March 26, 2012

Dear Alumni & Friends,

The spring season is now in full stride as we finally got to our first non-traditional game yesterday. The boy’s have been training hard since getting outside before spring break but they are certainly happy to play against someone else besides themselves.

Our first opponent of the spring was the New England Revolution US Development Academy U18 team. It was a home game of sorts as we played it just up the road at East Greenwich High School. They have a beautiful new turf field facility and we were thankful EG youth soccer and the recreation department for being allowed to use it. The venue was a perfect to begin the spring season as we assumed the URI Soccer Complex wouldn’t be ready. Who figured we’d have had such a mild winter and beautiful weather last week...

Although rain was in the forecast it turned out to be a great day to play. The Revs featured a couple of RI high school standouts as well as a familiar face on their bench in URI alum Jonathon Pereira ’10. JP works coaching for the Revolution in their Academy program. So, it was a bittersweet day for him as his Rams defeated his Revs 2-1.

The first half began well but the hosts got on the board first with a superbly bent ball from 20 yards out to the left of the goal that snuck over freshmen goalkeeper Thomas Spenser (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY) into the side netting. It was a beautiful shot and was on the only way it could have happened with Robby Gargaro (Naperville, IL) denying other options. Our guy’s created some chances of their own including a couple of nifty combinations that provided crossing opportunities and a rocket from Jon Cloutier (Honolulu, HI) from 35 yards out that hit the upright of the football goal post just over the crossbar. The half ended with the visitors up 1-0.

In the second half the tempo changed for our squad and with that the results followed. Freshmen forward Ross Morison (Linlithgow, Scotland) made an immediate impact in the game when he volleyed home a deflected ball for the equalizer. Morison's goal was set up by classmate Matt Sykes (Nottingham, England) who flicked a ball that skimmed off one of the Revs central defenders, right to the big Scotsman who made the best of the opportunity.

Sykes also had his hand in the game winner as he turned a pass in the central midfield and paced a perfectly timed pass behind the Revs defense on the left side to Jamie Eckmayer (Harrington Park, NJ) who slotted it past their goalkeeper and off the far right post for his first of the spring. It was a well-deserved goal as Sykes and Eckmayer had been working on the same connection all afternoon but had received little joy until their last and most important chance. Here is the line-up for the match:

STARTING LINE-UP: Spenser, Cloutier, Gargaro, Hernandez, Dragon, Haught, Sykes, Moran, Tetzlaff, Eckmayer, Casey. Substitutes: Blanchard, Janiszewski, Kuklinski, Lindroos, Morison, Ribbens.

It was a good result and excellent way to begin the spring season. Next week we travel to Albany, NY to face Siena College and old friend Gareth Elliott ’01 and his Saints. Along with the Siena match we will also face Master Football Academy from Canada who is coached by Junior Groves who daughter Jerusalem transferred to URI from the University of Houston this winter to play for Rams women’s coach Mike Needham ’96.

Before I sign off, I have to send along congratulations to URI men’s soccer academic advisor Nicole Poloski and her husband John on the birth of their second child Ryan Roy Polosky. Mother and baby are doing well and big brother Dylan is delighted to have a playmate.

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C

March 15, 2012

Dear Alums & Friends,
We’re in the middle of Spring Break in Kingston and it is a quiet yet beautiful day. In fact besides a little rain yesterday our unseasonably warm weather has been a constant. It’s been a good time for Callum, Chris, Mitch and I to get things ready for the spring non-traditional season that begins next week when the players return. Here is the spring schedule:

Sunday – March 25 - New England Revolution U18 USSDA - East Greenwich, R.I. – Noon

Sunday – April 1 – Siena Spring Invite – Loudonville, N.Y.
Noon – URI vs. Siena
1:10 p.m. – URI vs. Masters Football Academy (CN)
2:20 p.m. – Siena vs. Masters Football Academy (CN)

Friday – April 6 – Blue vs. White Scrimmage – Kingston, R.I. – 7 p.m.

Saturday – April 14 – Rams Spring Triad – Kingston, R.I.
11 a.m. - URI vs. AIC
12:10 p.m. – AIC vs. Assumption
1:20 p.m. – URI vs. Assumption

Saturday - April 21 – McCully Memorial Tournament - Nauset, Mass.
Noon – URI vs. Brandeis
2:30 p.m. – URI vs. Wheaton/Bentley

Saturday - April 28 - URI Spring Quadrangle - Kingston, R.I.
11 a.m. - URI vs. Holy Cross
12:10 p.m. - Brown vs. Vermont
1:20 p.m. - URI vs. Vermont
2:30 p.m. - Brown vs. Holy Cross

Sunday – April 29 – Alumni Game – Kingston, R.I. – 1 p.m.

The spring schedule is a good one and chock full of good matches to test our guy’s. Of course the highlight is the Annual Alumni Game on Sunday April 29th at 1:00 pm at the URI Soccer Complex. The match will be preceded by the women’s alumni game and followed by a BBQ for all alumni, their families, parents and friends of the program. This year all alums in attendance will receive a GAME JERSEY. BUT, in order to receive one when you get here we need to know you are coming! So, please RSVP to Callum Bissett (cbissett@my.uri.edu) or via the URI Soccer Alumni Facebook page BY APRIL 1st as we need to put in the order so we have enough on hand. WE WILL NOT BE ORDERING EXTRA’S SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU LET US KNOW....

Speaking of alumni we have quite a bit to report. First and foremost congratulations to Aidan Byrne and his wife on the birth of their daughter Kyra Teresa Byrne (6 lbs., 14 oz.) on March 2nd. The Byrnes are playing 2 v 2 now so the game has changed…It’s been very exciting to see Houston Dynamo defender Geoff Cameron ‘07 training and playing recently with the US National Team 1-0 win over Venezuela and more recently travelling with the USMNT for their historic win over Italy. US National Team Coach Jurgen Klinsmann seems to like what Cam brings to the table…Former NY Red Bull and Toronto FC defender Danleigh Borman signed recently with Supersport United FC (www.sufc.co.za) in ABSA Premiership (South African National Soccer League). Danleigh was selected in February by the New England Revolution in the MLS Supplemental Draft but chose to head home to play…Rhody standout and skipper Simon Gatti ‘06 recently announced his retirement from the Montreal Impact who this year moved into Major League Soccer. Simon had an outstanding 5 year career for his home countries side and we wish him the best in his endeavors down the road….I was recently contacted by URI alumni Derek Chapman ‘83 who is looking to put together an alumni team in the New York Collegiate Alumni Soccer League (http://www.nycasl.com). The NYCASL is comprised of Alumni from NCAA Division I, II, and III soccer teams like Long Island University, Colgate, Cornell, Tufts, Carnegie Mellon, Williams, Wesleyan and Holy Cross. For more information or questions you can contact Derek at 612-834-0203 or dchap888@gmail.com.

GO RAMS!
Coach O’C