September 20, 2006

It's been a busy couple of weeks with back-to-back weekend tournaments hosted by Harvard University and then this weekend at UMass with an Atlantic 10/America East challenge. Soccer is a funny game, as are a lot of sports, and it can run you through a gambit of emotions. All in all, we found out a lot about ourselves and got some good performances.

At Harvard we opened the weekend with Loyola Marymount University (CA) who came into Cambridge having recently knocked off perennial Big East Conference challenger University of Connecticut. We got on the board just two minutes in on a goal from Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) and were in the position we wanted to be. Unfortunately, Danleigh Borman (Capetown, South Africa) reacted poorly to a foul committed on him by an LMU player and was ejected two minutes later.

For the next 75 minutes we played a man down against a good team. We seemed to weather the storm fairly well, getting great minutes from Steve Scalzo (Plymouth, MN), Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) and James Quiah (Providence, RI) whose lungs were needed trying to contain a very technical LMU team. Unfortunately in the final 16 minutes Loyola broke the seal with the equalizer and then tallied the game-winner shortly there after. It would have been quite a feat to hold off any team for that long but I was proud of the team and there effort.

On the following Sunday, we met New England rival Northeastern University. Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland), who was just coming back from injury, netted his first goal of the season. We continued to dominate the game but a missed clearance by our defense left first year goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) at a huge disadvantage and the equalizer found its way into the back of the net. The squad worked away and had chances but after 110 minutes the game ended as a draw. We all were frustrated as out of our first five games, we played three overtimes and twice a man down. But the Providence College game we dominated and had quality chances that we could have converted for the win.

This past weekend we traveled to Amherst, MA, the home of A-10 rival UMass. It was a beautiful weekend to play and our foes from the University of Vermont and the University of Hartford were ready and able to meet the challenge we would bring.

On Friday, we faced the boy's from the Green Mountain State in our first game and our players were rested and ready to go. We started the game very well, creating several chances and dominating the attacking side of the ball. But, like as in many of the games here early in the season, one mistake can cause problems and when a UVM forward was able to reach a ball knocked over the top of our defense and spin inside two Ram defenders, the Catamounts' only chance of the half turned into a goal.

The boys were not happy and turned up the heat, using crisp passing and speed to put the UVM defense back on their heels. Borman got behind the Catamounts and served a good ball into the box that Gonzalves redirected to tie the game. Less than five minutes later, a nifty one-two at the top of the penalty box with Tumicz got Gonzalves his second goal of the afternoon. He later returned the favor to Lukasz who netted the game-winner on his second goal in as many games. This barrage showed the offensive fire power waiting inside our Rams. UVM got a late goal on a well placed free kick but it was not enough. We won the game, 3-2.

On Sunday against Hartford, Gonzalves scored his third of the weekend after some scrappy work from Steve Mellen (N. Kingstown, RI) who had just returned from an injury he sustained way back in our pre-season scrimmage with the University of New Hampshire. But, like many of our matches again, Hartford found that one kink in our armor and equalized.

A barrage followed with our boys hitting the cross bar and post and seeing the Hawks' goalkeeper make some key saves. We were not without our lucky moments either - Hartford hit the post on what would have been an overtime game-winner and a real shame. In the final two seconds, we had a chance to win it but our free kick just went over the net and the game ended a 1-1 tie.

So, as you can see soccer is a funny, and sometimes cruel, game. In the past four matches, we have out shot and out cornered (as well as out fouled) our opponents but also found that one mistake could ruin a wonderful effort. I am a firm believer that we are a work in progress and our best soccer has yet to be played.

We're off to Boston University this Wednesday and then following a weekend off we return to the comfortable confines of the URI Soccer Complex for a Tuesday evening match versus Harvard University at 7:00 pm. It should be an interesting one as the Crimson are on a good roll right now. It is also Soccer Rhode Island night so we're looking forward to seeing all of the Ocean state youth players at the game!

September 2, 2006

What a great night of soccer! Two great matches in the URI/Sheraton Classic on a great night to play. If you were present at last nights games you would have seen come exciting soccer. In the first match Old Dominion University started out strong with a 2-0 lead at half-time against Harvard. They increased it to 3-0 and looked to be cruising but the Crimson were determined to show better than their Ivy League regulated 8 day pre-season allowed. They came storming back with 3 goals in the last 16 minutes to tie. But, with all that energy expended they lost focus in the last minute and a half, allowing ODU to get through and tally the game winner. ODU coach Alan Dawson looked concerned but relieved that it all worked out in the end.

In our game versus Villanova our first game of the URI/Sheraton Classic you would have seen a barn burner. It was a hard fought soccer at which unfortunately the boy's in blue could not find a goal to put the W on our side. After 110 minutes the match ended in a 0-0 draw.

We had a group of great performances with players stepping up their game and pitch in to help a depleted squad due to injury and suspension. Senior goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, OH) earned the first shutout of his career while classmates Joe Spofford (Waterville, ME), Steve Scalzo (Plymouth, MN) and B.J. Kochis (Naugatuck, CT) gave us a much needed lift off the bench. We had some great chances to score but the Villanova goalkeeper was sharp and made several game saving stops.

I can't say I'm not disappointed at not getting a more positive result but I am very happy with the effort and leadership shown by every player on the squad whether they were playing or not. The support shown to each other was something that can be the difference in the end. ODU is another great test tomorrow...another chance to move forward in the development of the team. It should be fun and we hope you be able to join us...

