Season Aborted. UNC 2-0 Brown

"Time flies when you're having fun." I don't know who it was who originally came up with that well-worn cliche, but it certainly is most poignant when reflecting on the season that was 2009 Brown Men's Soccer.....
The harsh reality of the college game is that a succesful year almost always has to finish with a loss - only the national champion and perhaps a handful of teams unfortunate to not get selected for knockout bracket can reflect on a winning end to a good season. And so it proved for these Brown Bears at Chapel Hill last Sunday afternoon......
After the euphoria of the extra-time win against Stony Brook in the first round it was back to business quickly as preparations were made for the treck south to the home of the 2002 national champions and number 5 seeded North Carolina Tar Heels. The first leg of our journey was a bit special for the boys as the NCAA chartered a private aircraft for the two-hour flight to Raleigh-Durham. We "lived large" as the bus pulled into the private apron at TF Green to put us on our outbound flight, and we arrived into a similar scenario two hours later in North Carolina.
Onto the real business of the match now - our boys started somewhat tentatively, showing some lack of experience in dealing with the occasion, perhaps a little intimidated even..... It was during this shaky spell early in the match that our fate was sealed when we failed to deal properly with a free-kick from the right side of our box. The home centre-forward ghosted in behind our defence and glanced a header into the net for the early goal. 1-0 to the boys in powder blue...
Awoken by the harsh reality of the goal, and a dose of realization that we had to play to our potential to win, our boys responded almost immediately. A well-timed ball behind the UNC defence was pounced upon by Jonny and he raced clear of the last defender. In what can best be described as a clumsy challenge Jon was upended in the box. A clear penalty. But, not in the eyes of a referee who would go on to prove his ineptitude over and again throughout the course of the contest. It was an injustice of mammouth proportions.
Minutes later, Nicky was upended after a sublime piece of skill on the edge of the box. Once again the referee waved away the appeals. Meanwhile, several members of the home side were performing some astute and acrobatic techniques in winning free-kicks at will, as they threw themselves to the floor and cried in "pain" at the slightest hint of physical contact. Greg Luganis would have been proud of these performances. UNC rarely threatened our goal as we grew in confidence and began to create a few half-chances. On the occasion that they did threaten Grandstrand was on-hand to keep them at bay.
Half-time was an opportunity for Coach Noonan to re-organize and rally the troops. A little more self-belief was injected into the boys and they took to the pitch in more confident mood. For a period of about twenty-five minutes in the second half the powder-blues were chasing shadows. They were defending deeper and deeper and digging deep into their proverbial bag of dirty tricks to keep these Brown Bears at bay. Their goalkeeper was busy and they played most of the half with ten men camped inside their own half. But, for whatever reason, it was just not meant to be for our boys on the day. In a frantic final few minutes, immediately following a Dylan cross-shot that cannoned off the crossbar, their centre-forward broke clear of our last man back and put the ball past a helpless Grandstrand. It is an unfair and unrealistic reflection of a contest that the score reads 2-0. But these players left the field with heads held high, comfortable in the knowledge that they had just spent the last 90 minutes playing a hard honest game of football in the spirit in which the game is supposed to be played. The Tar Heels could certainly learn a lesson or two there......
As it has been all season, the traveling support was unexpectedly large and predictably vocal. The only regret has to be that we were unable to extend the adventure for a few more games and reach the pinnacle of the game that this group of players truly deserves. There is no way to describe that empty feeling that you get after such an ending to the season. Immediate thoughts are with the seniors, knowing that this was truly the end for their collegiate soccer careers. Over time, it will sink in that indeed, 2009 was a success and a season to be proud of, but for now it just leaves a pit in the stomach.....
Onwards we roll now towards the 2010 season. Like the 2008-09 transition, there is plenty of work to do between now and next August to ensure that we can produce a season that can bring the success and sense of achievement that this one just has. If the players can reproduce the same effort, energy, enthusiasm for the game and each other, and work-rate, that they have shown over the past year, then there is no reason why 2010 cannot see Brown Men's Soccer end the season with a win....
Many thanks to all of you who have given your support to the team throughout this year. It rarely gets acknowledged publicly, but you'll have to trust us that it is truly appreciated in so many ways by the players and staff.

