November 21, 2011

Dear Alums & Friends,

Things here on campus are pretty quiet as many students are getting ready or have already headed home for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Our guy’s have been busy since the end of the season with lifting three days a week as well as meeting individually with the coaching staff. They’ve been working hard at it and have quite a determined look in their eyes. In addition they started donating their time to help with our Rams FC Fall Technical Training Academy in Keaney Gym. We have well over 50 kids attending with nearly 30 on the waiting list. It’s a great chance for the guy’s to get some coaching experience while demonstrating for the kids.

Anyway, we had some good news as a follow up to the season as freshmen midfielder Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) was named to 2011 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team. Being recognized by the conference coaches as one of the top newcomers is certainly great for the future of the team.

Here is some alumni news that has come along the wire as of late...Well done to Dom Petrarca ‘10 led the South Kingstown Junior Varsity team to the RIIL State Championship. He also serves as the Varsity Assistant Coach under Scott Rollins who coaches in the Rams FC program…. Congratulations are in order for Steve Mellen ’08 who recently became engaged to longtime girlfriend Christine Puleo who is also a URI graduate. Steve has had his coaching shoes on too helping at North Kingstown High School....On the national front, if you were scanning through the channels the other morning and stopped on CNNMoney, yes that was Barry Knapp ‘84, Head of U.S. Equity-portfolio strategy for Barclay’s Capital. Barry has been a regular guest analyst...Gareth Elliott ‘02 and his Siena College Saints made a late run at the MAAC Championship in Lake Buena Vista, FL by knocking off 7th seeded St. Peter’s 5-1 before losing to #2 seed and nationally ranked Iona in a PK shootout....Hope everyone stayed up to see MLS Cup where Geoff Cameron ‘08 was playing in his second championship game with his Houston Dynamo team. Geoff was a key to the Dynamo’s success down the stretch, moving to central defender in order to anchor the Houston defense and help the team go undefeated in their last 9 games of the season. Unfortunately they dropped a 1-0 decision to David Beckham and Landon Donovan’s LA Galaxy on a Donovan goal. Any other news? Pass it along...

After the Thanksgiving holiday the players will be getting ready for exams but before that we will be holding our 2011 Team Banquet at Charlie O’s Tavern in Narragansett. Soccer alum and owner Chris Simon has hosted us the last 2 seasons in the upstairs (Simon’s Place) which is a great venue. All alums, parents and friends are invited to attend. Tickets are $10 per person and reservations can be made by contacting assistant coach Mitch Stone at (401) 874-2560 or stone@mail.uri.edu.

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

October 31, 2011

Dear Friends & Alumni,

In any given year a split on an Atlantic 10 weekend would be a welcome result but this time it was a disappointment. Going into this doubleheader we had our A10 Tournament fate in our hands as winning our last three conference games would almost certainly guarantee us a spot in the A10 tournament especially considering some of the strange results. We finished it still with a chance but now we have to rely on other results to make our goal a reality.

On Friday night we finally had the offensive explosion we have been waiting for with a 4-1 domination of the University of Richmond. We got balanced scoring as 5 different players tallied points and goalkeeper Adam Blanchard (Scarborough, ME) filled in well for Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS) who was out with a concussion. It was quite a night, and weekend, for junior midfielder Matt Ribbens (Tinley Park, IL) who led the way with 2 goals and 1 assist. He started us off an opening strike for 22 yards reminiscent of his game winner against Fordham last year off a pass from Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland) in the 23rd minute. Just before the half freshmen midfielder Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) took a Mike Casey (Wakefield, RI) pass and spanked it, hitting a Spiders defender and deflecting past the goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead.

It took only 7 minutes into the second stanza for Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) to get on the scoreboard with an athletic goal off a Matt Ribbens cross. Ribby hit a bending cross that looked like it was destined for the Richmond goalkeepers hands but Jamie leapt like a Gazelle to skim it by him for the tally. Ribbens and Casey hooked up for the final goal which capped off a well deserved offensive burst. It was a great start to the weekend and our quest to sweep our last three.

Sunday, was a busy day with snow overnight initially threatening the game and the emotion of the final home game of the season. Prior to the match we honored our four seniors Franco LoPresti (Markham, Ontario), Reece Markman (Dallas, TX), Peyton Warwick and Oscar Zorrilla (Providence, RI). It was great to have their families there to share the day.

We started the game with a different look as unfortunately Franco was unable to play due to yellow card accumulation so junior Tim Dragon (Flemington, NJ) and Oscar Zorilla were called upon to fill in on the day. The first half was very, very sluggish and George Washington took advantage building a 2-0 lead. It was an extremely disappointing 45 minutes as we just did not play with the energy and enthusiasm we have been with a combination of unforced turnovers combined with some players looking out of sync. It was hard to get a grasp on exactly what was happening out there but it was not our best moments and in the end it cut us deep.

During the interval we regrouped and came out to all but dominate the next 45 minutes going against a stiff wind. In the 57th minute the man of the weekend Matt Ribbens combined with Jamie Eckmayer and Matt Sykes for a fantastic blast from the top of the box to cut the lead in half. We continued the pressure and handled GW’s counterattacking play including a big breakaway save by Peyton Warwick in the final 10 minutes that could have sealed the game then and there. We were on the verge of getting the tying goal when we just ran out of time.

