October 6, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coach O'C

September 30, 2008

Dear Alums & Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

September 19, 2008

Dear Alums & Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

GO RAMS!
Coach O'C

September 4, 2008

Dear Alumni & Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GO RAMS!

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

August 27, 2008

Dear Alumni & Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

August 7, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All the Best and GO RAMS!

April 13, 2008

Hi Folks,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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