"What's a Seawolf?" Brown 1-0 Stony Brook

When Stevenson Field is packed to the rafters as it was last night there is a special feeling about the place. One of the things that you can always rely on is some "intelligent" heckling from the home fans. So it was yesterday evening when the home fans responded to the small but loud contingent from Long Island with the lyrical question you see in the headline above..... do Seawolves swim?
The team knew before yesterday's contest that they were in for a battle - this Stony Brook team had an unbelievable run of results in their final seven games of the season, conceding just two goals en route to the America East championship. Many of you will have seen the YouTube video of their comical penalty shootout victory versus Hartford.....
Preparing for tournament games on two days notice is always a challenge. Information is difficult to get and rarely have we seen these teams live. Ray Houghton had the lead on this one, while The Tourist got to work on the "what if" preparation work for the next round. When you come to the games and watch this team play for 90 minutes, the fact that our team has such an advantage in terms of knowledge of the opponent, and a game plan to beat them, is testament to the unbelievable amount of prep time put in by the coaching staff.......
The match kicked off under a perfect Fall evening sky. The temperature was surprisngly warm for late November. From the kick-off it was clear that, once again, our boys had the energy and desire to take the game to this team. Just 90 seconds in Sean had an opportunity and put the ball narrowly wide. Within the next 20 minutes we created a hatful of chances to score, yet uncharacteristically we couldn't find the target. Dylan, in particular was having joy on the left flank and bamboozled a couple of Seawolves before serving a quality ball into the box. On the opposite side the Wallsy/Jonny combination was opening up the visitors defence like a can of beans.....
How we didn't score in the opening half was anyone's guess. Our boys played at a ferocious pace, while the visitors were limited to one half-chance from a narrow angle that Grandstrand dealt with comfortably.
The second-half, predictably, was played at a slower pace, with the visitors changing their shape and style to deal with our passing more effectively. We still created some decent scoring opportunities and looked comfortable defensively for the most part. On the two occasions that the visitors did get behind us Evan was on hand with a last-ditch tackle and Big Paul made a good stop from a header.
In similar fashion to the Dartmouth game, after a twenty-minute spell for the visitors our team began to control the contest again. Rob was biting in with tackles, while Jonny, Sean, Nicky and Tayls all caused problems for the visiting defence. The back-four were excellent throughout, with Evan and Fluffy looking solid in the middle.
As the second-half wore on it seemed like a matter of time before we scored. TJ went closest with an excellent header that cannoned off the foot of the post....
And so it was to extra time..... the calm, soothing and efferevescent words of Coach Noonan relaxed the players during the intermission...... oh sorry, wrong script...... our leader proceeded to leave the players in no doubt that the passing needed to improve if we were to get the win that our superiority deserved....!
The first extra period passed without major incident, except for one ludicrous decision by the referee in awarding Stony Brook a free-kick after Evan had been dragged to the ground and man-handled by the chippy and pesky visiting striker from Long Island. Thankfully Grandstrand dealt comfortably with the ensuing free-kick.
The second period of extra time was all Brown. Stony Brook were struggling to cope and the introduction of Jonny just two minutes into the period proved to be the super-sub decision of the night. Just a minute after being introduced Jon received a great ball into the channel from Robbie (who was blatantly pole-axed by a nasty tackle in the process), he took one touch and clipped the ball to the back post with the outside of his foot. The ball was deflected into the path of Sean who made no mistake from eight yards away. Cue pandemonium! With just six minutes remaining in the game we had done it!
Up next for these resilient and resourceful boys is a trip to Chapel Hill to take on the number five seeded Tar Heels of North Carolina..... wear your seat belts!

Big Green With Envy. Brown 3-0 Dartmouth

THANK YOU SENIORS!

Four brilliant young men were honored before the Dartmouth match with fitting tributes read aloud over the public address system at Stevenson Field. T-Time, Schlenks, Nicky and TJ have all added so much to this program over the years and it is difficult to imagine that the end of their time in a Brown uniform is so close. All four have made their teammates and the coaching staff so very proud to be associated with them. The fact that the excellent vistory ensured an extension to their time in the program was a perfect way to end the day.....