So, as the standings look we still have an outside change to get in but we do not hold destiny in our own hands as we did going into the game against GW. We need to win at UMass next weekend and have some other teams in the league lose in order into the tournament via the backdoor. By kickoff next Saturday we should have a pretty good idea of where we are and if the soccer gods are kind, will steal a slot in the A10 tournament. Keep your fingers crossed and say your prayers as it would be a shame to have this team miss it.

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

Sad News...

Dear Alums & Friends,

It is with a heavy heart I write to let you know of the death of former URI player Winston Griffiths this past Saturday October 23rd in Kingston, Jamaica. At this point the details and cause of death are unknown. He was 33 years old.

Winston came to the University of Rhode Island in the fall of 1999 as part of a long line of successful Jamaican players of his time to wear Rhody Blue including Andy Williams, Nicholas McCreath, Dennis Richards, Conrad Hibbert and Anthony Curtis just to name a few.

Although Winston played only one season at URI he made his mark in 1999 scoring 9 goals and 8 assists in 19 games. That year Rhody finished the regular season 15-2-1 (10-1-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference) while winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship with identical 7-0 shutouts of UMass and Duquesne in the semi-final and final. Winston was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament team along with 6 other teammates. The 1999 squad went on to win an NCAA play-in game over Mercer before bowing out to intra-state rival Brown in the NCAA first round.

Winston began his professional career with the Connecticut Wolves in the United Soccer Leagues First Division. In 2002 he was drafted by the Dallas Burn of Major League Soccer and sent to the NY/NJ Metrostars before the season began. Later that season he was traded to the LA Galaxy and then to the New England Revolution where he reached the 2002 MLS Cup. Following his stint in MLS he played for Portmore United (2003) and the Vancouver Whitecaps (2004) before returning to Jamaica to sign with Arnett Gardens of the Jamaican National Premier League (NPL). He also played professionally in the Canadian Soccer League for Toronto Supra before returning to Jamaica in 2007, signing with Sporting Central in the NPL.

On the international stage Winston made his debut for the Jamaican National Team against Guatemala and earned 28 caps from 1998-2002, scoring 2 goals for the Reggae Boyz.

The entire URI soccer family is saddened by this news and I know you join me in sending our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and former teammates.

God Bless you Winston,
Coach O’C

October 24, 2011

Back-to-back away weekends in the league can be tough but they can also be an opportunity to earn some points back in the race to the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They can also be very cruel as we found out this weekend in our A-10 split.

The front of this trip was away at St. Bonaventure in Olean, NY. The game, originally scheduled as an afternoon tilt was moved to 7 pm on a turf field at a high school in Bradford, PA, about 20 minutes from St. Bonnie’s campus. The game started off with a bang as just 38 seconds in junior forward Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) laid a first time ball out to classmate/roommate Matt Ribbens (Tinley Park, IL) who whipped in a low cross in penalty spot high where Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) one timed it in for the fastest goal recorded since my time at URI. The early goal was great but there was a long time to go. The teams traded play with thing getting fairly direct. We seemed to be getting the best chances but the hosts were able to equalize with 7 minutes before the half.

In the second half we made some adjustments and again came out of the gates fast. Just under 10 minutes in we saw a near duplication of our first goal but this time it was Eckmayer to midfielder Joey Haught (Brecksville, OH) who played Matt Ribbens wide and through on the right. Matt again hit a driven ball to Sykes who ran on and re-directed a rocket off the far post and back across to the opposite side netting for his second goal of the game. As the game trickled down we got hold of the ball more and more to seal the victory.

Sunday couldn’t come sooner as the buy’s were anxious to get back on the field to try and sweep the weekend. A game that started out as an evening matched affair turned into a rout for the hosts…their second of the weekend as they had beat UMass 4-1 on Friday night.

The game started off as any competitive A10 game does. We created a couple of very good chances including a redirect from Jamie Eckmayer and a volley that just went over the bar from Michael Casey (Wakefield, RI). Duquense tallied first and held a 1-0 advantage going into half time. Their lead quickly turned to a 1-1 tie when Reece Markman (Dallas, TX) scored his 2nd goal of the season off an assist from Joey Haught. It looked as though we were on our way and building momentum when then the wheels began to fall off the cart beginning with senior goalkeeper Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS) suffering a concussion after a scramble in the 18 yard box. He was ably replaced by back-up Adam Blanchard (Scarborough, ME) who, to be fair, didn’t have to make a save by the end of the game. But he was the victim of the Dukes onslaught as scored the eventual game winner on a re-directed corner as well as three others in the last five minutes that included a PK.

The most disappointing part was not in the loss but that in the final minutes and for numerous reasons the play did not reflect what URI soccer is to our alums, families and friends. Win, lose or draw we have an expectation that we must live up to and it became a lesson learned for our young team.

Next weekend we return home for the final doubleheader weekend and a big task at hand. To get a chance at an Atlantic 10 Tournament berth we need to win out. I am confident we can do it but this week will be a time to refocus our energy and commitment to our goal of getting to St. Louis. It will be an exciting weekend with Friday’s game versus Richmond followed by our Sunday tilt against George Washington on Senior Day. That afternoon we will honor our four seniors Franco LoPresti (Markham, Ontario), Reece Markman, Oscar Zorrilla (Providence, RI) and Peyton Warwick in pre-game ceremonies. It could be a wild ride and hope that you will join us.

