December 23, 2009

Dear Friends & Alums,

The first real snow of the season has fallen, campus is quiet and our players have left for home following exams. Rob, Mitch and I are busy getting some last minute things done in the office before we take time to spend with our loved ones.

So, as we get closer and closer to the Christmas I wanted to send out best wishes and a Happy Holiday season from our staff and players to all of you and your families. We here at URI Men's Soccer appreciate all your support during the past year and look forward to what 2010 will bring us.

Happy New Year and a Joyous Holiday Season,
Coach O'C

November 14, 2009

Dear Alums & Friends,

It was a great run but it all ended too abruptly on a free kick by A-10 Defender of the Year Tim Ream with three minutes to go in the Atlantic 10 Semi-final versus St. Louis University. It was a heartbreaker as we fought back twice from 1 goal deficits and even generated two quality chances in the final ticks of the match. Until the final whistle sounded I thought we had it but it wasn't to be in Kingston.

Thursday night it was windy and cold but the URI students and Rhody faithful were out in droves to see the second quarterfinal match versus #18 Charlotte. The game started with a furious pace as Charlotte was flying around the field. The mayhem paid off as the 49ers drew first blood when a deflection off of one of our own found their feet and a 1-0 lead. Charlotte kept up the pressure and we did well to absorb the pressure as well as some outstanding saves from Chris Pennock (Spennymoor, England) as well as a goal saved off the line (his first of two on the weekend) by Michael Tanke (Niles, MI). We were on the ropes a bit like a boxer but did the famous Mohammed Ali "Rope a Dope" and wouldn't go down, getting into half just one goal down.

The second half was a different story as we got the wind and some momentum going our way. In the 67th minute freshmen forward Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland) tracked down a ball behind the Charlotte defense and drove a ball to the back post where junior Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) headed a laser beam past the 49er goalkeeper to knot it at one. The celebration, which can be seen here, is one for the ages as Greg runs to the sideline and tackles Rhody the Ram in front of the frenzied crowd of supporters. Both teams traded blows the rest of the way but Pennock and the Ram back four held tight.

Overtime came and again both teams traded chances but I think in everyone's mind we knew that this would be decided a the spot. In the shoot-out it didn't take long for your Rams to get out on top thanks to a Chris Pennock save on the second UNCC shooter. Our next guy unfortunately missed bringing the tally back even again. We traded successful goals in the next round but another break as the 49ers next kicker (their #10) hit the crossbar opening the door for the home squad. Our #10 Jon Pereira (Barrington, RI) drilled his home followed by UNCC's 5th kicker scoring and it was up to Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI) who calmly put his home to send us into the semi-final against #2 seed St. Louis University. After a quick soak in the pool and some food following the game, we had to get on to the next task. Classes on Friday would keep us busy during the day but I have a feeling the players were thinking about everything but books.

The semi-final began again not as we planned with SLU getting on the board in the 10th minute. But the boy's plugged away and final found the net when Domenic Petrarca (Johnston, RI) volleyed a ball past the Billiken GK after a Andres Ruiz cross and Erkko Puranen (Viitisaari, Finland) flick on. We knew it would be a quite a game as SLU responded two minutes later on an unassisted goal off a long punt which got behind the defense putting the score 2-1 going into half-time.

The second half which has been our best time all year proved to be it again as we knocked on the door several times early including some great combinations with sophomore defender Eric Hutson (St. Charles, MO) who had come on in the game for an injured Robby Gargaro (Naperville, IL). Goalkeeper Chris Pennock was on the top of his game throughout the weekend, making 2 or 3 key saves with the help of classmate Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland) who has been the difference in the back line since he moved from the midfield.

The team kept grinding away and it all paid off when senior midfielder Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) slipped a great pass to Erkko Puranen who scored from an angle with a defender on his hip and the goalkeeper rushing out of the goal. It was a class finish and one which excited the Rhody faithful. The game continued at a furious pace and although fatigue from Friday nights overtime with Charlotte we knew it was going to take something special to win it and unfortunately SLU got it on a hard hit direct free kick which dove and curled into the side netting past a diving Pennock.

I will say that although we are all disappointed everything was put into perspective after I got a nice e-mail from Aidan Byrne '99. He said "I was at the game tonight and was proud of the Rhody performance. I know it was not the result we all wanted but the guys never gave up." I think that says if all about this team and their performance over the second half of the season, going 6-2-1 down the stretch to earn the 4th seed in the A10 Tournament. It was a sad end for our seniors Kevin, Gary, Dom and Chris but I as I told them and the team, I was never so proud as to see them perform at the level they did when it counted. They played with Rhody Pride in the manner which befitted there ability.

Before I sign off it was great to see a lot of our alums at the games including Simon Gatti (who just won a USL Championship with the Montreal Impact), Anthony and David Ward-Smith, Gareth Elliott, Kevin Kennedy, Brian Bradley, Steve Froberg, Terry Casey, Dennis Richards, Mike Rogers and Dawid Badecki who flew in from Poland for the Championships. Thanks so much for your support.

It will be hard to watch the Atlantic 10 Final tomorrow as we wish we were the ones playing. I'm sure after a few days of decompression we will look back at the special moments of the 2009 season. We have a lot to look forward to and I know the boy's will be back hard at work this winter and spring in preparation for their next chance at an Atlantic 10 Championship. My sincere thanks to all our alums an supporters who have been with us all season and particularly this weekend when the conditions would often scare people away. It says a lot about what this program means to them and I look forward to keeping the standard at the level we are all accustom.

GO RHODY!
Coach O'C

November 9, 2009

Alums & Friends,

It was a busy but productive weekend and today the guy's are on their day off waiting for the Atlantic 10 Championships which begin Thursday here at the URI Soccer Complex. Going into Friday's match at George Washington we knew that if we win on the weekend we are in and the guy's were very focused. It didn't hurt that we had a huge contingent of family and alums there at the game to support us. In addition to our alums the Tanke's, Eckmayers, Petrarca's, Preyss's and Robby Gargaro's dad were there to cheer us on as well as an alum of mine from Chicago, some coaching friends from nearby Georgetown and my college teammate David LaPrise who is a huge supporter of ours. It was unbelievable!

The game was a big one for both teams as GW was still alive for a berth in the A-10 Championships. They started out well when their Herman Trophy watch list player Andy Stadler scored his 10th goal of the season just 15 minutes or so into the match. But, I saw something in the players that I haven't as of yet when we conceded a goal...they got mad! It was like an old coaching friend of mine Tim Schmiechen (Beloit College) said to me when I was at Chicago and they scored against us (we ended up winning 5-1)..."it was like poking a bear". The guy's responded well and turned it up a notch and it paid off when we got two in a span of less then 3 minutes. The first in the 41st minute when Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI) volleyed the equalizer in after mis-cleared free kick and the second in the 43rd minute on a Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) header off a corner from Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland). It took the wind out of the Colonials sails and we were on our way. We stretched the lead to 3-1 on Andres second goal of the game on a direct free kick and capped it with a Jaime Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) tap in on assists from Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland) and Franco LoPresti (Scarborough, Ontario). Our win combined with a Temple loss assured of a spot in the A-10 tourney. It was great.

Thanks so much to Joe Spofford, BJ Kochis, Kevin Algozer, Jeff Gonzalves, Kevin Hamill, DJ Burns, Matt Moriarty, Joel Dargan and others too many to name (sorry if I forgot anyone) who traveled to be there, sang and supported us. It meant a lot to me and the players for sure.

Friday night we travelled down to Richmond to get ready for the final game of the season and a chance to improve our ranking for the Atlantic 10 Championships. The guy's were in great spirits (rightly so) and we were treated to an impromptu "beat box" performance by Franco LoPresti on Saturday night for a group of young ladies from Virginia Commonwealth University who were at the Olive Garden with us celebrating their friends birthday. Rumor is that it WILL be posted on youtube.com soon. It is a classic!

Sundays game was played on a beautiful field at Ukrop Park in Richmond (UR is building a brand new stadium) under sunny skies and 75 degrees. It was senior day for the Spiders but we picked up where we left off attacking from the start. Thomas Lindroos earned a penalty in the 4th minute of play but unfortunately had it saved. But, 6 minutes later Dwayne "Bock" Williams tallied his second goal of the weekend off a Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland) corner. The game stayed tied through the half although statistically we had the edge in all departments. We were cautious with Richmond as they were the only team to blemish the record of regular seasons champs and #1 seeded Dayton so things kept tight. We got a couple of good chances which would have been nice to capitalize on and finally got the insurance goal in the 87th minute when freshmen Matt Ribbens (Tinley Park, IL) slipped a pass to Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) for the nail in the coffin. it was Matts first career point and a good one. Our goal was to get a minimum of 6 wins in the conference and it was mission accomplished.

