September 20, 2009

Dear Alums & Friends,

I woke up this morning and told my wife Sheila I had a nightmare that we got beat 5-0 by Brown...she told me unfortunately it was not a dream. But, I still feel I just woke up from a nightmare anyway. It certainly was a night to forget here in Kingston as we took a drubbing by the inter-state rival Bears. Two pairs of goals less then 3 minutes at crucial junctures of the game did us in. Full marks go to the victors as they were sharp, focused and determined. They are a talented team that will most certainly vie for the Ivy League Title this fall.

The most positive thing that came out for the home side was that we raised over $2,000 for Grassroot Soccer (www.grassrootsoccer.com) during our 2nd Annual fund-raising match. I want to personally thank Brown University men's soccer and Assistant Coach Pat Laughlin who contributed over $500 including a personal donation from Head Coach Mike Noonan. It is certainly a great cause and we are happy that we were able to use soccer to help educate about HIV/Aids in Africa. Thanks to all that attended including the parents and players of Rams Football Club, St. George's School (Newport, RI) and recent alums Kevin Algozer, Jeff Gonsalves and Kevin Hamill.

Anyway, the boy's are obviously not happy with their performance and the only thing we can do is learn from the game and move forward. It is a short break before we meet another Ivy League squad in the Yale University Bulldogs on Tuesday September 22nd at 7:00 pm in New Haven. All the guy's know it is an important for us to take a step forward in our preparations for the remainder of the season. We return to action at home on Saturday September 26th when we host Boston University at 7:00 pm. Hope to see you in CT or at home in the next week.

All the best and GO RHODY!
Coach O'C