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

October 10, 2011

Dear Alums & Friends,

It was a great weekend here in Kingston as we opened the Atlantic 10 Conference campaign. It was going to be such a challenging weekend with the #1 and #2 A10 pre-season favorites coming to town. The boy’s have been chomping at the bit to get going again since our last regular season game on September 25th. The weekend marked the beginning of the second half of the season, a fresh start and even the unveiling of our new home and away kits. What a perfect way to kick off our quest to the A10 Championships.

Friday night was a perfect night to play as the Billikins from St. Louis University came to the URI soccer complex. Kick off was delayed about 30 minutes due to the assistant referees getting caught in Columbus Day weekend traffic coming through Boston. But, the guy’s were patient and ready to go when the opening whistle blew.

With the dew on the grass and the excitement of the first A10 game there was a lot of energy in the air. We used that to our advantage outshooting SLU 10-2 and 3-1 in corners in the first half. After the interval the guy’s kept possession and that discipline paid off with a beautiful combination from a trio of first year players that led to what proved to be the game winner. After a good entry pass into forward Ross Morison (Linlithgow, Scotland) from classmate defender Alan Hernandez (Pearland, TX), Morison laid the ball off to Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) who ripped a shot destined for the right bottom corner. The SLU goalkeeper dove to his left and deflected it out but senior midfielder Reece “Johnny on the Spot” Markman (Dallas, TX) got to the rebound, slid a ball under the defenseless goalkeeper and off the post and in. From there on we controlled the tempo of the game, keeping the ball moving and earning the shutout. It was a dominating a performance by a URI squad over SLU since I’ve been at URI.

On Sunday, UNC-Charlotte came down from Amherst with a #13 national ranking and a 2-1 OT win over U. Mass on Friday. We new this would be a battle especially considering the history and the game coming on the back end of the weekend doubleheader.

The game match off a bit off for our side as we couldn’t really put together sustained play. On the other end Charlotte was confident as expected and in the 17th minute took a 1-0 lead. The game had become a competition of wills and at half-time we needed to make some tactical adjustments to get us going in the right direction.

The boy’s took what we said to heart and soon you could see a shift in play. In the 56th minute the tactics, discipline and perseverance paid off as junior reserve midfielder Andrew Tetzlaff (Livingston, NJ) sliced in from the right side, played a ball into Ross Morison who deflected the ball back to freshmen forward Michael Casey (Wakefield, RI) who one timed a shot for the equalizer and first career goal in Keaney blue.

Down the stretch is was a downright war in the box as it got very physical on corners and free kicks. Senior tri-captain and goalkeeper Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS) stayed strong while making several good stops to keep the game level. It looked like junior forward Jamie Eckmayer (Harrison Park, NJ) had the winner on an angled breakaway from the right side but his shot to the left went just wide. The overtime had the same feel as regulation and to be fair, either team could have won it but it ended in a draw.

It was a great way to start the A10 season especially with the key minutes and contributions on Sunday we got from Tetzlaff, Mark Lubetkin (Livingston, NJ) and Thomas Lindroos (Espoo, Finland), who was coming back into the team after a bout with pneumonia. This week we should have everyone back into training finally with Oscar Zorrilla (Providence, RI), Austin Dias (Greenville, RI), Tim Dragon (Flemington, NJ) and Jon Cloutier (Honolulu, HI) all back from injury.

Next weekend we take to the road for the first of back to back away A10 doubleheaders. We’ll be in Philly on Friday to face defending regular season A10 Champions LaSalle and then up to Fordham on Sunday for a matinee match-up. Keep your eyes on www.gorhody.com to follow us on gametracker as well as the results and details.

GO RHODY!
Coach O’C

October 2, 2011

Dear Alumni & Friends,

It’s a beautiful day here in Rhode Island today and the first real day off for us all in a while. Yesterday we hosted an international friendly with the Winstars Soccer Academy from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This is the same club that co-captain Franco LoPresti (Markham, Ontario) played for in high school as did former Ram and All-American Jeff Gonsalves. I’ve actually known their coach Bobby Graham since my days at Dartmouth College where one his players Danny Sankar (who now does SAT prep classes for the WSA) was a standout for the Big Green. Initially this was going to be a completely open weekend as we couldn’t find a team to fill in these date after the NCAA voted in April to extend the soccer season by a week. Luckily the Winstars agreed to come down to give us a game (and UMass today) in preparation for the beginning of the Atlantic 10 season next weekend.

Yesterday was bit different then today as it rained off and on the whole morning. We kicked off at 11 am and were set to play three 30 minute periods. The squad was a bit depleted with some injuries, sickness as well as keeping some guy’s out who needed some time off to heal some nicks they had.

