be broadcast locally on Cox Sports (via tape delay, September 11th at 7:00 pm).

When we take the field at Brown on September 20th, it will be a special night as we are helping to fundraise with the Bears for Grassroots Soccer - a non-profit organization that educates and raises awareness about AIDS in Africa through soccer. The squad will wear special edition jerseys provided by adidas in recognition of the night. The game jerseys will be auctioned off with all proceeds will got to GRS. I have a personal attachment to Grassroots as it was founded by Dartmouth College standouts Tommy Clark (son of my boss at Dartmouth) and Methembe Ndlovu (a former Zimbabwean International) whom I had the pleasure of coaching while in Hanover from 1990-1994. It should be a good night and a great match, all for a very worthy cause. If you want more information about Grassroots Soccer and what YOU can do to help, log onto www.grassrootsoccer.org .

Of course one of the highlights of the year will be on Friday October 3rd when we welcome back former URI standout and Siena College Head Coach Gareth Elliott `02 to the URI Soccer Complex for a 7:00 pm tilt. Gareth begins his first season at the helm for the Saints and we are so excited to have him back in Kingston for a match.

Before signing off, I would be remiss if I didn't say congratulations to Dean Ruddy '06 for recently signing a contract with Lewes FC in England. I got the news from his mom Luanne who said Deano is excited as he has moved up three levels and is now playing in the Blue Square Premier Division. Much of their talent comes from the Premier League and he is now part of some good soccer traditions and competition.

Along with Dean, we also saw some movement here in the states when Ross Smith `03 signed with the Rochester Rhinos this past spring. He was formerly with Dagenham & Redbridge FC in England's Second Division where he represented the club in England's prestigious FA Cup.

Hopefully many of you have also been following the progress of Geoff Cameron and Danleigh Borman in Major League Soccer. The two played against each other this past weekend with Borman's New York Red Bulls getting the best of Cameron's Houston Dynamo, 3-0. Geoff has been a jack of all trades for the Texas based club, being mentioned as the "Best Kept Rookie Secret in MLS" by Ridge Mahoney of SoccerAmerica. Danleigh is online too - and you will get a good laugh if you check out he and his housemates' "Real Life: Secacus" video on YouTube.

Well, that is about it from here... the season begins soon, and we're all excited! Hopefully we will see you all - both here and on the road - cheering the boys on... Have a great remainder of the summer and GO RAMS!

August 7, 2008

It's been quite a while since my last installment of "This End of the Bench" so I thought I would update you on what is going on here in the world of URI men's soccer. Pre-season is less that a week away and we are excited to get rolling. We have nine new players coming in with loads of experience and exciting potential for the future so I look forward to you getting a chance to see them. If you haven't seen their profiles and backgrounds yet, Rob Czlonka to our staff as Assistant Coach and Director of Coaching for Rams FC which is our fundraising arm of URI men's soccer. Rob comes to us from Carnegie Mellon University and we are excited to have him on board. I met Rob when doing camp at Notre Dame and I am confident he will do a great job for us and the program. Make sure you introduce yourself to him when you get a chance and welcome him to the Rhody Soccer Family.

On Tuesday night, Rob Czlonka and I were lucky to get to Gillette Stadium to see Geoffrey Cameron and his Dynamo teammates take on the New England Revolution in the 2008 SuperLiga Final. Also in attendance were Frank Bergren and daughter (and former men's soccer manager) Emily, Doug Stone and his wife as well as Jodi Pontbriand (Sports Communications), her roommate and Lauren Goley, Michelle Levreault and Angie Farine from our athletic training staff. Unfortunately (depending on which way you look at it) the Revolution beat the Dynamo in a PK shootout after a 2-2 overtime tie. Geoff got an assist on the first goal of the game and played well at CENTER BACK...yes you read it correctly. Cam has been playing all over the park for the defending MLS Champions as a starter and reserve at forward, right midfielder, center midfielder, right back and center back.

I got a chance to meet Houston's President and General Manager Oliver Luck, who said that the organization was very pleased with Geoff and felt as though he was playing "like a 5th year veteran, not a rookie!"

Danleigh Borman is still plugging away with New York Red Bull and getting plenty of time with the reserves. His minutes with the first team are restricted because of his roster slot with the big club. If he goes over in minutes played as an international developmental player, the club would have to change his status.

Here is a great article written about Danleigh which is a tremendous tribute to his hard work and determination. Hopefully you got to see him and his New York Red Bull teammates take on Barcelona last night (8/6/08) at 7:00 pm on ESPN 2 as part of Barca's US tour. Not a great result, but Danleigh played the first 45 minutes and had his hands full with Thierry Henri, Samuel Eto'o and their teammates.

Have not heard from Lukasz Tumicz as of late, but he has started his pre-season and first full-season with his club Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Polish First Division. As you know, he played part of the season with them this past spring which included a goal 2 minutes into his first appearance with the club against their rival. Callum Bissett is finishing up his first full season with the Western Mass Pioneer (USL 2) and has his final friendly against the Vermont Voltage on August 9th.