Now the second season begins this week with the programs seventh consecutive appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championships. We go in as the 4th seed and will play UNC-Charlotte at 7:30 pm on Thursday night. The opener at 5:00 pm pits Fordham (#3 seed) versus St. Bonaventure (#6 seed) with Dayton (#1) and St. Louis (#2) waiting in the wings. The semi-finals will be on Friday at the same time with the final on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

We are excited about hosting the championships and thank Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn and Senior Women's Administrator Sue Bergren for making it even more special by supporting the purchase of new bench shelter/awnings (see attached photo). They were put up over the weekend and look fantastic! It's the first phase in our improvements to the URI soccer complex (the next is a scorer's booth) and will add to the already beautiful facility we have to host the championships.

Hope we see you out at the games as we would love to see you supporting us in our quest for the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship.

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

October 26, 2009

Dear Alumni & Friends,

It was a good weekend in Amherst in spite of the rain and field conditions. It was better then last Sunday versus Temple and fortunately the result was the same. We went into the weekends match with our A-10 travel partner expecting another typical URI vs UMass battle and it ended up being just that in the end.

As expected UMass is a very good team and we both were looking for a positive result as we jockeyed for a place in the Atlantic 10 standings and the subsequent conference tournament down the road here in Kingston. So, this was an important game for everyone. The match started off with a flurry and it didn't take long for your Rams to get on the board. After a UMass foul on the side of the box, Erkko Puranen (Viitisaari, Finland) served a ball to the back post which looked like it might curl out of bounds. But, Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI) got on the end of it, heading back across the goal where Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland) redirected in the goal for a 1-0 lead). It was just what we needed and rewarded the guy's for a good start to the game. It was 12 minutes in and we knew that we had a long time to go for it to be over.

In the second half the game went back and forth, mostly played between the 18 yard boxes but none the less both teams threatened. Michael Tanke (Niles, MI) nearly got the insurance goal when he curled a ball which rang the cross bar. UMass put on some added pressure by sticking an additional player up front and earning some dangerous corners but the team stood solid to grind out the win and well deserve shutout against a quality opponent.

If you have seen the A-10 standings as of now, you will notice that this weekend once again becomes a big one for all those involved. So, after a day off yesterday we'll be right back at it to get ready for St. Bonnies and Duquesne this weekend. Both games are doubleheaders with the women's team as they finish off their A-10 schedule. On Friday the women are at 5:00 pm and we play at 7:30 pm and on Sunday the women are at 11:00 am and we kick off at 1:30 pm. Sunday is "Senior Day" so it will add a little more importance to the team then just a "regular" Atlantic 10 match. If you are in the area we hope you can be here for the pre-game ceremony to honor our fourth year team members who will be playing their last regular season match at the URI Soccer Complex.

Before I sign off I just wanted to congratulate Mike Stricklin '77 who was recently voted into the New England Soccer Hall of Fame (http://neshof.org/blog/). He will be inducted on Sunday November 1st at 1:00 pm at the Riviera Inn, Providence, RI along with six others including former US Soccer President Hank Steinbrecher, former US National Team Player Janusz Michalik and Boston College Head men's soccer coach Ed Kelly. He is in good company and I know you will all join me a hearty "well done" for Mike...you will represent URI soccer well!

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

October 13, 2009

Dear Alums & Friends,

It was a tough, tough weekend on all accounts and I would be lying if I didn't say we were disappointed. It was the beginning of the "second season" and we were confident after our performance up at Binghamton University we were prepared for our Atlantic 10 foes.

Friday's match at Dayton was a rematch of the A-10 Conference Quarterfinal from a year ago. A 3-2 loss in Pittsburgh had left the guy's with a sour taste in their mouths and so they were looking forward to facing the Flyers again. The field conditions were not great as rain had soaked it and a women's game prior to ours went to over-time making our kick-off nearly 9:00 pm. UD came into the game as winners of their last 5 so they exuded confidence which showed at kickoff. Again, our concentration and lack of communication in the first part of the game was a problem allowing Dayton on the board in the first 4 minutes. We had shot ourselves in the foot so to speak but responded well and started to put some things together. In the 32nd minute we were pushed a little deeper in a hole when a dubious at best penalty was called against goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Spennymoor, England) which could have only been called on a wet night with bad footing. We were down 2-0 going into the half but was a position before and new we had the where with all to fight back from.

We started the second half well and began to face a barrage of long balls served up by the Dayton defenders. On the counter it paid off as they found their third goal with the fourth sealing it in the final 5 minutes. The result was poor but the players kept battling to the very end. We scurried back to the hotel like rain soaked rats looking to forget the night and move ahead to Cincinnati.

On Sunday we made some changes and it seemed as though our shuffling paid off. After a hard fought first 45 minutes we came out flying and got what we had come for, a goal, the first of his career, from Matt Preyss (Chagrin Falls, OH) and a laser of a striker just 3 minutes into the second stanza. It didn't take long for us to get the second as just 10 minutes later after a Dom Petrarca (Johnston, RI) curling cross nicked off a Xavier defender and to the feet of senior mid-fielder Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) who calmly slotted it under the Muskateer goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead.

They say that 2-0 is the worst lead to have as one goal let's the other team feel they had a chance and it unfortunately proved true on this day. XU got a fortuitous deflecting off their "flip" throw-in and BANG it was 2-1. The squad seemed to sit back a little too much and began to absorb a aerial assault that was not uncommon for a team looking for the equalizer. In the 88th minute lightning struck and after our defense mis-cleared a ball after being "under nudged" by a XU forward, and the subsequent bouncing ball was rocketed into the net to tie it up. Overtime brought more sadness as again, Xavier was able to capitalize and get the winner and we walked away from the weekend with no points.

I would like to thank all our families and loyal fans who sat in the rain at Dayton as well as travelled down to Cincinnati for the games. The Pryess clan, Hadley & Angie Warwick, John & Valerie Tanke as well as the Gargaro and Ribbens families were a welcome site to a dreary weekend on the field. Following the game I got a chance to catch up with Mark Sauter '07 who came to the match with his dad. Mark is finishing his last year of law school at the University of Cincinnati and is in the process of his job search which he says will be tough with the economy. Any help with leads for Mark is welcome. It was a nice surprise to see him as well as one of my University of Chicago goalkeepers Micah Prochaska and his wife who I literally ran into while eating in Dayton. He is attending medical school at Dayton and was an honorary Ram for a night.

It was a long ride home Sunday (arriving in Providence at 11:45 pm) and yesterday we all took some much needed time to clear the heads and start thinking about the huge weekend that lies ahead. A chance a redemption as two more A-10 foes roll into town for our HOMECOMING. Friday it is the St. Joe's Hawks on a 7:00 pm for a COX televised game on Chariho Youth Soccer Night. Sunday Temple is in Kingston after playing our travel partner UMass so it looks to be another exciting weekend and one where we hope to get back even in the league.

Speaking of HOMECOMING, don't forget that on Saturday October 17th at 10:00 am we will be having an ALUMNI vs. ALUMNI game on the practice field. Registration will begin at 9:00 am and includes coffee, donuts and a FREE t-shirt courtesy of the Office of Alumni Relations. IF YOU PLAN ON COMING AND MORE SO PLAYING PLEASE RSVP TO ME ASAP. Following the game their will be a reception at the URI Athletic tent in Rhodyville with lunch available at a nominal cost. The homecoming football game follows at 12 Noon so come on with your Rhody Blue and join us for a fantastic weekend. For more information and a schedule on the upcoming Homecoming festivities you can contact us or go to the website at http://advance.uri.edu/alumni/events/homecoming/default.htmgo.

Hope to see you all there as the players NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

October 4, 2009

Dear Alumni & Friends,

Well, the non-traditional half of the season is complete and we look forward to our A-10 conference games to begin next weekend. It has been quite a run in the first half here and it culminated with an exciting match up at Binghamton University last night.

It was as good an atmosphere to compete in, as the players will see over their careers. Not only did we play in front of a record crowd of over 2,600 fans, at a first class facility on homecoming weekend - the game was broadcast on Time Warner Cable Sports. Binghamton was also sporting three-year streak where they they had not lost at home. With a loud and boisterous group of supporters called the “Bearcat Hooligans” cheering and jeering from the stands - you bet it was something to be seen!

The game began as we thought it would, full of energy and enthusiasm. One of the themes we had talked about in pre-game was maintaining our concentration and poise through the first 20 minutes of the game. Over the first half of the season this has been a concern as we have conceded the majority of our goals during this time. I was very proud of the guys as they battled through it as Binghamton’s direct style of play which had us on our heals at times.