We started off slow as a team and at the end of the first 30 it was 1-0 Rams with a Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) goal on a Mark Lubetkin (Livingston, NJ) assist. The squad re-grouped at the interval and from their it was all Rhody with the final score being 8-0. The scoring was led by freshmen Michael Casey’s (Wakefield, RI) 3 goals and 1 assist performance followed by 2 goals and 1 assist from Ross Morison (Linlithgow, Scotland), 2 goals from Eckmayer and a single tally from Joe Haught (Brecksville, OH). Lubetkin picked up 3 assists on the day and sophomore defender Parker Kuklinski (Portsmouth, RI) an assist himself. In the goal Adam Blanchard (Scarborough, ME) and Thomas Spenser (Hastings on Hudson, NY) split the game and earned the shared shutout. One of the highlights of the day was seeing Ryan Apt (Doylestown, PA) return to playing after his PCL surgery last February and picking up an assist too. Here is the line up with substitutions:

URI RAMS STARTING LINE-UP: Blanchard (Spenser), LoPresti, Hernandez, Austin (Kuklinski), Lubetkin, Casey (Austin), Markman (Moran), Moran (Apt), Haught (Lubetkin), Morison (Casey), Eckmayer.

Tomorrow we get back at it in preparation for the opening doubleheader weekend of the 2011 A10 season when we host Saint Louis on Friday night at 7:00 pm and Charlotte on Sunday at 1:00 pm. On Friday, the game is being shown via tape delay on Cox Sports Television. As always both matches with be highly competitive and important results to start the conference season. Hope to see you all there...

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

September 26, 2011

Dear Alums & Friends,

Dickens wrote in a Tales of Two Cities “It was best of times, it was the worst of times” and it was for us...sort of. Big weekend here on campus with our Grassroot Soccer Fundraiser game on Friday versus Boston College and Sunday match with Ivy League foe Yale was something we were really looking forward during training the week before. The games certainly didn’t turn out the way hoped but we will take something from each match in preparation for the conference season.

On Friday BC came to town with a #10 national ranking having lost to now #1 UConn in their previous game. It was a rainy night with the match kicking off on time following the URI women’s drubbing Iona 5-0 in the front end of the doubleheader. Unfortunately, we were behind quickly with the Eagles scoring on a corner just 2 minutes into the game. But from there it it seemed to be all Rams.

With the weather and periodic downpours the crowd was thinner then expected which was a bummer for what was hoped for our annual Grassroot Soccer night. Those who were there stayed glued to their seats as the boy’s put on a great show. Besides a couple of pieces where the Eagles kept the ball, our Rams dominated, out cornering BC 5-2 and outshooting them 16-9 (12-3 shots on goal) that included limiting them to 1 shot in the second 45 minutes. We had some great chances including a sequence where Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) redirected a Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) cross that hit the crossbar, had the rebound headed off the post and subsequent shot saved. Credit goes where credit is due as the BC goalkeeper Justin Luthy made several game saving stops including a Joey Haught (Brecksville, OH) redirect and Trevor Moran (Wilbraham, MA) rocket from the top of the box. We thought we had the game tying tally when Sykes hit blast of a free kick that Luthy turned around the post. The games stayed 1-0 for the Eagles but it was a great performance and showed how we can and will play down the stretch.

The real winner in the game was Grassroot Soccer (www.grassrootsoccer.org) who, in spite of the rain, will garner a nice donation through t-shirt sales by the boy’s and the dollars given at the gate. A few of the guy’s are still in the process of collecting from t-shirt sales so when we get the final tally we will let you know. Special thanks to Assistant Chris Pennock for coordinating the effort, our Rams FC parents for manning the collection bins and Jackie University Spirit in the Kingston Emporium for their help with our t-shirts.

For what ever reason the Sunday game versus Yale University had a bit of a hangover feel to it. It was not from lack of effort but possibly from mental sharpness which will be a lesson learned as we go into doubleheader weekend games in the league. The guy’s never really got a into the rhythm like the Friday game and we were down quickly 2-0. We pulled one back when Franco LoPresti (Markham, Ontario) was yanked down on a free kick for a penalty and Joey Haught converted to make it 2-1. A 70th minute goal by Yale gave them a cushion and there was no joy in Mudville or Kingston...

Well, from here we actually have a two week break until Atlantic 10 10 Conference play begins. Due to the NCAA adding an additional week on the front end of the season in April, we couldn’t find a game for this weekend. So, we do have Franco LoPresti’s as well as Jeff Gonsalves ‘07 former club team Winstars Academy coming to Kingston for an international friendly on Saturday October 1st a 11:00 am. The following weekend, October 7-9, we open up with an A10 doubleheader weekend when we host St. Louis on Friday night at 7:00 pm and UNC-Charlotte on Sunday at 1:00 pm. It always is a good weekend of soccer and encourage you to get out and see the boy’s play.

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

September 19, 2011

Dear Alumni & Friends,

It was a great weekend here in Kingston with our 2-1 win over Holy Cross on Saturday night. We had a great crowd as it was a perfect night to play combined with Chariho Youth Soccer Night. It was a great environment as hours before kick-off the CYSA players and parents were tailgating in the Ryan Center parking lot with activities like “Plinko” and impromptu soccer games abound. The Holy Cross bus unfortunately ran over one of the kids soccer balls upon arrival and luckily it belonged to one Michael O’Connor. Holy Cross Coach Ted Priestly felt horrible but no worries, Michael certainly has a few extra at home.

The game started off well and the half was marked by some of the best soccer we’ve played this season. The ball was moving crisply on the dewy grass and the positive energy and vibes from the crowd paid off when freshmen forward Ross Morison (Linlithgow, Scotland) got on the end of classmate Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) driven ball, after pressuring a Holy Cross defender into a mistake and slid the ball by the onrushing Crusader goalkeeper for the opening goal of the game.

