January 16, 2007

Happy New Year! Hope both you and your family had a great holiday season. Sheila, Megan, Michael and I had a great one...our first in Rhode Island. The only thing that was missing was a white Christmas but it was wonderful to wake up in our home with a fireplace where Santa could come down and leave presents for the kids. We video taped the whole thing so we will cherish that morning.

Anyway, I just returned from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) annual convention in Indianapolis where I attended our Atlantic 10 conference meetings as well as got to see clinics, presentations and even catch up with friends and colleagues.

The highlight of the convention for us was seeing Jeffrey Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario, Canada) selected in the Major League Soccer draft by the expansion Toronto FC. Jeff was nervous about his chances because, as you may or may not know, he came down with mononucleosis in December and was not able to participate in the MLS Combine in Florida. He is on the road to recovery now and we'll get to work getting him fit and ready for pre-season. We were all confident as we have seen what kind of player he is (and can be) so we are very, very happy for him!

It's been a busy 2007 so far with this travel to Indiana as well as to Florida before New Years to recruit at the Disney Showcase, one of the premier events in the country. It's a good start to the 2008 freshman class as we will wrap up the 2007 incoming class in the next couple of months. We'll be sending out an announcement of those student-athletes soon so keep your eyes peeled.

On January 24th, our team will be honored for it's accomplishments in 2006 at half-time of the men's basketball game versus UMass. Prior to the ceremony, we will host a "Friends of Soccer" reception for a cost of $20 per person. That price includes a ticket to the game as well as food and beverages prior to the start.

Well, the players return to campus in the next week or so and we're excited to get going with our winter training which will be comprised of 2 hours a week of technical training and 6 hours a week of fitness with Coaches Bergren and Stone. I know the guy's want to get back to work and begin to prepare for another run at the A-10 title and NCAA Tournament.

We have a great non-traditional game schedule set up for the spring, with games against Boston University, UMass, Army, Hartwick, UMass-Lowell and UConn. The spring will conclude with our annual alumni game on April 28th, followed (at night) by our first annual team banquet which will be open to parents, friends and alumni. We hope you will be able to join us... More details will follow.

Take care and enjoy the winter months...

GO RAMS!

November 17, 2006

IT WAS A GREAT RUN... too bad it had to end. As elated as we were with our PK shootout win over Rutgers last Saturday evening, we felt an equal level of sadness in our shootout loss last night to Lehigh University. As I sit here on the bus on the way back from Pennsylvania, I still feel deeply for the players as I know they put everything they had into a game played with 22 players on a 120 yard x 75 yard surface. In the end, the game was decided between two players from a spot just 12 yards from the goal.

You have to know that it was a great atmosphere at Lehigh and a well-hosted event. The weather was warm, the field in good condition, it's the second round of the NCAA tournament and the crowd was a record-setter for the Ulrich Sports Complex. We couldn't have asked for more...

The game began with a good amount of pressure (as expected) by the home team, which had not played in two weeks. Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England), who has gotten better and better as the season has progressed, made a point blank save to preserve the 0-0 score early in.

We weathered the storm and on our first real open chance, Lukasz Tumicz (Biszytnek, Poland) scored his seventh goal of the season off a Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) assist. We felt as though were on our way but Lehigh was not about to lay down, as their 15-1-2 regular-season record and #16 seed would attest.

The game was one of ebbs and flows as each team got their chances to change the score line. Our best chance came when Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) put Tumicz through for semi-break-a-way but the Mountain Hawk GK made a nice stop. It looked as though the game would end with another Rhody win but unfortunately Lehigh equalized off a counter with just 6 minutes to go in regulation.

In overtime, each team had at least one quality chance but the match would end, as regulation did, knotted at one apiece. It would now be up to the shootout and it just was not our day as Lehigh prevailed, 5-4, in sudden death.

It was a tough and abrupt ending to a season we had hoped would extend for at least another week. It was hard for me to watch the players, many with tears in their eyes, agonize over this result. But now, as I did last night, I feel nothing but pride for being a part of this season and such a great program.

As I told the players after the game, that I feel like I am the luckiest guy in the world to have had the fortune to come to Rhode Island, have this great group of men handed to me on a silver platter and do what we did together. I have to thank Tom McElroy and Eddie Bradley for that...

Most of all, I'm honored to have been with this senior class in their final year. They are a wonderful group of people and each contributed to the successes of the season in their own unique ways. My hat goes off to Jim Goetter, Jeff Gonsalves, B.J. Kochis, Mark Sauter and Joe Spofford for the legacy they leave for future URI men's soccer players.