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT PICTURED WITH THEIR PARENTS:
TJ THOMPSON, THOMAS THUNELL, JARROD SCHLENKER, NICK ELENZ-MARTIN

After the euphoric reaction to the excellent win at Yale, the boys had been brought back to earth with a week of intense and thorough preparation for this match against perennial Ivy-rival Dartmouth. A 2-0 reverse in Hanover at the end of the 2008 campaign had ensured that last-season was ended without a tournament appearance. Revenge was not the buzz-word of the week, but a certain amount of edge was added to the contest for the boys who had suffered in the freezing rain on national television last year.....

Nick Elenz-Martin

Coach Noonan rallied the troops in his pre-game talk, and the players entered Stevenson field with a determined and energetic look about them. From the first whistle it was clear that we were "up for it." Tackles were flying in, headers won, and the movement was crisp and quick. Chances came and went. Then, after about fifteen minutes Nicky played a wonderful 50-yard cross-field ball over to T-Mac who found himself in space on the left flank. He ran at the defender, beat him with a piece of sublime skill and planted the ball under the 'keeper and into the back of the net. 1-0 Brown.

Jarrod Schlenker

Dartmouth were clearly rocked, and for the remainder of the first-half our boys chased and worked their socks off as the visitors struggled to cope with the ferocious speed of play that our team produced. It was unsurprising when we added to the lead with another piece of excellent build-up play that finished with Jonny chipping the ball across to Tayls, who drove a volley into the ground and watched it bounce over the stranded Big Green goalkeeper. 2-0 Bears.

The Captain - Thomas Thunell

This well-coached Dartmouth team came out in the second half with a new plan and for the first fifteen minutes of the half passed the ball well in the middle of the park. They created some half-chances, but the work-rate of these Brown Bears remained steadfast. We blocked shots, tracked runners and got men behind the ball to ensure that the 2-0 lead stayed intact.
Slowly but surely we regained momentum and started to come back into the game. A couple of chance came and went.... Then, with about fifteen minutes left, T-Mac was felled by a forearm shiver to the face that wouldn't be out of place in the UFC. The ensuing red-card for the visitors put an end to any chance they had of getting back into a game that, to be honest, they were struggling in anyway. Minutes later Jay and Nicky combined on the left flank and crossed for Austin, who made no mistake with a header from about seven inches away.....! 3-0 Bears.

TJ Thompson

The rest of the contest was a formality. Dartmouth acted and looked like a well-beaten team - they were. This match was an outstanding performance and a perfect way to end the regular season. Up next is the NCAA tournament selection show..... who will we face???

CATCHING UP.......

Apologies to those of you that rely on the blog as a source of information - a few extra assignments have led to a back-log and the blog has suffered...... sorry blog.... :(

So, to catch up...... since Cornell our season has hit a low point then rebounded in spectacular style. First there was the Penn game - the less said about this 1-0 reverse, the better. We still cannot believe we came out of this contest on the wrong side of the result. Like any one-off loss, we'll just have to confine this match to the trash and move on...

Yale are "Popped...." Yale 1-2 Brown
The only high point of the Penn contest was the cameo performance of TJ "Pop" Popolizio. He came on late in the first-half, brought great energy to the team, and perhaps came closest to turning the game in our favor. Such was his impact that he was given the nod for a starting berth when we traveled to New Haven on November 7th..... The boys knew that they had under-performed in their last match and knew that something had to be done about it. Although it was never talked about, this was a "must-win" game. Preparations all week had been intense and thorough - the team had no doubts about what was expected.
The contest got off to the worst possible start on what was Yale Senior night. Within minutes we had conceded a poor goal after the home winger had been given too much space on the left side. Grandstrand was helpless and it was 1-0 Bad Guys.
This was the jolt that our team needed and for the next 42+ minutes the visiting Bears took the game to the hosts. It was no surprise when, late in the half, a five-man passing move led to the equalizer - a diving header of epic proportions by that man Pop! The build up play for the goal was a masterpiece of football and the finish typified the bravery of our diminutive striker...
The half-time break was the only method that Yale had to break our momentum. For a while the second period it looked as if the home team might just squeeze their way back into the contest, despite these Brown Bears playing a far superior brand of football.
With ten minutes left the home 'keeper flapped at a cross and the ball was quickly played back into the Yale box by Jonny. Despite the ball being played behind him that-man Pop contorted his body and kept the ball alive as T-Mac stode in to drive the ball into the Yale net. 2-1 Brown! the on-field celebration that followed was hilarious..... bettered only by the off-field celebration that took place in the locker room afterwards!
With less than ten minutes left our boys were too savvy and too experience to allow a solid yet unimaginative home team back into the match. Despite some desperate balls played into our box, our boys came out victorious and very much relieved. They had bounced back from adversity in exactly the way they had been expected to. With the final match at home versus Dartmouth on the horizon it was all to play for in search of the NCAA berth and possible Ivy title....