Before I sign off, I encourage everyone to get out to our games this fall. It should be an exciting season with some new faces to keep up the URI Men's Soccer tradition of excellence. I've attached a schedule and hope to see you at some matches... Keep your eyes on your e-mail for our "fall soccer weekend" announcement as well as some special doings in the works.

All the Best and GO RAMS!

April 13, 2008

Hi Folks,

We're over halfway through the spring season and it is going well on all accounts. Not only have we got good results but we have been learning a lot along the way. We have put ourselves in some unique situations and played some very good teams so it has been a tremendous experience for our young players.

Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) and Josh Sousa (Cumberland, RI) each have scored 2 goals including the 2 in our win over Central Connecticut State University this past weekend at the Toyota Classic in Lancaster, MA. CCSU qualified for the NCAA Division I tournament this past fall and lost to our A-10 rival UMass in the round of 32 so it was a pretty good feather in our guys' cap.

In the second game of the weekend, we tied Quinnipiac taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Crosby on a cross from Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT) and central defender Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) on a powerful header off a corner kick...He "bocked" the ball as he says - which in Jamaica means he headed it...hard!

We were all disappointed with the second result as we did not manage the game well in terms of dictating play when we were ahead in the game. So, it became quite a lesson for the guys which we hope they will use down the road.

Thanks to all the alumni, parents and friends for voting for Geoffrey Cameron first career goal for the Houston Dynamo for MLS Goal of the Week. HE WON IT! What a great honor and something he will never forget. I got a call last night from Lukasz Tumicz with some great news himself as he scored his first career goal for Jagiellonia Bialystok FC. You can see it on YouTube - here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndnqaR1VjGU

He was as excited as he scored in the first minute he was on! Things always happen in threes so now we just need Danleigh Borman, to tally his first goal for the New York Red Bulls. Danleigh started this past weekend and played the whole game in lost to FC Dallas.

We're less than two weeks away from "THE GAME"...that's right the ANNUAL ALUMNI GAME & TEAM BANQUET ON APRIL 26th. I would request that our alums please let us know if your will be attending (whether playing or not) so we have enough t-shirts and food for the post-game banquet.

For parents and friends of the program, drop us a line too as everyone is invited and we need to have an accurate head count. Registration for the weekend is $35.00 and includes dinner and the sponsorship of one of the players for the banquet. Checks can be made out to RIRAA - Men's Soccer

NOTE: If you cannot make it that weekend, feel free to sponsor one of our players for the banquet - your support is appreciated!

P.S. 10th Annual URI men's soccer GOLF OUTING ON MONDAY AUGUST 11th AT FENNER HILL GOLF CLUB IN HOPE VALLEY, RI. More information on both events will follow but clear your calendars and join us for two of the best events we do here for URI soccer.

Mach 23, 2008

Dear Alums & Friends,

I apologize for not be in touch for a while but even though we are in between our traditional and non-traditional seasons it has been a busy time on campus. First and foremost we were in the hunt to replace Gareth Elliott who as most of you know, left in January to become the head coach at Siena College (NY). "G" has been busy himself sorting out things for his program but we didn't have to look far for someone to fill his shoes. Our second assistant Mitch Stone was elevated into the full-time position Gareth vacated and now we are on the look out for the person and funding to fill this position.

The second thing on the docket was fundraising and we have been working hard with alumni appeals and working with our club program to raise the funds necessary to get a second assistant on board. We had some moderate success with donations from alums and friends. We were stunned and extremely grateful for these but most especially to Vince McCrudden who chipped in with a $10,000 check for the program. Vince and his brother Dan who both played here at URI have been big supporters of URI soccer and we can't say enough about what Vince's generosity will do for us.

On the playing front the guy's have been training this winter with technical sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6:30 am while lifting and running Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the afternoons. They are on break this week and excited to get outside when they get back to campus to begin our non traditional spring season. We kick it off with a trip to Siena College on March 29th to meet up with Gareth Elliott's new squad and continue on with a games against UMass, Central Connecticut, Quinnipiac, UMass-Lowell (NCAA Division II), Southern New Hampshire (NCAA Division II), Maine and finish off with the annual Alumni Game and banquet on Saturday April 26th at 1:00 pm here in Kingston. We hope you have already begun to make your plans to be here that weekend as last years event was a blast.

From the alumni front we are happy to update you on our guy's who are out there trying to make a go at playing the game they love. Geoffrey Cameron is presently in Guatemala with the Houston Dynamo after signing a senior roster contract. Lukasz Tumicz was unfortunately released by the Columbus Crew but fate has a funny way of working out as he got a chance to travel back home to Poland for a trial with Jagiellonia Bialystok FC of the Polish First Division and subsequently earned himself a three year contract to play the team who ironically was the one he supported as a youth. Danleigh Borman, who was taken in the supplementary draft by Red Bull New York, was back on campus about a week ago after returning to the states from Austria where he continued to train with Red Bull. We just got great news the other day that he was offered and accepted a senior developmental contract with New York and it looks like - according to internet rumors - he has a very good chance to begin the season as a starter.