The back four of Dom Petrarca (Johnston, RI), Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica), Robby Gargaro (Naperville, IL) and Matt Preyss (Chagrin Falls, OH) absorbed a lot of pressure and goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Spennymoor, England) kept things organized while keeping Binghamton off the board.

After half-time we came out well - as we have all season - with the striking pair of Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) and Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) threatening several times and thus keeping the Binghamton defense busy. We were rewarded for our perseverance when senior midfielder Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland) picked up a miss cleared ball at the top of the box and fired a worm burner that skidded along the field turf hitting the back stanchion of the goal and caromed up into the net for the lead. The homecoming crowd was quieted.

The lead was enjoyed, but short-lived as 10 minutes later Binghamton was able to equalize off a free kick. The battle continued though the end of the half with both teams getting chances to win it - Binghamton hit the crossbar and Michael Tanke (Niles, MI) got a good look at the goal on a break, but put his shot past the right post.

In overtime, we looked strong and it appeared as though we would get the winner several times. The first was when Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland) chased one ball on the end line, which a BU defender thought was going out, and fed Erkko Puranen who had his shot blocked. The second was a Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) half-volley - reminiscent of his Yale game-winner - which almost made it through a forest of BU legs.

We almost had it in the final minute Jamie Eckmayer got behind the Binghamton defense on a pass from Robby Gargaro and lifted a bouncing ball over the goalkeeper that unfortunately deflected off the front of the crossbar and out. It would have been a storybook finish but it wasn’t to be...

Next weekend the second season begins with the opening Atlantic 10 games in Ohio versus Dayton and Xavier. I still believe that these early season games will serve us well in the Conference as they have prepared us for the always competitive A-10 games ahead. Our ultimate goal is to qualify for the A-10 Championship, get a first-round bye and advance into the NCAA tournament. It is a realistic goal and our road begins next week.

Before I sign off, I want to thank Brian Bradley for sending along some photos of his brother Michael, who recently shipped out to Afghanistan with the US Army as part of his commitment he made while in medical school. We hope you will keep him in your prayers for a safe six months.

Don’t forget HOMECOMING WEEKEND, October 16-18, and our Atlantic 10 doubleheader weekend/Alumni Game on Saturday the 17th at 10:00 am. Please let us know if you will be coming and especially if you will be playing in the game. Hope to see you all soon….

P.S. Take a look at this blog entry from Binghamton's Sports Communication Office: http://www.bubearcats.com/sports/msoc/2009dailyupdate1004.html

Very nice!..."You stay classy" Rhode Island!

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

September 29, 2009

Dear Alumni & Friends,

It’s been quite a couple of weeks for us that have included the start of classes and 5 games against some very good teams. Our results have been a little up and down but the quality of play has improved which I feel will serve us well down the road. The competition has been excellent and we have had stretches in those games where we were as competitive and anyone in the region.

Saturday night's match versus Boston University was another such performance that again was a short result for your Rams. The #19 Terriers came to town with a few scalps on their belt including perennial national powerhouses Uconn Huskies (beat 3-0) and St. John’s Red Storm (beat 1-0). So, we knew we had our hands full but were up to the challenge.

We started out the game really well and seemed to be on our way. But on one of just two corners on the night, BU deflected a shot ended that up as goal putting us in the hole 1-0. A second goal just after the halfway point of the first period and BU was in the driver's seat…it would seem. But, the boy’s kept plugging away and their hard work paid off when Reece Markman (Dallas, TX) came off the bench to win a ball back and fed left back Matt Preyss (Chagrin Falls, OH) on a short overlap who clipped the ball into the near post space to a diving Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) who deposited into the net. That cut the deficit in half at the interval.

In the second half, the momentum had shifted as we pressed for the equalizer. Midfielder Michael Tanke (Niles, MI) and freshmen forward Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland) were involved in several dangerous attacks including Thomas’s glance header that unfortunately went right to the Terrier goalkeeper. The guys kept up the intensity where we thought we got the tying goal on Franco LoPresti (Scarborough, Ontario) header that just went over the crossbar. The team fought into the final seconds getting our last gasp on a corner. The ball bounced around and unfortunately we couldn’t get a head, foot, shin or big toe on the rebound. The whistle blew and the visitors narrowly escaped Kingston with the 2-1 victory.

It was a tremendous effort in the end but one that unfortunately didn’t get us the result we wanted. I am confident - when looking at the way we are playing in the latter stages of the games - that we can compete with these nationally ranked teams. But, my biggest concern is maintaining our concentration and organization in the first 20 minutes of the game as that is when the goals we are conceding have been scored. It will be something we will discuss with the team and look for an answer too this week in preparation for our final non-conference game at Binghamton University (NY) next weekend.

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

September 25, 2009

Dear Alumni & Friends,

Sorry for the delay but if you haven't seen the result as of yet we go a very important one Tuesday night down in New Haven at Yale University. Important for a couple of reasons. First coming off our close 5-0 loss to Brown...LOL, we needed to get back on track. Second, to come from behind and win was equally important to the confidence of the team. We nearly did it against Hartford but accomplishing it against the Bulldogs was encouraging and tells me that we are moving forward.

As far as the game is concerned as didn't get off to a great start, allowing Yale to get on the board early in the match. It has been our MO that last few games and this is an area which we need to sort out or it will be the bane of our existence for the remainder of the season. But, to the guy's credit they plugged away and were determined to equalize and then work up from that point.

At the half it was still 0-1 but I felt we had built momentum and were almost there. One of the shifters in that was freshmen Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) who we put up front where he was able to threaten with his speed. Combined with Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) they caused the Yale back line fits. Errko nearly scored the equalizer less then five minutes into the second half but his attempt pinged off the post. His determination paid off in the 55th minute when he banged in a free kick off a Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI) assist. We continued the pressure and got another couple of chances but regulation ended 1-1.

In overtime we continued our pressure and once again it paid off when junior Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) ripped a ball which bounced out to him after a near chance by Erkko Puranen and it rocketed into the top left corner. It was quite a strike and one which Greg has repeated numerous times in training and now for a game winner. It was a much needed win and move forward in the season. Next up is 24th nationally ranked Boston University tomorrow night at 7:00 pm here at the URI Soccer complex. It will be the last home game until October 16th as we take to the road for our last non-conference match at SUNY-Binghamton on October 3rd and then open the Atlantic 10 schedule on the road at Dayton and Xavier.It has been a long, hard stretch over the past couple of weeks but I'm proud of how they have handled themselves.

Before I sign off I met yesterday with our development staff and alumni relations coordinator and have finalized the schedule for HOMECOMING 2009! We are really looking forward to it as that is our return home from 2 weeks on the road as well as the home A-10 openers. Here is how the weekend will go:

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16th
7:00 pm URI Men's Soccer vs St. Joe's
*After game there will be a pep rally, bonfire and fireworks for all alums, families and friends.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 17th
9:00 am URI Athletics Alumni Registration (between Beck baseball field & practice soccer) - coffee, donuts and FREE t-shirts.
10:00 am URI Soccer Alumni vs Alumni game
10:45 am 2009 URI Hall of Fame Inductees Plaque unveiling - Ryan Center.
11:00 am Lunch & Reception at the athletic tent in "RHODYVILLE" ($13.50 per person for food & football ticket).
12 Noon Football vs Hofstra

SUNDAY OCTOBER 18th
1:00 pm URI Men's Soccer vs Temple

As you can see it should be a fun filled weekend with a great chance to see this years squad, a traditional homecoming (with TAILGATING NOW) as well as catch up with old friends and teammates. For more information on "Homecoming 2009" go to http://advance.uri.edu/alumni/events/homecoming/default.htm.

We're asking that all alumni who plan on attending fill out the attached registration form and return it BEFORE FRIDAY OCTOBER 9th to reserve your football ticket(s) and lunch voucher. NOTE: football tickets and lunch vouchers will be available for purchase on site but NOT at the pre-registration discounted price.

Got to run and get the boys ready so keep in touch and we hope to see you this weekend at BU as well as HOMECOMING 2009!

GO RHODY!
Coach O'C

September 20, 2009

Dear Alums & Friends,

I woke up this morning and told my wife Sheila I had a nightmare that we got beat 5-0 by Brown...she told me unfortunately it was not a dream. But, I still feel I just woke up from a nightmare anyway. It certainly was a night to forget here in Kingston as we took a drubbing by the inter-state rival Bears. Two pairs of goals less then 3 minutes at crucial junctures of the game did us in. Full marks go to the victors as they were sharp, focused and determined. They are a talented team that will most certainly vie for the Ivy League Title this fall.