In the next week, as the fog of disappointment lifts, we will be able to look back and realize what a great season 2006 was for all involved. On behalf of the team and our staff I want to thank our parents, friends and alums who have been such great supporters over the fall. URI soccer is here to stay and we will make sure you are a part of it.

GO RAMS!

November 13, 2006

Well, it was an exciting night in Piscataway... maybe not as exciting as the Rutgers vs. Louisville football game the Thursday before, but exciting nonetheless. If you were there you know what I mean.

Our guy's were FANTASTIC, playing with passion, heart and a will to win. We scored about 6 minutes in and were on our way. See if you can picture this....

It all started when freshmen goalkeeper Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) collected a Rugters cross and threw out immediately to Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) who played it first time wide to Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa). Danleigh dribbled inside and found Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) up top who connected with Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA) streaking up the field in support. Geoff went wide and got behind the Scarlet Knights on the dribble and sent a driven ball across the goal that Gonsalves (remember now, he was one of the ones who started all this!), who deposited it into an open goal. It was beautiful!

Rutgers tied it in the second half on a bomb from 30 yards... and the rest of the way either team could have won it.

After two 10 minute overtimes it was on to the shootout the boy's prevailed (4-2) in a penalty shootout with Pennock saving one after Rutgers missed one. Tri-captain Callum Bissett (Pencaitland, Scotland) drove home the game winner and it was pandemonium!

It was a performance that would have made you proud! We had an unbelievable crowd of RHODY parents, students, alums and friends at the game who just added to the tremendous atmosphere (Thanks to all of you for coming to support us!).

You can see photos of the game and our fans by clicking on the "Photo Gallery" link in the game recap on our website (http://gorhody.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/recaps/111206aaa.html).

Anyway, we are off to the 2nd round of the Division I NCAA tournament which will be held:

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 15TH
7:00 PM
vs #16 SEED - LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
Bethlehem, PA

Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students and there is talk of a fan bus being organized so if you are interested in going drop me a line back and I will let you know. I have heard that one will go if a minimum of 40 people sign up.

If you can't make the game LIVE VIDEO and AUDIO will be broadcast online at: http://www.lehighsports.com/info/broadcast/ (click on the words "CLICK HERE" at the bottom of the schedule and above the broadcast logos) with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports. Additionally, the game will be broadcast on 91.3 FM in the Lehigh Valley.

The winner of our game will face the winner of the Duke-Brown match in the third round of the tournament.

We really hope you can be with us, but if not, make sure you watch us on-line!

GO RAMS!

November 7, 2006

WE DID IT! The guy's brought another Atlantic 10 Championship back to URI. The third in four years! What a streak. Hopefully many of you got to see the games this past weekend via webcast from the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. If you didn't, it was a weekend that would have made you proud.

The team went into the tournament as the #2 seed and the advantage of having the semi-final be our first game. We arrived in Charlotte on Wednesday and got a chance to train and get used to the lay of the land. On Thursday the team spent the morning in study hall, midday training and then watched the quarterfinals to see who we would play on Friday. In the first game #3 seed Richmond beat Xavier 1-0 on a goal in the last 2 minutes. In the nightcap host UNC-Charlotte battled Duquesne in a great game to watch with the Dukes ending up on the plus side of a 1-0 score. Richmond would be our next game by virtue of the Spiders being the highest seed remaining of the four. We could now make our plans.

On Friday the game could not have come any sooner. The guy's spent the day in anticipation of the game that night. After a nice pre-game meal at Cirro's Italian Restaurant which was adjacent to our hotel, we got ourselves ready. When we arrived at the field top seed St. Louis University was deadlocked with Duquesne at the half. The Billikens got a second-half goal with about 20 minutes to go put them in the lead, and eventually into the final on Sunday.

Now it was our turn. The first 20 minutes of the match with Richmond was all URI. The ball was "pinging" around and through the Spider defense creating numerous chances. Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa), who was playing center midfield in place of Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland) who was sitting because of yellow card accumulation, got the best opportunity on a short clearance and made it count. He proceeded to hit a cracker of a volley from 18 yards that deflected off a Richmond defender and into the back of the net. The team was ecstatic! Richmond mounted a formidable comeback but the defense held strong and the game ended 1-0.

The final would now be a rematch of the 2005 Atlantic 10 finals.

Saturday was a recovery day and a chance to relax and have some fun. We had a light training session which mainly consisted of a hotly contested game of soccer tennis. The mood was light and the confidence was high. We returned to Cirro's for another nice meal - carbo loading for Sunday's match. A good nights rest would do us well and I knew after our team meeting that night, the boy's would be ready to play.