The second half became quite a battle as the tempo picked up as the game clock ticked down. We got a couple of great chances including a Sykes drive from an angle and Trevor Moran (Wilbraham, MA) volley from the top of the box and subsequent rebounds that were eventually cleared. The Crusaders created some chances of their own and eventually found the equalizer in the 71st minute.

The next 19 minutes the guy’s battled away with a scrappy HC team and their determination paid off when senior midfielder Reece Markman (Dallas, TX) curled in a cross behind the purple defense that junior forward Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) redirected into the corner to take the lead again. Senior goalkeeper Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS) was solid in the goal, cutting out the Crusaders penetrating crosses and snuffing out a couple of good free kick chances. In the waning minute we almost got a third goal when Jamie Eckmayer broke free and tried to feed roommate Robby Gargaro (Naperville, IL) who had surged forward off his interception but couldn’t connect for the tally. The final whistle blew and victory was in the book for Rhody.

Next on the docket is ACC foe Boston College who comes to Kingston on Friday September 23rd at 7:30 pm. The game is part of a URI soccer doubleheader as the Rhody women play Iona at 5:00 pm followed by our match with the Eagles. That night will be our 4th Annual Grassroot Soccer fundraiser. Grassroot Soccer is a global HIV/Aids education organization who uses soccer to teach the youth of Africa about abstinence and the prevention of this devastating disease. Admission is free but a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $1 for children/students will be taken at the gate. Our URI players will be selling Grassroot Soccer t-shirts on campus this week and additional opportunities for contributing will be available throughout the evening.

Over the past four seasons we have raised over $8,000 towards GSS. As in the past all donations from the game and t-shirt sales go directly to support this worthy cause.. For more information on Grassroot Soccer go to grassrootsoccer.org.

Finally, the weekend finished up with a Sunday afternoon tilt with the always competitive Yale University Bulldogs in a 1:00 pm at the URI Soccer complex. Yale is coming off a 7-0 thrashing of Marist College so we will certainly have our hands full on the weekend. Hope to see you all at both games...

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

P.S. CLICK HERE to check out a nice article on our local guy Michael Casey (Wakefield, RI), son of Terry (and Trish) Casey ‘85.

September 13, 2011

Dear Alums & Friends,

Sorry for the delay in writing but it has been a busy, busy week or so since my email following the PC game and Ocean State Soccer Classic final. Since then we have travelled to FL to play a disappointing match in the Sunshine State but returned home to win a game against one of the Ivy Leagues best.

Classes began on September 7th and so did our trek south to play a midweek game against Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Meyers, FL. FGCU is a fairly new program after moving up from NCAA Division II four years ago but they have quickly become one of the most competitive teams in the country. The game was played on a warm and humid night with a first half performance that was possibly best 45 minutes of the year. FGCU was out of sync as we picked off pass after pass and caused turnovers that led to a couple of good chances for us while creating none for them. At the interval they were frustrated which resulted in 2 cautions issued as the clock expired due to a bad tackle out of bounds on Michael Casey (Wakefield, RI) and subsequent shove to him by another player. The benches were emptied but the guy’s kept their composure when their opponents couldn’t.

The second half took a different turn as less than 3 minutes in senior central defender Oscar Zorrilla (Providence, RI) was sent off with a straight red for a “last man” foul which was more of a jumble of legs then a deliberate act. It put us at a disadvantage for the 3rd time this season and shortly their after FGCU scored to take the lead. A forty minute lightning delay allowed us to regroup but the Gulls were able to move the ball around with us being a man down and chasing the game. A second goal off a free kick put us deeper in a hole and by the time the final whistle blew it was all FGCU 4-0. It was a disappointing result as I don’t think the score reflected the totality of the game.

We got back to Kingston and put the memory of the FGCU game behind us to prepare to travel to Cambridge, MA and the hallowed halls of Harvard University for a Sunday afternoon kick-off. With a determined and renewed spirit the Rams rushed onto Ohiri field and posted a goal early on when freshmen forward Ross Morison (Linlithgow, Scotland) intercepted an errant Crimson GK kick, went around the surprised net minder and got his first career goal. The score remained the same through half-time as senior GK Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS) made several good saves on half and full chances for Harvard.

The Crimson were able to equalize in the second stanza after a defensive miscommunication, setting up freshmen heroics from the big Scot again. After a cross by senior midfielder Reece Markman (Dallas, TX) went through the Harvard 18 yard box, freshmen Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) re-crossed the ball on the half volley to the back post where Ross Morison was waiting to head a deftly placed ball over the diving Crimson goalkeepers head to the far post for a 2-1 lead. From there Peyton Warwick saved the game by snuffing out a Harvard free kick over our defensive wall and the road that play to victory. It was a satisfying win for all against a team that will vie for the Ivy Championship this season.

Now, its’ a week off before we welcome the Holy Cross Crusaders to the URI soccer complex on Saturday September 17th for a 7:00 pm kick-off. The momentum is building and that combined with Chariho Youth Soccer night that brought a huge crowd to Kingston last season, should make for a great atmosphere. Hope to see you all there...