September 2, 2006

What a great night of soccer! Two great matches in the URI/Sheraton Classic on a great night to play. If you were present at last nights games you would have seen come exciting soccer. In the first match Old Dominion University started out strong with a 2-0 lead at half-time against Harvard. They increased it to 3-0 and looked to be cruising but the Crimson were determined to show better than their Ivy League regulated 8 day pre-season allowed. They came storming back with 3 goals in the last 16 minutes to tie. But, with all that energy expended they lost focus in the last minute and a half, allowing ODU to get through and tally the game winner. ODU coach Alan Dawson looked concerned but relieved that it all worked out in the end.

In our game versus Villanova our first game of the URI/Sheraton Classic you would have seen a barn burner. It was a hard fought soccer at which unfortunately the boy's in blue could not find a goal to put the W on our side. After 110 minutes the match ended in a 0-0 draw.

We had a group of great performances with players stepping up their game and pitch in to help a depleted squad due to injury and suspension. Senior goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, OH) earned the first shutout of his career while classmates Joe Spofford (Waterville, ME), Steve Scalzo (Plymouth, MN) and B.J. Kochis (Naugatuck, CT) gave us a much needed lift off the bench. We had some great chances to score but the Villanova goalkeeper was sharp and made several game saving stops.

I can't say I'm not disappointed at not getting a more positive result but I am very happy with the effort and leadership shown by every player on the squad whether they were playing or not. The support shown to each other was something that can be the difference in the end. ODU is another great test tomorrow...another chance to move forward in the development of the team. It should be fun and we hope you be able to join us...

August 29, 2006

It was another classic battle with PC and luckily our Rams ended up on top 2-1. On what started out as a rainy forecast threatening the start of the game, we headed up to Kingston Pizza for our traditional pre-game meal at Kingston Pizza. If we had believed that the events that started the day were going to be an indication of how the game was going to end up then our goose would have been cooked. In addition to the rain we left campus a little late and even got caught behind a funeral procession on Route 2 going to the veterans cemetery. So, things were a little slow in going to start but we made it to PC's campus with enough time to change and get down for a proper warm-up.

The game began with a flurry as both squads tried to imprint their game on the other. With the wet surface and rivalry brewing, we got a little impatient trying to win every tackle and this led to an ill advised challenge which gave PC a free kick just outside the right side of the box. The result was a bullet of a shot that hit the back support for a 1-0 PC lead just about 15 minutes into the game.

The guy's were not happy but regrouped well, carrying play over the next 25 minutes. Tri-captain Jeff Gonzalves (Markham, Ontario), and midfielders Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) and Jeff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) all had excellent chances and we were on the verge of equalizing. With about 6 minutes to play in the half we were awarded our own free kick 35 yards out. Junior Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora/Poland) served a tremendous ball to the back post where junior central defender Callum Bissett (Pencaitland/Scotland) got on the end of to knot the score. After the half-time interval Rhody continued their surge and a great individual effort by Gonsalves found him through and past four PC defenders to slot home his first goal of the year. We were back level and on our way...

But, as with any game versus Providence or our other rivals from the Ivy League, this would not be the end of things. A late tackle by freshmen defender Dominic Petrarca (Providence, RI) earned him his second yellow card of the day and subsequent ejection. Not a great way to start his career as now were down to 10 men with 26 minutes to go. We ended up bunkering in a bit trying to withstand the onslaught the Friars put on us using the energy they got when they felt we were at a disadvantage. As many coaches will attest, when you are in this situation like this the clock seems to creep along. But, our guy's had trained men down in practice and it paid off. The guy's did well to keep together as a unit and give away less than a handful of chances. Goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, OH) was only asked to make a couple of saves on the day but both were key in preserving the score and in the end, the result. We snuck away with the 2-1 win and more importantly a resolve which will serve us well down the line.

We returned to campus a bit tired, but because of the victory and the manner at which the boy's did it together, made it all the easier to withstand the pain. Exciting times to start and I'm sure more to come.

August 26, 2006

Greetings from Kingston! Well, we've just completed double sessions and essentially our pre-season is over. We'll begin to taper down in preparation for our opening match of the season away at Providence College. It's a great game to begin with as even though we are away to start, the interstate rivalry will even the home field advantage for us. I don't think anyone will suffer from lack of motivation from what I hear.

We've been working hard together to teach and learn some new concepts, common soccer vocabulary and slight changes in the way the team has been playing tactically. The guy's have picked it up quickly and are really beginning to "get it". It's not easy to change your mentality and habits but I give the guy's a lot of credit in keeping an open mind. Our scrimmage versus the University of New Hampshire was a good chance to test out what we had been learning and although the result was not indicative of how we played (a 0-4 loss), it was a litmus test to where we were at this point. I must say that training through the pre-season was very, very good and the focus excellent considering we had 18 days to fill. I love the fact that we get all this time together as it gives us the opportunity to do some things off the field as a group as well as time off to rest and recover. Over the almost three weeks of training we were able to take the team over to the Alumni Golf Outing to "meet and greet" before tee off, then trained right there in Portsmouth, returning for the post golfing dinner and awards ceremony. On another day we went up to the top of campus to the ropes course to have a little fun, find out some things about ourselves while also accomplishing some often under appreciated team building. A couple of post session trips to the beach, off campus meals as well as the boy's driving themselves up to the New England Revolution vs Chicago Fire game were nice ways to break up the monotony that can occur during pre-season. I felt the guy's were fresh at every session and this of course directly related to their execution.

Although we are nursing a couple of injuries I am confident we are on the right track and are going to be ready for PC next Monday. Hope to see you all there...