We awoke to a beautiful morning on Sunday and the weather was going to be perfect for the final. We headed over and got our warm-up going and before we knew it, it was game time. St. Louis was the 9th ranked team in the country coming into the match in the first 20 minutes they showed us why.

The guy's withstood the attacks and looked to capitalize on Billiken mistakes. Senior forward Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) did just that when he shot a ball at a surprised SLU goalkeeper which deflected off his hands into the goal... 1-0 Rams.

After the interval we returned to the field knowing that SLU would be pressing to score. Just 5 minutes into the second stanza, Atlantic 10 Tournament MVP Danleigh Borman received a ball out of our defense and knocked it over the SLU defenders to Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland), who deftly side-footed a volley over a stranded St. Louis goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead. Now we were cooking!

SLU continued but seemed to deflate. However they still came at us because they are a quality team. We got some timely help from super subs Joe Spofford (Waterville, ME), Steve Mellen (N. Kingstown, RI), Kedan Crosby (St. James Trinidad) and Steven Scalzo (Plymouth, MN) and we defended well and killed the game. The A-10 Championship and the NCAA automatic bid were ours!

So, now it's on to the Big Dance... the third time in the past four years! I've received a tremendous amount of congratulatory e-mails and phone calls but I have to thank Eddie Bradley for handing to me (on a silver platter) a great squad and terrific bunch of men. He, along with our parents, friends and alums supported and encouraged us when we were 1-2-2 back in September, having the faith that we could do it.

Other people like Dr. John Sullivan our sports psychologist, Doug Stone in strength and conditioning and GK coach Ben Smith donated their time and are pivotal elements in getting us to this point. Lastly, our athletic trainer Michelle "Dr. Frankenstein" Levreault, Frank Bergren, Pat Laughlin and Gareth Elliott have been consistent forces in keeping our team together (literally).

We're gonna make a run at it and we hope you will keep up with us as we begin the second season at Rutgers University on November 11th!

GO RAMS!

October 30, 2006

BOO AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN! It's been a couple of weeks since I last reported on the team and the season but don't despair, things have been going well. It's just been really busy for all of us involved in URI soccer between games, training and hosting possible future Rams visiting campus the past couple of weekends. So, let's bring you all up to speed...

Over the time since I last wrote, we have been head first into the end of the Atlantic 10 season and preparations for the A-10 Tournament. We've had a terrific run at home since our split weekend at Xavier/Dayton and its' put us in a great position to make another run at the Atlantic 10 Tournament title.

Over the weekend of October 13-15, Temple and Saint Joseph's came to town, and in both games it proved why you can't look past any opponent in the league. On Friday we sandwiched an early own goal with a Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland) finish in the 72nd minute to beat the Owls. It was a really nifty goal as Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) lifted a pass over Temple's defense that Badecki took down and calmly deposited in the goal.

On Sunday, St. Joe's scored first but our guys responded with 6 unanswered goals to down the Hawks, 6-1. This was a great team effort as 9 different players contributed to the scoring with Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) leading the way with two goals and an assist.

Midweek, we had the second of our Rhode Island Darby's with Brown University coming to campus for a re-match of the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, which the Bears won, 2-1. It was an old-fashioned shoot-out and all out entertaining game which ended in a 3-3 draw. We started the game well and got a goal from Lukasz Tumicz only to see Brown equalize. After Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) put the Rams ahead again, the Ivy Leaguers tallied twice in a two-minute span which threw us for a loop. But old reliable Jeff Gonsalves came through to tie the game and that is how it ended. Exciting and well worth the price of admission.

It was also a special night as Danleigh tallied his first goal of the season in front of his mother who had surprised "her baby" a few days earlier. Only the coaching staff knew she was making the 18 hour flight from Cape Town and you should have seen his face and heard him say "Mummy?!" when she came out from behind Keaney during our warm down after training... It was priceless! The hug will last a lifetime...

The University of Massachusetts came to town the next weekend and it took overtime (our seventh OT of the season) to beat the Minutemen. The first half was not a good one for us as we started slow and seemed to be a little out of sorts with Adam Howarth (Isle of Wight, England) missing due to an ankle injury he sustained against Brown.

UMass scored first on a counter attack but we were able to get in the locker room at half-time tied when Dawid Badecki scored on a free kick in the 32nd minute. A missed penalty kick in the second half enabled Massachusetts to stay in the game but Lukasz Tumicz continued his hot scoring streak finishing a Jeff Gonsalves pass just 5 minutes into the extra stanza.