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

P.S. Don’t forget that on Friday September 23rd we will be hosting ACC foe Boston College in our 4th Annual Grassroot Soccer fundraiser game. Our players will be selling Grassroot t-shirts the week before and donations will be taken at the gate here in Kingston. All proceeds will go to supporting this global education organization that uses soccer to teach the prevention of HIV/Aids in Zimbabwe, South Africa and other African countries. For more information go to www.grassrootsoccer.org.

September 6, 2011

Dear Alums & Friends,

What a great atmosphere here in Kingston last night with over 2500 in attendance for the consolation and finals of the Ocean State Soccer Classic. We had great support from the South County community as well as the student body which made it the place to be on Labor Day. It was an exciting final pitting us against intrastate rival PC where unfortunately we fell to the Friars in OT 0-1.

The first game of the day saw Brown and Bryant lock horns in the consolation game that the Bears won 3-0. It was a very competitive and hard fought match providing plenty of entertainment. Come 7:30 pm when the final kicked off people were still coming into the field in droves including the URI athletics student support group “The Mob”, South Kingstown high school boy’s soccer as well as many families and friends who travelled to see the game.

We had made it to the final by virtue of a 1-0 victory at Bryant University on Friday in our semi-final match-up. It was a tough game to play as both teams battled it out through a scoreless first half. It was a pretty physical game and had to battle even harder when Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) received his second yellow card of the match and we were down to 10 men. But the guy’s adjusted and kept plugging along until the final minute when junior forward Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) was fouled just outside the box creating an excellent scoring opportunity. Freshmen Michael Casey (Wakefield, RI) slipped a ball to the side of the wall to Joey Haught (Brecksville, OH) who road a tackled and roofed a shot for the game winner with 59 seconds to go.

In the final it was a classic Providence versus URI game....albeit PC winning. Providence had advanced with a 1-0 win over Brown in their semi-final and were looking to retain the Ocean State Classic trophy that they had won a year earlier. We had a surprise visitor to the game when Houston Dynamo midfielder and former Rhody Ram Geoff Cameron showed up on the sidelines along with a massive amount of alumni support...too many to name as I don’t want to leave out on anyone.

The first half was played in surges with PC holding play for the first 10 minutes and then our boy’s gaining momentum and control for the latter half of the first period. Both teams created some good chances but neither could burst the net.

The second half was more of the same with the game played at a furious pace. Senior goalkeeper Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS) came up with several key stops and holds on difficult balls and we created some great chances including a near diving header by Joey Haught from a Thomas LIndroos (Espoo, Finland) cross and a ball off the bar by Jamie Eckmayer on a nifty combination with Michael Casey. But in the end it was OT where PC netted the game winner on a rebound from an angle.

Well, classes begin tomorrow and there is no rest for the weary. We head South to Florida Gulf Coast University for a 7:00 pm Thursday evening match. We’ll return from FL for a couple of days then finish off the week with a game at Harvard University on Sunday September 17th at 3:30 pm. It has been a busy 2 weeks with the Hurricane Irene game postponement but we will be all the better for it down the road.

Take care and follow us on www.gorhody.com!

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

August 27, 2011

Dear Alums & Friends,

It’s pouring rain here and we’re all getting prepared for Hurricane Irene to hit New England. But before the storm the 2011 season opened with a trip to Durham, NH to face the UNH Wildcats of the America East Conference. The whole team has been waiting for this day since we arrived in pre-season camp on August 10th.

There was certainly a buzz in the locker room and it carried onto the field in the first half. They grow them big in the Granite State but UNH’s size didn’t intimidate or stop our guy’s from competing. We battled through some physical play with neither team having many quality chances. The shots were even at five a piece, so the 0-0 score at the interval was a fair result.

In the second half we made some adjustments keeping the ball down on the ground and away from some of their sequoias. This allowed us to generate not only some possession but, some great attacks with multiple options. Unfortunately, against the run of play and on a counter attack the Wildcats got the first goal of the game on a shot that snaked its’ way past senior goalkeeper Peyton Warwick (Prairie Village, KS). A second yellow and subsequent ejection to junior midfielder Matt Ribbens (Tinley Park, IL) looked as though it would spell doom for our Rams but the squad took an aggressive approach to being a man down, building play and again creating scoring chances including a Matt Sykes (Sheffield, England) blast that the Wildcat keeper had to parry away. The pressure paid off in the 84th minute when Franco LoPresti (Whitby, Ontario) headed in a Sykes free kick for the equalizer.

As I have said before the game of soccer can be a cruel and exciting one as our hosts, to the delight of their fans, scored an unassisted goal in the 89th minute to sneak away with the 2-1 victory. Not the way we wanted to begin the season but there are some very good things have come out of the game that will serve us well down the road.

Today we had a recovery workout in the pool and some much needed rest. This afternoon and tomorrow will be the first full day off since we came into camp in early August. As was reported on the gorhody.com website, our game versus the University of Vermont has been postponed due to the Hurricane (now down graded to a category 1 tropical storm) and its’ path through New England. The match will now be played on Tuesday August 29th at 3:00 pm here at the URI Soccer Complex. It’s the home opener and a great chance for our guy’s to get the first win of the season if we play our cards right.