The most positive thing that came out for the home side was that we raised over $2,000 for Grassroot Soccer (www.grassrootsoccer.com) during our 2nd Annual fund-raising match. I want to personally thank Brown University men's soccer and Assistant Coach Pat Laughlin who contributed over $500 including a personal donation from Head Coach Mike Noonan. It is certainly a great cause and we are happy that we were able to use soccer to help educate about HIV/Aids in Africa. Thanks to all that attended including the parents and players of Rams Football Club, St. George's School (Newport, RI) and recent alums Kevin Algozer, Jeff Gonsalves and Kevin Hamill.

Anyway, the boy's are obviously not happy with their performance and the only thing we can do is learn from the game and move forward. It is a short break before we meet another Ivy League squad in the Yale University Bulldogs on Tuesday September 22nd at 7:00 pm in New Haven. All the guy's know it is an important for us to take a step forward in our preparations for the remainder of the season. We return to action at home on Saturday September 26th when we host Boston University at 7:00 pm. Hope to see you in CT or at home in the next week.

All the best and GO RHODY!
Coach O'C

September 18, 2009

Dear Alums & Friends,

Sorry for not writing until now but it has been a busy couple of days since our last match on Wednesday night. We have a quick turnover with Brown coming to town tomorrow night here at the URI Soccer Complex.

As we all know soccer is a delicate game and can change in the blink of an eye and feel like a slap in the face. We've all been a part of matches like that and no one feels comfortable when it happens. Wednesday night the first 15 minutes of the match was the difference on the night and although our boy's fought hard to get themselves back in the game, the hole was just a little too deep for us to climb out of against a talented University of Hartford squad. Kudos to them for holding us off as they cleared two off the line and their goalkeeper and defense did well recovering from two breakaway opportunities from Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) and Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland). On the positive side we did battle and got back into the game just 20 second into the second half when Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) tallied his first goal of the season. That set the tone for the rest of the match but we just couldn't get the equalizer.

Well, the past is the past and we have to move on and there is not much greater than the inter-state rivalry between the Rhode Island Rams and the Brown Bears. It will be a great game not only because of the intense competition and mutual respect the teams hold for each other but also because it is GRASSROOT SOCCER NIGHT at the URI Soccer Complex. It is the second consecutive year URI and Brown have played a game which benefits Grasroot Soccer, a global aids education and awareness organization. Admission to the game is FREE but we are asking everyone for a minimum $1.00 donation of which ALL PROCEEDS go to Grassroot Soccer. Both URI and Browns men's soccer will be adding to that tally through the purchase of limited addition warm-up jerseys they will wear prior to the game generously donated by both of our apparel sponsors Adidas.

So, we hope that all our local supporters will be there tomorrow night for what is always a great match-up. We have another short week when we are away at Yale on Tuesday September 22nd and home again with Boston University on Saturday September 26th at 7:00 pm. Don't forget Alumni Weekend October 16-18 and our Alumni v. Alumni game at 10:00 am on the 17th.

Keep in touch and GO RHODY!
Coach O'C

September 13, 2009

Dear Alumni & Friends,

We've just returned from the Nike/Hypertherm Classic hosted by Dartmouth College, coming away with a 1-1 record and second place finish. We defeated previously undefeated Iona College 2-0 on Friday night before falling to the host 2-0 this afternoon. Over the stretch of the weekend I was pleased with the teams play as I fell we are starting to come together and getting a hold of our strengths and weaknesses. We were also happy to get back captain Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland) and Michael Tanke (Niles, MI) from injuries. Although we unfortunately got limited time from Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI) who is battling injury himself, the players around him picked up the slack.

In our first match we met Iona College (NY) who came into the weekend 3-0 and ranked in the top five in their region. They are a technically talented team who have a certain amount of "trickery" to them so we had to be careful coming out. The first half we were not our best but grinded it out through the 45 minutes and even getting a goal from freshmen Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) on a wonderful assist from Michael Tanke. The score stayed that way until senior midfielder Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) shot from the left side of the box and junior forward Jonathan Pereira (Barrington, RI) redirected for an insurance tally and the first goal of his career. The team collected its‚ second shutout of the season and we were off to a good start in Hanover.

After a day off and some much needed rest, we returned to action on Sunday versus the host Big Green who had drew with the University of Connecticut 0-0 the day before. The Dartmouth match was certainly a good test as the home team was ranked as high as 6th in some of the national polls so we knew we would have our hands full. The game began with a flurry and our boy‚s got on the offensive and threatened the Dartmouth defense several times. Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica), the Nike/Hypertherm Classic Defensive Player of the Tournament, had a great match containing the Big Greens reigning Ivy Rookie of the Year in the air and along the ground. In a flurry of legs and feet a foul was called against the Rams on top of the box and Dartmouth's New Zealand International Daniel Keats scored on the ensuing free kick to make it 1-0 which carried into the half-time interval.

The second half was an extension of the first as our boys put together some good attacks which unfortunately stalled a bit in the final 18 yards. The Big Green were not to be outdone as they put together their own offensive surges, one ending in a semi breakaway that Chris Pennock (Spennymoor, England) made a fantastic stop on. But late in the match after a near penalty shot was called the second we didn't get so lucky and the referee pointed to the spot. Keats again stepped up and buried the 12 yarder to give Dartmouth the security they needed for the win.

All and all there were a lot of good things we could take from the weekend even in defeat. We got a few of the boys back and playing as well as encouraging and consistent performances out of defenders Franco LoPresti (Scarborough, Ontario) and Matt Preyss (Chagrin Falls, OH). I'm confident that when we get to full strength prior to the A-10 season beginning we will be ready and productive.

Its a short rest and then the University of Hartford Hawks come to town for our first game at home since the students returned for the fall semester. They have started off well on the season so it should be another great match at the URI soccer complex. Kick-off is 7:00 pm. We hope to see you there!

GO RAMS!
Coach OC

September 3, 2009

Dear Alumni & Friends,

We’re off and running and what an exciting game it was the other night in the home opener against defending ACC Tournament Champion Boston College. It was a beautiful night and we got a great crowd considering that classes don't begin until September 9th. There was a little dew on the ground that made for a fast game for both teams.

The game started at a furious pace with both teams playing with the energy of the first game of the season. BC nearly got on the board just about 2 minutes into game as an Eagles forward side volleyed a ball that just missed the outside of the right post. The guy’s persevered and created a few opportunities of their own from Reece Markman (Dallas, TX), John Pereira (Barrington, RI) and Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI). BC threatened again when a hard shot hit the post but luckily didn’t tickle the net. Half-time came with the game tied 0-0.

The second stanza began and it looked like we had got the lead on a Franco LoPresti (Whitby, Ontario) cross which bounded off the BC keeper and into the goal but was waved off for a foul. It didn’t take long after that for the Rams to get the actually lead. After a BC foul on the right side of the box, senior midfielder Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) bent a beautiful free kick over the Eagle wall and into the top left hand corner for his first goal of the season. The tally sent electricity in the air and the next 10 minutes the guy’s were buzzing. But, BC was too good a team to lie down and accept defeat but instead mounted a fierce attack that put our guy’s on their heels for a bit in the last 20 minutes. Senior goalkeeper and captain Chris Pennock (Spennymoor, England) had to come up with a couple of very good saves including a “blast” from BC’ Jeremiah Gallington from 35 yards out that he tipped over the bar and a second on a skipping and dipping shot that he just smothered. When the final whistle blew Rhody had earned a hard fought win over a quality opponent.

Next up on the schedule is old friend and alumnus Gareth Elliott and his Siena College squad on Sunday September 6th in Loudonville, NY. The Saints are coming off their own 1-0 victory over the University of Vermont in Burlington. It should be another great match as I know “G” and assistant and fellow alumnus Ahmad Manning will have their squad well prepared.

It will be a busy couple of weeks with the Siena match, classes starting on September 9th and then our trip up to my old stomping grounds Dartmouth College for their Nike/Hypertherm Classic where we play Iona and the hosts. It will be the first time back for me in a long time and in particular to play on Burnham Field, a brand new soccer only complex named for former Dartmouth coach, administrator and good friend Whitey Burnham who passed away last spring. Whitey was a kind and bright face for me when I went to the NSCAA Convention where he was one of the “red apron gang”. He was also a tremendous gentleman and mentor to young coaches because his handling of people transcended the decades since he last coached. It will be an honor to play on that field.