Now things come full circle as we were set up for a furious finish and a chance to win the Atlantic 10 regular season title but in the way were Duquesne and league-leading St. Louis University.

The Duquesne match turned into something we did not expect, that of a 4-0 shut out and a bizarre side show. In the middle of the second half the match was interrupted by a pitbull that ran onto the field through the gate by the practice football field and proceeded to attack another dog by the stands.

Now I've seen some weird things happen during a game but this tops them all! Especially since it was Kevin Hamill's family's dog that was attacked! We are glad to report that KH's dog (a fluffy little thing that managed to bite a chunk out of the pitbull) is ok. The pitbull made its way back onto the field and most of the guys scampered around trying to stay out of its way until Dawid Badecki bravely escorted it off the field by its collar... only to see it make a mad dash across the field a couple of minutes later.

Anyway, it was one of those games were things just seemed to be clicking for our guys and after two first-half goals by Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, MA), and one sandwiched in between from Jeff Gonsalves, we seemed to put the game out of reach.

Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT) scored his first collegiate goal (a BLAST into the side netting from 25 yards... on an angle by the way!) to seal the deal leaving the boys a chance to win the regular season A-10 title with a win over SLU on Sunday.

GO RAMS!

October 13, 2006

It was a weekend of highs and lows which to be honest, is often how the game of soccer goes. We entered the weekend with a chance to get two more Atlantic 10 conference wins and a great set up for the stretch run on the season. We came away with some mixed feelings but confident we are in a great position to do something special with the season.

On Friday we faced Xavier University, which was 1-0 in the conference after defeating local rival Dayton the weekend before. The team started out well, stringing some passes together and combining well in the final third to create some chances. Xavier withstood some early pressure and the game became a battle of the midfield.

Unfortunately, about 20 minutes into the match Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, Mass.) had to come out of the game because of the ill effects of a back injury he sustained the weekend before versus George Washington. With this change in the lineup, Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) was moved to the middle which helped to change the tempo of the match and lend a different dynamic to the position. Coming towards the end of the half an XU player found himself behind the Ram defense off a throw-in from 30 yards out and crossed the ball to an open teammate for a 1-0 score. Our guy's were not happy.

The second half began with a flurry as the Rhody boys pressed to find the equalizer. They worked hard and maintained a solid defense but time became a premium. At the suggestion of Assistant Coach Pat Laughlin, central defender Adam Howarth (Isle of White, England) moved up front to provide a "huge" target and the move paid off.

Howarth was played a ball about 30 yards out, playing it over his head to a streaking Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) who crossed the ball to an on rushing Jeff Gonsalves (Markham, Ontario) who deposited into the goal for the equalizer. The momentum was with the Rams and if there had been five extra minutes added to regulation, I truly believe we could have won it then.

But overtime was it. And in the extra stanza, it took a great cross by Xavier to beat the Rhody defense and we ended the game on a disappointing note.

On Sunday, we awoke to a beautiful morning which proved to be an ominous foreshadow to the day. From the opening to final whistle, the guys were brimming with confidence. They knew it would be their day and Jeff Gonsalves made sure it would happen with two goals on assists from Callum Bissett's (Pencaitland, Scotland) redirected header off a Dawid Badecki (Jalenia Gora, Poland) free kick and a thru pass from Kevin Hamill (Easton, CT) who collected his first assist of the year.

When Jeff scored his second goal, he ran right to Assistant Coach Gareth Elliot to celebrate because not only was it Coach Elliott's birthday, with the goal, Jeff had passed Gareth on URI's all-time scoring list.

Dayton put on a valiant onslaught of driven balls into the Rhody defensive third but freshmen goalie Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) held things together and earned his second shutout of the season. It was an acceptable end to the weekend as we all realized that it's hard to win on the road and with the victory over Dayton, we were still in the hunt for the A-10 title.

This upcoming weekend is an important one as it pits us against two other Atlantic 10 foes as well as being Homecoming. Top that with of our recruits being on campus and you have pretty busy weekend. We hope you all can join us for one, if not both, of our games which are at 7:00 pm on Friday night versus Temple University* and Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm versus St. Joseph's University.

*NOTE: Prior to the match, the Westerly High School Girls will take on the 2005 RI State Champion Prout School Girls with play at 4:00 pm. Prout is coached by former URI player Kevin Kennedy. All proceeds from the game will go to benefit the Katie Decubellis Scholarship Foundation.