All the best for those on the east coast and GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

June 17, 2011

Dear Alums & Friends,

You would think that it would be pretty quiet here on campus this time of the year but things are buzzing as of late. There is a lot of work being done here in the Keaney/Tootell complex updating the fire alarm system. So, it is a little noisy in the office at times but we are making due. New Student Orientation has brought a lot of people on campus including some of our new guy’s particularly Michael Casey (Wakefield, RI/St. George’s School/Rams FC), Tom Spenser (Hastings on Hudson, NY/Hastings High School/FC Westchester USSF Academy) and Alan Hernandez (Pearland, TX/Pearland HS/Houston Dynamo USSF Academy) are and will be on campus. Although it seems we have some down time, recruiting is in full swing for the 2012 season.

On the alumni front I recently was in touch with former All-America goalkeeper Anthony Latronica ’98 who is working as a Technical Advisor for US Soccer. He’s been traveling around the country working with some of the best youth players in the U.S. He moved onto the USSF after his most recent stint as Associate Head Coach at the United States Air Force Academy. He said it was a nice change of pace from college coaching and he gets to interact with some of the top soccer minds in the country.

Houston Dynamo central midfielder Geoff Cameron ’08 is having another stellar year in MLS and just recently launched his own website at www.geoffcameronsoccer.com. Here you can follow Geoff through the season as well as view action photos and video. You can also catch him on Twitter (@GeoffCameron).

NEWS FLASH: THE MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER ALL-STAR BALLOT IS OUT, SO VOTE FOR GEOFF BY CLICKING HERE.

Speaking of professional soccer, our newest Ram in the pro ranks Michael Tanke ’11 has been logging big minutes for his Rochester Rhinos squad. He was out of action recently due to the injury but returned to action this past weekend in a match televised this past weekend on Fox Soccer Channel prior to the US National Team game versus Panama. Michael has been a consistent starter for the Rhinos and a few weeks back Michael had a nice on-line interview that can be seen by clicking here.

Recently got an email from URI supporter Mike O’Neil who filled me in on Mick McDermott ‘96 and his recent appointment as strength & conditioning coach for the Iranian National Team.

He is working alongside former Portuguese National Team and Manchester United Assistant Coach Carlos Queiroz who is at the helm. Formerly Mick had been the S & C for Al Ain Soccer Club in the United Arab Emirates after a stint at Oregon State. It is a tremendous opportunity for Mick and his wife, former URI volleyball player Karla Bragg McDermott ’98. We wish the both the best.

On the hometown front we’ve had a couple of weddings on tap with our athletic trainer Lauren Goley getting hitched this past weekend in a beachside ceremony here in South County. She’s off on her honeymoon trip to the Costa del Sol in Spain and then to Scotland where her husband Andy has relatives in Sterling. In a couple of weeks our own Frank Bergren’s daughter Emily will walk down the aisle. Emily is a URI grad and a former manager and soccer office worker. We wish both Lauren and Emily the best as we know their husbands are getting two of the best!

We’ll, that’s all from the soccer office. In the next couple of weeks we’ll be posting the 2011 schedule so keep your eyes out for it.

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

January 25, 2011

Dear Alumni & Friends of URI Soccer,

What a weekend we had here in Rhode Island with the induction of legendary coach Ed Bradley ’68 into the University of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame. I think all who were there agree it was a special night. Emcee Steve McDonald from COX Sports was the perfect person to have at the podium with his mixture of humor, knowledge and respect. We had a great crowd of URI men’s soccer alums, coaches and former players there. It was an all-star cast of “Who’s, Who” in URI Soccer.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

Those in attendance were Gareth Elliott ‘02 and fiancée former URI volleyball player Abby Thornblach, All-American goalkeeper Anthony Latronica ‘98, Ross Smith ‘03, Simon Gatti ‘06, Terry Casey ’85 and his wife Trish, Matt Moriarty ‘05, Joel Dargan ‘05, former URI men’s soccer strength & conditioning guru Doug Stone, URI Director of Soccer Operations Frank Bergren ’75 and his wife Wendy, Charlie Wilkes, recently hired Assistant Coach Callum Bissett ’08, Assistant Coach Mitch Stone, 2010 URI Hall of Fame Inductee Lance Klima ‘89, Corey Sullivan and his wife, Roger Williams University Coach Jim Cook ‘67, Eddie’s former Assistants John Resendes ’87 and Jay Primiano, Chris Pennock ‘10, Dr. Michael Bradley, Brian Bradley ‘92, URI Team Physician Dr. John Coppes and his wife, Steve Froberg ’94 as well as his father and mother. Also hiding in the corner was long time supporter Charlie Samaris (owner of Charlie O’s Tavern) and of course the rest of Eddie’s family and extended family including his wife Gail, daughter Jill and his numerous brothers & sisters. It was by far the largest group of supporters for one of the inductees and Eddie visibly humbled during his acceptance speech.



On Saturday the Hall of Fame Inductee’s were honored during the URI vs LaSalle University men’s basketball game and then it was off to a less formal get together at Charlie O’s Tavern thanks to the generosity of our very own Chris Simon. We had a tremendous crowd on hand that included nearly all those who attended the dinner on Friday night as well as future Anthony Ward-Smith ‘06, David Ward-Smith ‘06, Steve Mellen ‘08, Kyle Froberg ‘97, Aidan Byrne ’99, plus a plethora of kids from the Casey, O’Connor, Froberg & Bradley families.