The next home game is Wednesday September 16th at 7:00 pm against the University of Hartford followed by our 2nd Annual Grassroot Soccer fund-raiser on Saturday September 19th versus interstate rival Brown University. Kick off is 7:00 pm. Last year at Brown we made a donation of $1,000 to this global Aids and HIV prevention and education organization. Admission is FREE although we are asking for a minimum $1 donation that will go directly to benefit Grassroot Soccer. Hope to see you there…

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

August 31, 2009

Dear Alumni & Friends,

Tomorrow it all begins with the beginning of the 2009 season. The boys have been working hard through preseason and now are ready for the challenges of the fall campaign. Over the past couple of weeks they have been coming together in training and testing the waters during our scrimmages.

The first “exam” came against interstate rival Providence that ended in a 1-1 draw. Junior forward Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) threatened first when he found a seam between the Friars defense and side footed a ball that unfortunately hit the post and caromed out. He was rewarded for his efforts minutes later scoring on a header off a flick on from a throw-in from classmate Michael Tanke (Niles, MI) to Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI). The squad continued carrying the momentum but fell asleep for one moment to see PC equalize on a short corner service that deflected off one of our defenders. It was a hard fought match, as all PC/URI games are but ended a draw.

In the second "exam" of the preseason, the Holy Cross Crusaders came to the URI soccer complex in a match moved a day earlier due to the predicted path of Hurricane Danny. In retrospect, the move was a good one as it allowed us an extra day of rest prior to the first game of the season. Anyway, again your Rams scored first on a class goal from Ruiz. After a hard cross from senior midfielder Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) that went through to the opposite side of the penalty box, Ruiz collected the ball, got inside two HC defenders and curled the ball into the far post for the goal. It was a tremendous finish. Unfortunately Holy Cross equalized after an angled shot skipped on the wet ground and under goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Spennymoor, England). The visitors scored again to take the lead and it finished 2-1. In the long run both games were very constructive and we learned a lot about where individual players are and what direction we need to go as a team.

By the way I recently got a nice note of good luck from Michael Bradley ‘97 who at present is in Washington State at Army Combat skills training. Michael is there as part of his commitment he made to the United States Navy while attending medical school at Dartmouth College. After his training he will be in Afghanistan by early to mid September but home by Easter 2010. Hope you will join us in keeping Michael and his family, who are here in RI, in your thoughts as he serves our nation abroad.

A couple other things to report from our alums… special thanks to Andres Perdomo ‘09, Kevin Kennedy ‘03 and Paul Fanning ‘01 who came by training to lend a hand during an intra-squad game when we had a few guy’s out with some bumps and bruises.

Also heard from Danleigh Borman ’08 who is in the midst of his second season with Major League Soccer’s Red Bull New York. Unfortunately Red Bull have been struggling as of late and coach Juan Carlos Osorio resigned recently. Danleigh told me that the team is trying to get refocused and even as I write are on the verge of their second straight win after losing seven in a row.

Spoke with Geoff Cameron ’08 last night as he was returning from Panama where he played a CONCACAF Champions League game versus Arabe Unido (they drew 1-1). His Houston Dynamo dropped a game to the Rapids today but they are at the top of the table and looking good for another berth in the MLS Cup.

Finally, Dawid Badecki ’08 who is back in Poland e-mailed me to say he was planning on coming to the U.S. and Kingston for the Atlantic 10 Championships in November. He’s hoping that his former teammates and other former Rams return to the site of their previous glory days to support the squad in their quest for another A-10 title. We hope so too!

Speaking of alums, Homecoming 2009 is just around the corner October 16-18. It will be a great weekend with two Atlantic 10 matches starting with Friday versus St. Joe’s at 7:00 pm and a Sunday match-up with Temple at 1:00 pm. On Saturday we have an Alumni vs. Alumni game followed by URI Soccer Alumni tailgate and the football game at 12 Noon versus Hofstra. You may have heard new URI President David Dooley established a new “Tailgate Policy” for football games that I know many alums have expressed is a long time coming. It will give our returning veteran players a nice place to get together to visit prior to the game.

Remember you can keep up to date with all the happenings of URI men’s soccer by checking out www.gorhody.com. Our Sports Communications office, specifically Jodi Pontbriand, does a great job with our page. We will be having some games streamed live during the season and all will be available on Gametracker, which can be accessed through our website.

We have a great schedule with one of the highlights being our Second Annual Grassroot Soccer fund-raiser during the match with Brown University on September 19th at 7:00 pm. Grassroot Soccer is an international AIDS awareness and education organization that reaches youth in Africa through soccer clinics. It is a cause which I have become personally attached to as two of its’ founders Dr. Tommy Clark and Methembe Ndlovu are guy’s who played for me when I was an Assistant Coach at Dartmouth College. Last year at Brown URI passes along a check for $1,000 to GRS and this season all gate proceeds from the game will be donated. The match is FREE to attend but we are asking for a donation for a minimum donation of $1.00 for Grassroot Soccer. In you need more information or cannot be there and want to make a donation yourself go to www.grassrootsoccer.org.

Well, as I said tomorrow it all starts and we are excited to get going. We hope we see many of you tomorrow night at 7:00 pm when we face the Eagles of Boston College!

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

August 18, 2009

Friends,

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the dog days of summer. After a July where the temperature never reached 90 degrees we have moved into the heat and humidity just in time for pre-season training to begin. The players have begun to come in today with the rest arriving in the morning and then it is off to the races.

Before I go on just a quick note to say thanks to all our alums who attended the 13th Annual URI Men's Soccer Golf Outing on August 10th at Fenner Hill Country Club in Hope Valley, RI. It was a beautiful day as opposed to the Monsoon we had last year that cancelled the tourney. We had a great group of people along and it seems everyone enjoyed themselves. I surely did getting my money's worth (and swings in). To no surprise TEAM KENNEDY (fincluding Kevin Kennedy '03) took home top honors in this best ball scramble for I believe their 3rd championship in 4 years. Many thanks to our corporate sponsors Rams Football Club, The Tanke Family (Michael Tanke '11), Wadsworth Publishing (Valerie Tanke) and Joint Ventures Physical Therapy (Dan Brownridge '01). Of course we would be no where without our tee sponsors Charlie O’s Tavern, Lebron James & Shaquille O’Neal (The Pryess Family & Matt Preyss '11), Kingston Pizza, Herf Jones, The United Way, Rhode Island Elite Soccer Academies, URI Women’s Rowing Team (Associate Head Coach Jessica Lizzi), URI Men’s Golf (Coach Tom Drennan), Russell Blank ’77, Goal-4-Rams 6 v 6 Soccer (Ed & Brian Bradley '92) and our friends at University Spirit in the Kingston Emporium. Thanks for all your support of the tournament and program.

Anyway, I just returned from a short vacation with the family in Iowa and Minnesota where Sheila, the kids and I visited her folks in Iowa and sister in Minnesota. It was a short stay but good one since I feel like things have been buzzing and the summer just got away from me. Between our very successful camps those I worked at Notre Dame and Georgetown as well as recruiting it was a whirlwind. I'm sure it really came down to the excitement and anticipation of pre-season and the fall campaign. Time does fly when you are anxious to get at something...

We are so looking forward to what lies ahead and it all begins with the home opener versus DEFENDING ACC TOURNAMENT CHAMPION BOSTON COLLEGE on Tuesday September 1st at 7:00 pm here at the URI Soccer Complex. It is not one to be missed! You can check out the rest of the schedule at www.gorhody.com but the season highlights include our A-10 play which begins on October 3rd and includes our usual interstate Darby with Brown University on Saturday September 19th at 7:00 pm which is also our Grassroot Soccer Fundraiser game. Last year we raised over $1,000 ourselves for this aids education through soccer organization and hope to raise even more in 2009 with the help of the Brown Bears. We've made this an annual event between the two schools and you can get more information and find out how you can help by going to www.grassrootsoccer.org.

One of the biggest highlights of the fall will be HOMECOMING WEEKEND which is October 16th-18th. The weekend kicks off with an Atlantic-10 match versus St. Joseph's at 7:00 pm followed by a pep rally in Keaney Gym and fireworks. Saturday we have an Alumni vs Alumni game at 10:00 am, a luncheon at 11:00 am and football against Hofstra University at Noon. The weekend is complete with the back end of our A-10 doubleheader versus Temple University at 1:00 pm. We will send you more information and a registration form in the coming weeks but MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW and join us in Kingston!

Finally, keep an eye on the our web page on the URI athletic website (www.gorhody.com) for your chance to procure a URI "Vintage" game jerseys. Alums and friends will have the chance to get their hands on jerseys filled with memories and worn by some of Rhody's best back when the team wore Kappa, Nike and Diadora game kits. We'll be posting photo's of the memorabilia soon and give you your chance to pull on the URI colors again.

Well, tomorrow cannot come any sooner. Keep us up to date with what is going on in your neck of the woods and make sure you follow the team through the 2009 season. All the best...