Romance in Ithaca. Cornell 0-1 Brown

What can you say about Ithaca that hasn't always been said...? Come to think of it, what HAS been said about Ithaca?
There are two Ivy institutions based in the state of New York. The contrast between the two could not be more pronounced. Columbia, in the heart of Manhattan with a field in Harlem, compared to Cornell - with an Amish store next to the practice facility and athletic facilities surrounded by farms.....
Preparations for the match were ideal. A nice, comfortable hotel with excellent pre-game meeting facilities was adjacent to the local mall. This mall proved especially useful for Ray Houghton, who, in his excitement to pack for the long haul to Ithaca, completely forgot about bringing......shoes! Undeterred, he headed for the shoe store and got himself hooked up with two very nice pairs of dress shoes....

As preparations for the match continued it became more and more obvious that this team certainly understood the meaning of team chemistry. Coach Noonan often talks about the importance of on-field partnerships. With this in mind, our right-back and right-midfield player for the game ahead took the advice to a whole new level and elected to enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner for two at the quaint Italian restaurant in town...

Smithy and Mikey Discuss Movement off the Ball and Breadsticks

The journey to the complex at Cornell is a fairly simple one. Negotiating the labyrinth of corridors, stairwells and passageways to the locker room once inside the recreation center is something else entirely. Add this to the fact that you are then crammed in to a 8x12 space with showers and toilets shared with the home team, and it isn't exactly the most conducive environment for game preparation! Nevertheless, this Brown team isn't fooled by distractions and with Coach Noonan's instructions fresh in the mind we took to the field in confident and determined mood....
As expected, as soon as we kicked off the home team began to assert themselves physically. While not intimidating our players, it certainly put us on the back foot a little in the early stages. The referee showed signs of things to come with flat refusal to award free-kicks for blatant shoves in the back. Having said that, we limited the home team to few efforts on goal, the most significant of which was comfortably handled by Grandstrand....
As the half wore on gaps began to appear for our boys, with Rob and Nicky exploiting space to very good effect. They were bossing the midfield in a fashion that certainly showed their superior footballing prowess. What was missing for our team was that little bit of incisive play in the attacking half that would create some clear cut chances. Rob, TJ, Sean, T-Mac and Nicky all forced saves out of the home custodian who was certainly the busier goalkeeper.
The second half kicked off and with fresh tactical information for our boys the game became more one-sided. This Cornell team was proving difficult to break down however, and there was that nagging fear that our attempt to play good attacking football would be undone with a moment of fortune for our hosts from one of the set-pieces that they were living off.
A tactical re-shuffle following the introduction of Jonny at the 68-minute mark proved to be the moment that finally turned the match in our favor. Jon was dispatched centrally to give us a more physical presence in the middle and Sean was moved to the right wing. Minutes later he went past the full-back and crossed to the back post where T-Mac made no mistake from ten yards out. 1-0 Bears!
There were certainly some heart-in-mouth moments in the final twenty minutes, many spurred by the referee's insistence on attempting to speed the game along in favor of the home team at every opportunity. Why is it that officials see a need to change the rules of the game once a team has scored a goal? He stopped the clock at every opportunity and re-created the NCAA rules on time-keeping time and again in the final moments. Despite all of this our boys remained mentally tough and came out of the game with a vital win and unscathed physically.
Waiting at the bus was, once again, the Thompson family with pizza and drinks for the boys. Between the Thompsons and the Schlenkers we have certainly been very well taken care of all season long....
The long journey back to Rhode Island was punctuated by the time-honored tradition on the bus of a sing-along with the new members of the team. Each new member gave solo performances, including a quickly-improvised version of 'Stand By Me' by Evan Coleman(absent last year) and a predictable rendition of a Taylor Swift number by Dylan Remick. There were many other notable performances by Sam, McFluff, T-Mac, Robbo and Mitch, while the coaching staff also played their part. Ray Houghton performed an imperious rendition of 'I'm a Little Teapot' while The Tourist bellowed out a truly memorable number from the terraces of Goodison Park describing the virtues of Liverpool's Spanish striker, Fernando Torres. The final number was left to Yours Truly, with my own soft and soothing version of American Pie, culminating in a full-bus sing-along of the chorus from the Don McLean classic.....
A couple of days off following an arduous weekend of travel will be followed by the important preparation for the visit of Penn to Stevenson field on Sunday at 1:30pm. Hope to see you there!