Closer to Rhode Island, Callum Bissett, who was invited to pre-season with the Harrisburg City Islanders (United Soccer Leagues Second Division) decided to stay nearer to his surrogate home and has signed with the Western Mass Pioneers. It's an extraordinary accomplishment for such a talented class.

Well, that's about all there is to report. We continue on the search for a second assistant and are looking forward to the ANNUAL ALUMNI GAME & TEAM BANQUET ON APRIL 26th. Don't forget about the 10th Annual URI men's soccer GOLF OUTING ON MONDAY AUGUST 11th AT FENNER HILL GOLF CLUB IN HOPE VALLEY, RI. More information on both events will follow but clear your calendars and join us for two of the best events we do here for URI soccer.

Happy Easter and GO RAMS!

January 27, 2008

Dear Friends & Alumni,

WHEW! It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks here, so I thought I would give you a quick update with what has been going on here in URI soccer land...

First, as many of you know, my assistant Gareth Elliott was recently named the head coach at Siena College. He's been around this week saying his farewells, although we know he will not be too far away.

We had a great sending off event last Saturday over at Charlie O's in Narragansett. I have to thank Chris Simon for his hospitality in helping us with the arrangements and for his generosity in providing food for this crew. Although we had to cancel our little testimonial game in the morning because of some facility issues here, we had over 50 people in attendance, including alums Aidan Byrne and his wife (Aidan is going to be a dad very soon), Jesse Simmons, Michael Bradley and his sons Logan & Keegan, Kevin Kennedy, Corey Sullivan, Lukasz Tumicz, Danleigh Borman, Dawid Badecki, Callum Bissett, Mike Stricklind, Nancy Stricklind , Mike Rogers, Dennis Richards as well as Terry and Trish Casey.

Doug Stone, Ben Smith, Brian Bradley, Steve & Kyle Froberg, Paul Fanning and Pat Maguire also would have been there if it was not for the schedule change and some conflicts.

Also in attendance from the athletic department were Paul Kassabian (compliance), Ted Romanosky (equipment manager), Mitzi Dusin (athletic trainer), Jim Foster (baseball coach), Jodi Pontbriand (sports information), Lauren Goley (athletic trainer), Michelle Levreault (athletic trainer), Angie Farine (athletic trainer), Liz Proctor (strength coach), Denise King (assistant women's basketball coach), Donna Perrault (business office) and Mike Laprey (sports information director) as well as Frank, Wendy, Molly and Emily Bergren and Dr. John Sullivan (sports psychologist).

So, you can see it was a great crew. I received a lot of terrific e-mails from people wishing Gareth well as they couldn't make it because of distance or schedule conflicts.

I also want to thank Russell Blank, Michael Bradley, Terry & Trish Casey, Jeanette Gonsalves and her family, Mike & Nancy Stricklin, track & field coach John Copeland, academic advisor Winkle Kelly, Corey Sullivan and the Pryess family for their and others' generous contributions that helped us raise over $1,000 which will be donated to the program in Gareth's name - a very nice tribute to an incredible player, dedicated alum and talented coach!

Of course the exciting news on the soccer front was the drafting of Geoffrey Cameron, Danleigh Borman and Lukasz Tumicz into Major League Soccer. Geoffrey and Lukasz were invited to the MLS Combine in early January and the big fella from Attleboro, MA was subsequently drafted in the 3rd round of the MLS Superdraft by the 2007 MLS Champion Houston Dynamo. Lukasz and Danleigh were selected in the supplemental draft this past Thursday, with our South African friend being selected as the 7th overall pick by the New York Red Bull while the Polish wonder boy went 34th to the Columbus Crew. We are very excited for them as well as for Callum Bissett who will be going to training camp for the USL Harrisburg City Islanders very shortly. What a great class and tribute for URI men's soccer!

The last bit of news I wanted to share before signing off is that at the Atlantic 10 Conference soccer meeting during the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) convention in Baltimore, the University of Rhode Island was named the 2009 ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP HOST SCHOOL! We are ecstatic about this opportunity as we haven't hosted since 2000!

We have a lot of work and planning to do though - including finishing the DUGOUT & SCORERS BOOTH PROJECT... if this isn't incentive for all of us I don't know what is!

Well, that is about it now... a lot of news but all of the exciting kind! The players are back on campus and we begin our winter training next week. Before you know it we will be back on the field playing.

And speaking of playing... keep an eye on the web site for our spring schedule. The annual ALUMNI GAME & TEAM BANQUET IS SATURDAY MARCH 29th AT 1:00 PM, so start getting fit and making your plans to be here!

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

P.S. DON'T FORGET THE 12th ANNUAL ALUMNI GOLF OUTING IS MONDAY AUGUST 11th AT FENNER HILL GOLF CLUB IN HOPE VALLEY, RI! START PRACTICING AND GET YOUR FOURSOMES READY!