July 18, 2009

Dear Alums & Friends of URI Soccer,

Hope you are all enjoying the summer months. We’ve been having some beautiful weather in Rhode Island as of late and look forward to more down the road. Campus has been bustling with activity including the annual South County Balloon Festival this weekend. We have our overnight camp coming up July 26-29 and then pre-season will be here before we know it. Where did the summer go?

It has been a busy July for me with our very successful day camp, the 4th of July holiday followed by a week at Notre Dame Soccer working their camp. Over this time we also had some great news as my Assistant Rob Czlonka and his wife Lisa welcomed their first child Gabriel (8 lbs., 8 oz, 21 inches) into the Rhody family. It was very exciting news and mom, dad and Gabe are doing well abet getting a little less sleep these days…for mom & dad that is!

Have had some great alumni news over the past couple of weeks, the latest being that former Ram Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) was named as a starter as a central defender in the MLS All-Star Game on July 29 versus English Premier League club Everton. Geoff is having another great year for the Houston Dynamo after finishing 3rd in the voting for Rookie of the year in 2008. We have also heard from Mike Hoffer ‘61 who was pleased about the news of Andy Williams wife Marcia finding a bone marrow donor. Mike and his wife have been passionately involved in raising money for cancer through their marathon training.

On the playing side Peter Dos Santos ’94 wrote to tell us his over 30 men’s team qualified again National Final Four for the second consecutive year. Steve Demoura ‘01 is also on the team (just turned 30 this year) and they are off to Sanford, Florida in late July where they will play a team from North Texas in the opening round. Prior to heading to FL they had to beat some good teams including one from NY, which had former MLS players Richie Williams (DC United) and Mark Semoli (MetroStars) on it.

Present URI player Michael Tanke ’11 (Niles, MI) is also chasing his own national championship as he is off to Lancaster, MA to vie for the coveted McGuire Cup (U19 Championships) at the USYSA Tournament of Champions. His Indy Burn Eagles won their first Midwest Regional Soccer Championship beginning July 21st after being a bridesmaid several times over the past few years. We are certainly going to get up to watch him play and you can see Michael in action at http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/regionII/. Michael hopes to add to the list of former Youth National Champions who play for the Rams as rising sophomore Reece Markman (Dallas, TX) won a U17 and U18 title with his Andromeda SC and incoming freshmen Matt Ribbens (Tinley Park, IL) and Robby Gargaro (Naperville, IL) also raised their own cups with their Chicago Magic U16 squad.

Finally, a reminder that the 2009 URI Men’s Soccer Golf Outing is just around the corner on Monday August 10th at Fenner Hill Golf Club in Hope Valley, RI. The cost is $125 per player with opportunities to sponsor a hole/tee ($100), a foursome ($500) or as a corporate sponsor ($500). Registration for the beat ball foursome includes 18 holes, cart, post round meal and golf favors. There will be a raffle and silent auction for an autographed Geoff Cameron Houston Dynamo jersey among other prizes. For more information or to sign-up as an individual or register a group contact Assistant Coach Mitch Stone at (401) 874-2560 or at stone@mail.uri.edu.

ALL THE BEST & GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

June 18, 2009

The semester is over and summer is just about here in Rhode Island. We have been off recruiting and getting things ready for the fall. Our day camp is just around the corner and my assistant Rob Czlonka's wife is just about to give birth to their first child. So, it never stops. But, we have had some tremendous news over the past couple of weeks, none more important then that A BONE MARROW DONOR MATCH HAS BEEN FOUND FOR URI ALUM AND REAL SALT LAKE MIDFIELDER ANDY WILLIAMS WIFE MARCIA!

See the story HERE.

This is GREAT news as many of you know Marcia has been battling Leukemia which she was diagnosed with over a year ago. We found this out when my assistant Mitch Stone contacted Soccer Unites Utah concerning a $500 donation our players made through a juggle-a-thon fund-raiser this past spring. Soccer Unites Utah has been in the forefront helping Andy and Marcia raise money for her treatments. We are so happy for their whole family and our thoughts and prayers continue to stay with them.

In other news from the alumni front, Houston Dynamo Central Defender Geoff Cameron... yes I said central defender... has been quite the story of late being named to consecutive MLS Teams of the Week for his stellar play.

We've seen a lot of Geoff on television and he has been doing so well that ESPN commentator and former MLS/US National Team Captain John Harkes has been promoting him as a MLS All-Star candidate. It would be great to see him on that stage!

Our other MLS guy Danleigh Borman '08 has also been on the tube a lot, starting for Red Bull New York at either left back or left mid-field. Although NY has struggled a bit of late, Danleigh has been applauded for his defending and intelligent play. I was proud of the fact that he takes so much pride in his defending during a time when some of his peers in the league do not... in my opinion anyway.

Got an e-mail from Lukasz Tumicz '08 in Poland who is recovering from surgery and hopes to be back on the pitch for his club Jagellonia Bialstyok soon. Our most recent signee Adam Howarth '08 is still in Finland with AC Kajaani but we haven't heard much from the "Big Goat".

Got a nice e-mail the other day from Callum Bissett '08 who is back at home working for FirstPoint USA, which is a college recruiting service which he went through to come to URI. He is keeping an eye out for us and is enjoying his job but misses Rhode Island.

On the further update front "Big Ginger" Ross Smith '03 went through successful heart surgery a bit ago and is working his way back to health. Ross was playing with the USL's Rochester Rhinos and set up to sign with the Colorado Rapids of MLS when it was discovered in a routine physical that he had a faulty heart valve. Surgery has fixed that and we look forward to having him here this summer working our camp.

Speaking of making recoveries, best wishes to Dan McCrudden '78 who I heard through is brother is recovering from a little heart scare of his own this spring. Heard from brother Vince McCrudden that he is doing well and should be back on the field scoring goals like in the old days. By the way I would be remiss if I didn't recognize Vin for his recent and VERY GENEROUS donation to the program.

NEWS FLASH....SAVE THE DATE:
The weekend of October 16-18 it is HOMECOMING 2009. It will be a jam packed weekend with men's soccer games on Friday night and Sunday afternoon against St. Joe's (7:00 pm) and Temple (1:00 pm) sandwiched around an Alumni v Alumni game Saturday morning at 10:00 am and Alumni & Friend BBQ to follow. Football is home versus Hofstra so there is plenty to do for everyone. So, if you haven't been back in a few years JOIN US. More information to follow...

Finally, don't forget the University of Rhode Island Men's Soccer 13th Annual Golf Outing on Monday August 10, 2009 at Fenner Hill Golf Club in Hope Valley, RI. it is a fun event and for $125.00 per golfer you get 18 holes of golf, golf favors, a cart, and post-round meal. We also have a putting contest, longest drive, closest to the pin, a raffle later and silent auction.

If you can't be there in person you can be there in spirit as a tee/hole, corporate, foursome or tournament sponsor. You can get details in the attached brochure. We of course welcome any level of support because we realize its' because of you that we are able to do these events and others.

Well, that is about it from here. If you have any news that is fit to print let me know and I will be sure to include it in our next e-mail blast. Take care and enjoy the remainder of the spring.

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

May 5, 2009

Exams are off and running this week and will go on for the boy's until the 13th. We had a team BBQ on Friday at the O'Connor ranch complete with some exciting games of Mario Kart on Megan and Michael's Wii as well as a rousing game of whiffle ball home run derby in the front yard. It was a nice way to finish off the spring and relax before hitting the books. After two days of "Reading Period" and the weekend the guy's are ready to get the semester finished.

Hopefully you picked up through our weekly e-mails that the spring non-traditional season ended up as a productive one. I'm having individual meetings this week with each of the players and then they will be off for the summer. It's hard to believe that another academic year is almost done. It's even harder to comprehend that another class of guy's are moving on. Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) and Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT) go through graduation ceremonies on the 17th while James Quiah (Providence, RI) and Andres Perdomo (Pawtucket, RI) will do the same next December. I'm sure you all join me in wishing them the best for their futures.

One thing I wanted to bring to everyone's attention first and foremost to keep Ross Smith '03 in your prayers as he undergoes heart corrective surgery today. Ross who has had a very successful professional career with Gravesend & Northfleet and with the Rochester Rhino's this past year, was discovered with a heart condition while undergoing a physical for Major League Soccers Colorado Rapids. The surgery is corrective but as with any dealings with the heart, there are dangers. Think positive for the Big Canadian Ginger!