November 15th Post Game Reception

Brown Men's Soccer
Post-Game Reception
Sunday, November 15, 2009


Make plans now to come back to College Hill to cheer on the Brown men's soccer team as they take on Dartmouth, in an important Ivy League match and the team's final regular season game.

Immediately following the game the Brown Sports Foundation invites you to attend a post-game reception to celebrate the achievements of the 2009 team and to catch-up with old teammates.



SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Sunday, November 15, 2009

1:00 p.m.
Brown Men's Soccer vs. Dartmouth
Stevenson Field

Immediately Following Game
Brown Sports Foundation Post-Game Reception
Pizzitola Sports Center - Joukowsky Room - 2nd Floor


Cost for the event is $10/person

To RSVP please call Lauren Hylton at the Brown Sports Foundation at 401-863-9812 or click here to email <mailto:Lauren_Hylton@Brown.edu?subject=M%20Soccer%20Post-Game%20Reception%20RSVP> .

(Red) Storm in a Teacup. St. Johns 1-1 Brown

So, the big question lingered...... How would this young team respond to their first true setback of the year? Not only did they have to produce a response worthy of a team looking for success, but they had to do it on the road in an environment containing noisy and crazy fans and a relentless(nauseating) pep-band.
With all these distractions, the last thing Coach Noonan was looking for was any further distraction. Yet perhaps the best man-marking job of the entire trip was performed by Lech Walesa, the St. John's security man who was assigned to be Coach Noonan's body guard all evening. Although it's a far cry from being the leader of a nation (Poland 1990-95) and Noble Peace Prize winner, I'm sure Walesa is enjoying the quiet life in the Big Apple.....

Coach Noonan's Celebrity Shadow - click here for more information...

Well , despite all the distractions, respond the boys did! The Tourist produced a truly inspiring pre-game rally with the boys out on the pitch before Coach Noonan imparted the final words of wisdom and motivation in the locker room. Then, if our boys weren't fired-up enough already, virtually all of the home players "broke" the line-up a full 45 seconds before Whitney Houston had uttered the final lines of the Star Spangled Banner. Our group stood firm and then Smithy told the home players exactly what he thought as he pointed angrily in their direction..... "That's not too respectful you know chaps" he spewed (or words to that effect).
The pace of the game was breathtaking. A desperate and very talented home team were determined to start the match on the front foot, yet our boys just wouldn't have any of it. We pressed and passed and won every ball that needed to be won. The reaction of the home bench was predictable, yet even more vociferous than one would normally expect with the Red Storm. It was clear that our boys had the home team rattled....
Both goalkeepers were reasonably busy in the first half, with Grandstrand producing one excellent reaction save at his near post and the home custodian also protecting his goal well.
Then it happened...... the ball was played into the home penalty area with both Sean and TJ having a dig, before the ball fell to Nicky, who made no mistake from six yards out.... 1-0 Brown and we were well worth the lead.....
It was at this moment that the home coach absolutely "lost the plot" and embarked on an on-field rage, first at his own player, then at the referee. It's rare that you'll ever hear this writer talk about referees in empathetic terms, but I almost felt sorry for this guy as he endured this tirade then almost apologetically produced a red-card. He really had no choice.....
For the remaining minutes of the first half the home team were simply holding on. They looked disorganized and capable of conceding a second goal at any moment. It was 1-0 to the Bears at half-time and we were in the ascendancy....
The pace of the game (naturally) slowed in the second half, and a re-organized home team started to exert some control on the match. Some uncharacteristic moments from Grandstrand probably had much to do with the raving lunatics behind his goal.... The pressure increased and then we made a critical mistake that led to penalty being awarded to the Red Storm. Unfortunately, the St. John's player made no mistake from the spot kick and it was 1-1......
As the match wore on it was clear that no team was going to roll over for the other. The contest remained fiercely competitive and overtime was inevitable - after all here was two teams competing with twelve ties between them!
Late in the contest we were awarded a free-kick about 25 yards out. Wallsy stepped up confidently and struck an almost perfect kick over the wall. It was deflected slightly and smacked the underside of the crossbar before rebounding back into play. The linesman was not in position to see if the ball had crossed the line, but some of our people were convinced it had.... Regardless, the referee waved play-on and the contest continued....
The final whistle blew and 22 exhausted players slumped to the turf. It had been a truly exhilerating match and showed us that here was a group of players who showed tremendous character after a disappointing weekend. It's not lost on anyone that St. John's have not lost at home for 20+ games, spanning three seasons. This was perhaps their toughest test yet....
Some old friends had endured the Obama-inspired Manhattan traffic to make the trek to the match, including former Director of Operations, Nic Rossi, who is now assistant at the highly successful Stevens Tech program in Hoboken, NJ.
As the boys boarded the bus for the long trek back up I-95 and full of more Schlenker-produced goodies, Coach Noonan bade a fond farewell to his new-found friend and shadow. Ray Houghton commented how sad and lost Walesa looked as the bus pulled into the night...
Next up is a visit to another New York Red - this time the Big Red of Cornell in beautiful Ithaca... 7pm Saturday.....