As part of the afternoon Eddies former long time Assistant Jay Primiano, who could not be there, sent along to Brian Bradley a very nice tribute to Eddie:

I regret that I will not be able to attend this afternoon’s game and this evening’s affair at Charlie O’s. I hope you all enjoy the evening.

You asked that I prepare something to say and I would hope that you would include the following thoughts in your presentation:

Congratulations Ed on becoming a member of the prestigious URI Hall of Fame! This honor is well deserved as you fostered a culture of caring while at URI that touched many lives in a positive manner. I too became a part of your alumni of coaches that have benefited from your wise approach to succeeding in the coaching environment. You mentioned the word “we” quite often in last night’s speech and that was always your word of choice. I never felt belittled, demeaned in your presence and I don’t recall a moment when you treated anyone without the utmost respect. You also mentioned that we were able to identify roles for our players and to plug them into those roles at the appropriate time to maximize their participation in team, a word you took very seriously. While some would say, okay, “I understand my role,” Ed was always redefining roles to challenge the individual, knowing just when to push the success button. I am grateful that he saw the strength in me to consider me worthy to walk the touchlines with him, advise him, select quality players from all around the world and to take this great and wonderful journey with him over a period of 42 years of knowing one another. He once said, “You do anything for your family.” While this Tony Soprano-like, Ed meant his wider family. I am very honored to be a member of Ed’s team.

Ed’s success came from not only knowing the appropriate roles for each player and coach but a willingness to share. It was never his intention to take any glory or ego boosting tag from this endeavor, only to build others as any teacher worth his or her salt will tell you is paramount to success. As an assistant coach that stuck around for thirteen years I know the value of sharing experience, sharing decision making, sharing winning and sharing losing. We always did this proudly and always together. Ed remains a friend and family member through all. He was there to support me and Lisa as did Gail through the premature birth of our first child, Gail rushing to the hospital with clothing for our first born Jessy who didn’t fit into any of her clothes. Ed was there through my father’s illness, permitting my father access to the field’s edge with his car so he could see his last Senior Day Event, where he was truly honored by the Senior class members in a gesture never to be forgotten. You see Ed never wanted to do this coaching thing alone. It was always about family.

I could tell a thousand stories that would keep you laughing most of the night. Picture Ed Bradley, a guy from a place two streets over from Providence College entering a stadium in Jamaica the West Indies, where the sign at the stadium’s entrance reads, “NO ICE PICK, GUNS OR SCREW DRIVERS PERMITTED.” Picture Ed sitting amongst a sea of Jamaican folks enjoying the game, catching an unwanted “contact buzz” off of the reefer permeating the stadium. Picture him in a room full of Belgian Professional Coaches, drinking the best beer in the world announcing after a few seven ounce glasses in his pigeon Belgian to a group of coaches that spoke better English than anyone in the room, “WE MUST GO, BOYS MUST GO, TIRED.” Ed’s style was always amusing to say the least. He kept us laughing, his staff happy and always provided us with the tools to get the job done. He fostered an environment of excellence, a soccer culture in little old Kingston Rhode Island built on caring, laughter, knowledge of the game and how to teach and most importantly Ed Bradley’s knows how to treat people. He recruited people of character, knowing who had the goods. If someone told Ed he couldn’t do something for it’s impact on the budget for instance, Ed was always able to find a way to get things done and he was never averse to rolling up his sleeves, lifting a shovel and getting in the trenches with everyone else.

I am partially indebted to Ed Bradley for helping me to realize who I am as a person, for giving me the confidence to master a very unlikely profession for a man of my experience and for trusting me to be his friend. I learned many of the lessons of life from Ed Bradley.

Congratulations Ed for all that you have done for soccer in the United States of America and for the worldwide community of folks that you have generously provided your friendship.

I am proud to call you friend.

Sincerely,
Jay Primiano


Not to be out done, Coach Bradley’s other former Assistant and present Siena College Coach Gareth Elliott scraped together some famous quotes and “Fast Eddie-isms” which he shared with the whole restaurant. Here is what he came up with:

-No bicycles in the back
-Don’t pass it to Ross’s (Smith) feet, pass it to his head.
-They’re running from the bus.
-I’m telling you right now there’s a man on you.
-School 1st, Soccer 2nd
-Don’t play the game before the game.
-What is this field hockey, stop blowing the whistle ref.
-Don’t pass the ball to Shimmy, pass it to the other team and let Shimmy win it back.
-Just give the ball to Andy (Williams).
-NO PROBLEM, NO PROBLEM.
-It’s not a match problem.
-Jay relax...ok don’t relax!
-Soccer Camp...teaching fat kids how to juggle.
-It’s like throwing shit against the fan.
-This is a nit wit production.
-Don’t turn the dial.
-It’s not a fire drill.
-They’re you go...
-Yellow (Hello).
-Ok, one more (Coors light please)

As you can see, it was a great couple of days honoring someone who did so much not only for the University of Rhode Island men’s soccer program but also for the state and youth of Rhode Island. Congratulations Eddie and his family on a well deserved honor!

Well, that’s about it from here…all you alums make sure you put on your calendar the ANNUAL ALUMNI GAME & BBQ which will be held on Sunday April 17th at 1:00 pm here at the URI Soccer Complex. We will send you the 2011 Spring schedule when it is finalized and look forward to seeing you all soon!

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C