I also wanted to pass along a link to a really great article by Paul Kenyon of the Providence Journal about the URI football teams recent Bone Marrow Registration Drive. It was a project which the team was glad to get involved in as it was an issue that hit close to home with the plight of Andy Williams '90 and his wife Marcia, who is looking for a bone marrow match right now. The reason I mention this is that we found out through our involvement in the registration that freshmen Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) had Leukemia when he was 12 which is amazing considering where he is as a player today. Paul included his story in his article so take a look!

Before I sign off start getting your foursomes together for the annual URI MEN'S SOCCER ALUMNI & FRIENDS GOLF OUTING ON MONDAY AUGUST 10TH AT FENNER HILL GOLF CLUB in Hope Valley, RI. Last years event got rained out so I know people are ready to get back to RI to play. We will be sending specific information on times and such but get your foursomes together NOW.

All the best and GO RHODY!
Coach O'C

April 17, 2009

It's been a crazy few days here in the URI soccer office between our game on Wednesday night with Holy Cross and getting some distressing news on tax day. As you may or may not have heard, on Wednesday the University of Maine dropped their men's soccer program (as well as women's volleyball). A terrible thing professionally, as a Maine alum and as a close friend of Pat Laughlin the coach who is a former assistant here at URI. We have had to do some scrambling to replace our home game with Maine as well as the games which were supposed to play at Maine's Tournament to open our season. Fortunately we have been able to add Boston College, Binghamton University and arrange to go to Siena College. We unfortunately had to drop the Sacred Heart game to avoid a two week gap in the schedule mid-season but the 2009 schedule is set now and attached.

As you can imagine it I have a heavy heart for a program which fueled my passion for the game and is a part of why I am in this position at URI today. I am terribly disappointed in the administration at the University of Maine for the timing of the decision. Their is no god time to drop intercollegiate sports but as we all know decisions like these are not made overnight. The failure to notify the coaches, players and recruits earlier is un-excusable as far as I am concerned because now these kids are 2 weeks from exams with a slim chance of being able to find a spot on a team via transfer or such. The worse of it all is that Pat Laughlin is without a job come June 30th when his contract expires. No severance pay...no "we will pay you and cover your benefits through December"...NOTHING! No matter what the reasons, you just don't treat people that way. It is very disheartening and has made me re-think my association to an institution which game me so much. Keep Pat and the players at Maine in your thoughts that things will work out. I know we would love to have Pat back here on the Rhody side-lines as a volunteer this fall to keep in the game so don't be surprised if you see him.

Well, as far as the game on Wednesday night we went to Worcester with a small squad of only 14 healthy players. Chris Pennock, Andres Ruiz, Kevin Shaw and Dom Petrarca were nursing injuries while Josh Sousa was sick with the flu. Although the bench was thin, we had a good squad to put out and tremendous chance for players to get in a full 90 minutes of action as we get close to the end of the spring campaign.

The game started out very well for the visitors, as we were able to move the ball and create some good chances. The ball movement paid off when Michael Tanke (Niles, MI), who was just returning from a sickness himself, combined with Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) to dribble through the Crusader central defense and finish a hard low shot into the corner. The lead was short lived as the Crusaders stormed back with two goals of their own on counter attacks which we didn't react to well. The second half showed a renewed spirit and play which produced results when Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) got fouled in the box for a penalty. Jonathan Pereira (Barrington, RI) finished the PK well to equalize the game. Holy Cross kept plugging away and eventually netted the game winner on a free-kick, making the end result 3-2 to the home team.

HOLY CROSS LINE-UP: Warwick (Tavares 60), Zane, Williams, Hutson, LoPresti, Preyss, Crooks, Tanke (Gonsalves), Markman, Balicki (Pereira), Puranen.

Finally, the ANNUAL ALUMNI GAME is only a week away on SATURDAY APRIL 25th at 11:00 am here at the URI Soccer Complex. The following guy's have either committed or told skipper Gareth Elliott they are coming:

Michael Bradley, Dan Brownridge, Aidan Byrne, Ryan Chmielweski, Kedan Crosby, Gareth Elliott, Paul Fanning, Kevin Hamill, Kevin Kennedy, Pat Maguire, Ahmad Manning, Steve Mellen, Andres Perdomo, James Quiah, Dennis Richards, Jesse Simmons, Joe Spofford, Gabe Toro.

If you are not on this list and planning on coming, know someone who is not on this list who is coming or if you THINK you are coming PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let us know. This includes friends and family as their will be a BBQ following the game which is FREE for all those alumni who attend and $10 per person for friends and family. Donations to help cover the cost of the t-shirts and food are always welcome.

Well, we have our second to last spring game tomorrow at 2:00 pm versus Southern New Hampshire here at the URI Soccer Complex (re-scheduled from the Maine Spring Invite in Cape Elizabeth, ME). If you are in the area then we hope to see you play.

TAKE CARE & GO RHODY!
Coach O'C

April 10, 2009

The week is at and end and it was a busy one. We had three matches this week which made it for a short one. Last weekend we were up to UMass for their spring invitational. We arrived in Amherst a little short in personnel as we still had goalkeepers Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England), Anthony Tavares (E. Proivdence, RI), midfielder Josh Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario), who is back practicing after his ACL surgery, nursing previous injuries as well as Michael Tanke (Niles, MI) and Dom Petrarca (Providence, RI) who were now part of the walking wounded. Add to that Franco LoPresti (Whitby, Ontario) who was feeling under the weather and we had a very small bench. But, like any good team we used the weekend well, earning a 1-0 win over Army on a Gary Crooks (Falkirk, Scotland) goal, assisted by Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI) as well as a 0-0 draw with the host in a classic A-10 battle. The weather was quite windy and cold and the UM practice field bumpy (which some say they planned...LOL) but I was happy in the end with how we handled it all.

ARMY LINE-UP: Warwick, McCormick, Williams, Hutson, Zane, Crooks, Shaw, Ruiz, Markman, Balicki, (Sousa), Puranen (Pereira)

UMASS LINE-UP: Warwick, McCormick (Zane), Zane (Hutson), Williams, Preyss, Markman (Sousa), Shaw, Ruiz (Crooks), Pereira, Balicki, Puranen (Pereira).

Training was light for Monday and Tuesday as we headed in Bryant College on Wednesday night for a 7:00 pm tilt on their field turf. We were nearly back to full strength (minus Dom Petrarca and Anthony Tavares who should be back next week) so it was be a good chance to see the nearly the whole squad operating. The pace of the game was a little crazy in the first of three 30 minute periods and we were spared relinquishing a goal only by a fantastic diving stop by Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS) down to his right. The field was long (120 yards) but narrow (65 yards) but the guy's adjusted and managed to get on track in latter parts of that period getting goals in quick succession. The first on a nifty back heel assist from Michael Tanke to Andres Ruiz on a one touch finish after Michael beat a player in the box. The second started from a Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland) corner to the back post where Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) headed it across to Errko Puranen (Viitassari, Finland) who nodded it in. It was great for Erkko as his parents and 3 sisters were here in the states visiting for the week. We almost got a third when Ruiz was through on a breakaway and just barely missed chipping it over a sliding Bryant goalkeeper.

The game the rest of the way was a bit of a pin pong match but the squad got good chances out of Jonathan Pereira (Barrington, RI), Reece Markman (Dallas, TX) as well as Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA). In the final 15 minutes of the game Josh Gonsalves got on for his first action in Rhody Blue after being cleared for full contact a few days earlier. He has a bit of catching up to do but it was nice to have the big man on the field.

BRYANT LINE-UP: Warwick, LoPresti, Williams, Hutson, Zane, Tanke (Markman), Crooks (Preyss), Shaw, Ruiz (Crooks, Gonsalves), Balicki (Sousa), Puranen (Pereira)

Don't forget to RSVP about the ANNUAL ALUMNI GAME on SATURDAY APRIL 25th at 11:00 am at the URI Soccer Complex. Following the game their will be a BBQ which is FREE for all alumni and $10 per person for friends and family. Donations to help cover the cost of the t-shirts and food are always welcome. Please RSVP with your t-shirt size and that you are coming (as well as significant others in attendance) so we have enough food. The t-shirt size ordering deadline is Friday April 17th. After that there is no guarantee for the correct size or a shirt so make sure you let me know...

I am proud to say during this Easter season we are ecstatic to announce that the team recently raised $1,000 in our winter "Juggle-a-thon" of which ALL proceeds will be donated towards a fund to help URI's all-time leading scorer Andy Williams '98 (Kingston, Jamaica) wife's Marcia fight with cancer. As many of you know already Marcia is in need of a bone marrow transplant and we just hope that this small gesture will help. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andy and we invite you to again join us in supporting their fight. You can get more information on how you can donate by visiting the RSL website.