It finally happened - Harvard 1-0 Brown

The end of an unbeaten streak always happens at some point....... but why did it have to be those pesky dark-pink-clad, superiority-complex-holding individuals from Cambridge!?!?
We boarded the bus at the OMAC on Saturday morning with a team in good spirits and seemingly ready to play. The mood on the bus was good and William the driver was full of his own confidence in negotiating the projected extra traffic in and around the Charles River (this was the same driver who had provided the grand tour of New York en route to Columbia in 2007). When we arrived on campus we were sent (not escorted) to the locker room, which happened to be the same one that was used by the Boston Breakers during their recent WPS season. The space was large enough, but freezing cold and with no hot water. Between Wallsy and myself we managed to "odd-job" the thermostats and hot water heater power controls to provide us with the necessities....
After some wonderful, friendly, welcoming and courteous behavior from the Harvard event staff (!) the match kicked off in blustery conditions. Early in the game chances were at a premium, with neither team imposing themselves on the contest. Grandstrand was alert in dealing with a couple of early chances for the hosts, while the Harvard custodian was more than fortunate on one occasion as he "saved" Sean Rosa's shot from 20 yards.
But as the match progressed there was some uncharacteristic play from our boys. In tennis they refer to them as "unforced errors." As a coaching staff we prefer to call them....... well never mind, this is a family blog..... Harvard were certainly a well organized team who were "up for it" but in all honesty should have been no match for our best. The problem was that our best had been left behind at Stevenson field..... "Oh my" stated Ray Houghton in trademark fashion, on a number of occasions as we simply gave the ball to our opponents.
Despite our charity with the ball, the fact that a small 140lb midfielder was allowed to have free reign, and some passing that wouldn't be out of place in a U12 game, we stayed in the contest until half-time...
Because of the distance from locker rooms we elected to stay outside during half-time. Coach Noonan reminded the boys of how to play the game and encouraged them to less anxious....
Something didn't click... within minutes of the second half kicking off we were behind to a soft goal. The Harvard centre-back won a contentious challenge on the halfway line and a ball was played into our right flank. From a none-threatening position we somehow allowed the ball to be played into the Harvard centre-forward eight yards from goal who then turned and shot low past Grandstrand. 1-0 Bad guys.....
Ten minutes later Grandstrand came out for a low ball played through into his box. For some inexplicable reason the Harvard left-back launched himself and planted two feet into our custodian as he lay on the floor. It was a terrible challenge and was deserving of the red card that the referee had no hesitation in producing.... Thankfully our 'keeper wasn't badly hurt and was able to continue in goal.
Once again though, going down to ten men seemed to galvanize our opponents, and we struggled to take advantage of the extra player. We did manage to produce a few chances with Austin, TJ and Jonny all going close. But, at the other end of the park we continued to charitably give the ball directly to our opponents in situations where we had plenty of time and space... if only we could have passed the ball as well in this game as we had on many previous occasions...
Despite the best efforts of our once-again outstanding vocal support, we were unable to make a break-through and the match petered out into a disappointing 1-0 loss. The comments and behavior from some of the home alums both behind the goal and the visiting bench definitely added to the feeling that this world-famous educational institution still has much learning to do....
The day ended on a nice note as the team spent an hour at the home of Alumnus Dave Flaschen and his family in their beautiful Chestnut Hill abode. The former Brown goalkeeper and 2008 Hall of Fame inductee provided a much-needed warm welcome for our tired and weary boys as they enjoyed some quality food, a very comfortable place to relax and outstanding company. Ray Houghton was magnificent in guiding our highly skeptical bus driver through the streets of Cambridge and Brookline - what kind of bus driver has no GPS in 2009???.