October 3, 2006

It's been a fabulous week and just what the doctor ordered! It's hard to believe that we are at the midpoint of the season already, but I'm happy to report that the team is starting to hit its stride and the pieces are coming together. The beginning of our season was productive but frustrating as we were a team playing an attractive brand of soccer but just not getting the results we wanted. However, the tides have now changed and the team is brimming with confidence heading into the second A-10 conference weekend.

Last week began with a mid-week test versus Ivy League foe Harvard University on a beautiful Tuesday night. The atmosphere was electrifying with the Rams returning home for the first time since September 3rd. This, combined with "Soccer Rhode Island Night" at the URI Soccer Complex, had the stands jammed with youth players from around the Ocean State. Some were even recognized at half-time for their 2006 State Championship performances and appearances in the Regional Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. this past summer. Add in some give-a-ways (generously provided by US Youth Soccer and Soccer Rhode Island) and you've created quite an event! Our thank yous go out to Phyllis and Larry Fish as well as our own director of promotions, Kate Moore, for pulling things together for us.

The game itself was a very entertaining one as Harvard came into the match with quite a pedigree. We had seen them play while we were at their Harvard Invitational as well as when they participated in our own Sheraton/URI Soccer Classic so we knew they were very explosive and talented, especially up front. We got a great start and put pressure on the Crimson immediately, nearly getting a couple of goals within the first 10 minutes.

The game settled down and both teams exchanged blows until Dawid Badecki (Jelenia Gora, Poland) rifled a shot from 25 yards out which the Harvard goalkeeper could not handle. Kedan Crosby (St. James, Trinidad) was "Johnny on the Spot" and finished the rebound for his first goal of the year and a 1-0 half-time lead. The Rams where excited and came out blazing again in the second half. Just 15 minutes in, midfielder Geoff Cameron (Attleboro, Mass.) connected with forward Lukasz Tumicz (Bisztynek, Poland) streaking down the left side. Tumicz took a touch inside the box and finished under the onrushing HU keeper.

Harvard scored on a broken play with about 10 minutes to go but our defense, backed by a couple of good saves by senior goalkeeper Mark Sauter (Columbus, Ohio), held strong for this important win. The victory alleviated a lot of the players' concerns and brought them the positive energy needed going into the opening Atlantic 10 weekend.

After a short break and a trip to the "City of Brotherly Love", a game with La Salle University was next for the Rams and the boy's were chomping at the bit to get back on the field. Friday night couldn't have come any sooner, but we filled the day with a walk through at La Salle in the morning and study hall in the afternoon. All throughout the day you could just tell in the eyes of our players that this would be URI's night.

If you missed the first half you would have missed quite the performance by senior forward Gonslaves, who scored a natural hat trick on assists from Tumicz (2), Cameron and outside back Kevin Algozer (Northport, N.Y.), who made a brilliant run down the left side and got into the box. The Explorers got on the board with a goal to make it 3-1 but that only made our lads more determined to put their stamp on the game.

Second-half goals by Steve Mellen (N. Kingston, RI), Badecki and Crosby sealed the deal. The last of the goals saw Crosby tally a clever goal after the LU goalkeeper dropped a ball, "Trini" flicked the ball over his head and tapped it in on the other side... It was a bit of magic which the team delighted in celebrating. Everyone on the trip got some playing time that night, including "Danger" Dan Lucas (N. Providence, RI) who nearly created a seventh goal for Rhody.

On Saturday, the squad travelled to Washington, D.C. in preparation for the final match of the weekend against George Washington University. It was a nice trip down to the nation's capital with our bus driver "Double D", who couldn't have been more accommodating to the boys and our staff. That's always a nice luxury to have as it keeps everyone loose and able to relax and prepare.

Morning came, the sun was out and it couldn't have been a better end to the weekend. The boys came put and picked up where they left off on Friday night, dominating GW from the start. Gonsalves continued his torrid scoring streak, kneeing a ball which was headed back across the net by Mellen off a Danleigh Borman (Cape Town, South Africa) cross.

In the second half, the Polish connection hooked up when Tumicz found Badecki for a volley from 8 yards out to pad the lead, 2-0. Chris Pennock (Middlesborough, England) handled every shot and cross with ease, earning the first shut out of his career.

We headed home with a great start to the A-10 season and the assuredness that we could do whatever we put our minds to in the game. It will be a short week for us as we are off to Ohio on Thursday for games against Xavier and Dayton... another great test and opportunity for our guys.

After this weekend, we return home for the remainder of the season including Homecoming Weekend October 13-15. If you are in the area come on by and see what the team is up to this year!

GO RAMS!