As we head into the final two weeks of the spring season we are looking forward to our last three games. First, this Wednesday April 15th in Worcester, MA versus the Holy Cross Crusaders at 7:00 pm and then home in Kingston versus Southern New Hampshire at 2:00 pm on Saturday April 18th. The second match is a CHANGE as Maine had to cancel their invitation in Cape Elizabeth, ME due to lack of players from injury. We will then get plenty of rest in preparation for the MOST IMPORTANT GAME OF THE SPRING versus the alumni on the 25th to finish things up. We hope you can join us.

From my family and the URI soccer family we wish you all a Happy Easter!

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

April 2, 2009

Sorry for the late e-mail concerning the first spring weekend but the flu is going through our house (i.e. Sheila had it) so I've been trying to catch up since the onslaught and recovery. Being Mr. Mom is TOUGH!

This past weekend we had a our first match at Northeastern University and it started with a bang...literally. In warm-ups sophomore Greg Balicki (Wilbraham, MA) managed to shatter a window in the NU team building which was located behind the goal. The Huskies coach Brian Ainscough was actually grateful as he has been asking NU for a net system behind that goal so Gregs fuax pas added fuel to the fire as far as he was concerned.

The game too got off to a great start with the first 30 minutes being an impressive one for our boy's. We put a good amount of pressure on NU creating chances from Erkko Puranen (Viitasaari, Finland) on a great pass over the top from Andres Ruiz (Providence, RI) which he used to almost chip the goalie. We got another couple of good chances off of interceptions by Kevin Shaw (Denny, Scotland) who was all over the place on the afternoon. The back four which included two new faces in Eric Hutston (St. Louis, MO) and Franco LoPresti (Whitby, Ontario) were solid in front of Peyton Warwick (Kansas City, KS) who had little to do in the first 45 minutes.

In the second stanza Northeastern changed their tactics a bit, playing very direct which caused some problems for our defense as they threatened the goal a few times. Rhody still generated some chances of their own including a ball cleared off the line by an NU defender, one that hit the post and a bicycle kick by Greg Balicki off of service from Reece Markman (Dallas, TX). In the end neither team could crack the seal and the match ended 0-0.

STARTING LINE-UP: Warwick, Petrarca, Williams, Hutson (Zane), LoPresti (McCormick), Tanke (Markman), Shaw, Ruiz, Crooks (Preyss), Puranen (Pereira), Balicki (Sousa).

The Saturday we head to Amherst, Massachusetts for the UMass Spring Invitational. We kick off at 12 Noon against Army and follow up with our second 70 minute game with the host Minutemen at approximately 2:30 pm. If you are in the area or are keen for a ride to Western, MA we hope to see you there.

Before I sign off just a quick reminder about the ANNUAL ALUMNI GAME on SATURDAY APRIL 25th at 11:00 am at the URI Soccer Complex. Following the game their will be a BBQ. The event is FREE for all those alumni who attend and $10 per person for friends and family. Donations to help cover the cost of the t-shirts and food are always welcome. Alumni are ask to RSVP with their t-shirt size (and significant others attending) so we have enough food and such. The t-shirt deadline is Friday April 17th. After that there is no guarantee for the correct size or a shirt so make sure you let me know...

Hope you will all be able to make it out to one of our spring games as well as the Alumni Game. The remaining spring schedule is as such:

April 3
@UMASS SPRING INVITATIONAL
12 Noon v Army
2:30 pm v UMass

April 8
@Bryant College, 7:00 pm

April 15
@Holy Cross, 7:00 pm

April 18
@MAINE SPRING INVITE
12:45 pm v Southern New Hampshire
2:00 pm v Maine

TAKE CARE & GO RHODY!

March 11, 2009

Greetings from Kingston! We're in the middle of the last week of training and classes before spring break and the guy's are looking forward to re-charging their batteries before the non-traditional season begins. The team has been working hard in the weight room as well as on fitness training with our soccer intern Steve Mellen '08. Steve has been keeping them busy with agility and cardiovascular work as well as some other projects around the office. The technical sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6:30 am - 7:30 am have been lively too but I think some of them won't miss being up at 6:30 am...

The past couple of months have been busy with a lot or action on the home front here and away from campus. It all began with Lance Klima '89 being inducted into the URI Athletic Hall of Fame at a wonderful ceremony at the Quidenessett Country Club in North Kingston. It was a great night for Lance, his family and our program. We are working on getting at least one URI soccer player inducted each time a class is installed (every 2 years) so make sure you nominate all too. The stronger the push the better for us all and we know there are a lot of guy's out there who are well deserving!

The Sunday of the Hall of Fame "Ice Breaker" weekend was our annual end of the season team banquet held at the Institute for International Sport (formally the International Student-Athlete Hall of Fame) here in Kingston. It was a nice afternoon with lunch and teams awards ceremony. Freshmen Erkko Puranen (Viitisaari, Finland) was the big winner on the day taking home the Len Mecurio Offensive Player of the Year and the Geza Henni MVP Award. The Kevin Murphy Defensive Player of the Year went to sophomore central defender Dwayne Williams (Westmoreland, Jamaica) while the Ram Academic Achievement Award to classmate Matt Pryess (Chagrin Falls, OH). We were more than pleased for James Quiah (Providence, RI) to be voted as the Bob Davidson Sportsmanship Award recipient and surprised Terry Casey '85 with the Ed Bradley Alumni Service Award for all he has done in support of URI men's soccer and our fund-raiser Rams Football Club. The afternoon ended with a tremendously entertaining highlight video created by Assistant Coach Rob Czlonka. We are working to get it up on the website for you to all view but if you want to purchase a copy for $10 just let us know.

Concerning the future we happy to announce we have completed our recruiting for 2009! We are excited about the incoming class as they bring us a vast amount of experience as well as a tremendous base for the years to come. In addition to Matt Ribbens (Tinley Park, IL), Robby Gargaro (Naperville, IL) and Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, IL) who signed back in February, we also recently got commitments from Nick Joshi (Perth, Western Australia) and Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland) to complete the class. Our international contingent gives us the possibility of an all-Finnish striking tandem as Thomas will pair up with Erkko at times as well as a versatile left footed player in Nick who has seen time at the back, in the midfield and up top. I know they are excited to get to campus this August and we are too.

On the alumni front, former Ram central defender Adam Howarth '08 was back in the U.S. and on campus (visiting his girlfriend) and training in preparation for beginning his professional career AC Kajanni in Finland. The big man signed recently, looks good and I think he is ready to go. We'll be anxious to watch his progress. As most of you read in an earlier e-mail, former URI Gaffer Ed Bradley was inducted into the Soccer Rhode Island Hall of Fame the weekend of February 28th. An honor which was long overdue. His son Dr. Michael Bradley is off to Afganistan as part of his service in the United States Navy. We wish him safe travels and a swift return. Finally I heard from BJ Kochis '07 via e-mail who just got back from working Costa Rica working with his engineering company. He will now be moving to Baltimore and promises will be coming to the alumni game this spring.

Speaking of the Alumni Game, save the date of SATURDAY APRIL 25th, 11:00 am at the URI Soccer Complex. It will be the final contest of our non-traditional season and be followed by a BBQ for all alumni, families and friends of the program. We'll send you more information in the next month but if you know you are going to be there please RSVP to me with the number who will attend as well as t-shirt sizes (wives, kids and significant others are welcome). The rest of the spring schedule is as follows:

March 28
at Northeastern University - Boston, MA

April 4
at University of Massachusetts - Amherst, MA

April 8
at Bryant College - Smithfield, RI

April 15
at Holy Cross - Worcester, MA

April 18
at Maine Invite (Maine & Southern New Hampshire) - Cape Elizabeth, ME

April 25
Alumni Game (&BBQ) - Kingston, RI

If you are in the area we would love to see you at a game. If not then make your plans to join us at the ALUMNI GAME & BBQ whether you play or not. It is a fun event and a great time to get together and see old friends.

Before I sign off I want to publicly acknowledge Don & Nancy Hutson, Jesse Simmons '00, Ron Miner '74, Dan Pinto '78 and Tom Soule '63, for their recent donations to the program. I especially want to thank my long time high school friend Jim Brooks of Greenwich, CT for his generosity. Jim is a avid soccer fan who was a standout player at Connecticut College in New London, CT. He and his company Brand Partners (www.brandpartners.com) donated a color laser printer, DLS projector and 42" flat screen television which will be used for video review and for the players enjoyment in their lounge area of the men's soccer office suite. Jim has no attachment to the program except for through our over 25 year friendship for him to think of me and the program is special. He's a class guy and we're hoping that his daughter Kirsty, a high school senior, will select Kingston as her college town as she was recently accepted to URI.

That's about all there is to report for now. Drop us a line with any other news.

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C