"Flasch" in his heyday....

Next up is St. Johns in Queens. 7:30pm, Tuesday, October 20th.

Jerzy Boys Dispatched.... Brown 3-1 Rutgers

Tuesday night at Stevenson field was one of those nights that just felt special. Perhaps it was the come-from-behind manner of our victory, or perhaps it was the fact that we achieved a resounding win over a Big East school with plenty of talent. Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with our overwhelming love of all things from the Garden State......
As we began the warm-up at dusk some ominous clouds loomed over the trees and the skies darkened quickly. The warm-up was lively and it certainly seemed like our squad was "up for it." A torrential downpour during the pre-game did nothing to dampen the mood of the team, although Culpy had a good moan about his newest goretex jacket getting wet....
The match kicked off and within seconds we were on the attack. A fluid attacking movement led to a shooting opportunity for Sean (definitely a Portugal fan now) Rosa who rattled the post from 18 yards out. A sign of things to come perhaps? Well, not quite..... The game ebbed and flowed throughout the opening period with neither 'keeper being really tested. Schlenks made a couple of routine stops in the home goal and our defence dealt well with a lively and physical front two from Rutgers. Then, after about twenty minutes we gave away a set-piece and subsequently conceded what could best be described as a sloppy goal. The ball wasn't cleared properly and bounced around inside our box before being stabbed home from close range. 1-0 Bad Guys.
Slowly but surely we began to assert ourselves and chances came and went. Just as it seemed we would go into half-time a goal down up popped that man Nicky Elenz-Martin to smash a shot under the 'keeper from the top of the box after good work from TJ and Sean. 1-1 - we deserved that!
As we left the field for the locker room Coach Noonan was "in the zone." He checked the clock about seven times before unleashing a classic half-time tirade. In the days leading up to the game he had mentioned giving the season a "fresh coat of paint." Well, the locker room walls certainly needed one now....! Coach clearly felt (rightly) that we hadn't quite matched our opponents' physicality.......
As the second half got underway it was quickly clear which team was playing on the front foot. Rutgers struggled do deal with our movement and aggression. A clear penalty for our boys was waved away minutes before we won a corner on the right. Jay Hayward sent the resultant corner-kick beyond the back-post where Evan Coleman re-directed the ball across the face of goal. It was none other than our own Jersey freshman T-Mac (well he went to school there..) who wriggled free and planted a header past the frozen visiting 'keeper. 2-1 Bears!
Rutgers were struggling to find any kind of rhythm and began resorting to a physical onslaught. But these Bears are made of stern stuff and would not break. Minutes later our defence cleared the ball from a Rutgers set-piece to Mikey Manella who found himself one-on-one with the last defender. He forced the defender into a rushed attempt to clear and suddenly found himself bearing down on goal.... The Rutgers 'keeper came out and Mikey side-stepped him before being felled in a crude challenge - but out of nowhere David (I'm not fast) Walls had sprinted the length of the park to force his way into the box and clamly slot the ball into the empty net. It was Wallsy's second goal of the season and his celebration suited..... 3-1 Brown.
Rutgers were a beaten team..... they mustered very little in response, and the last fifteen minutes or so was an opportunity for our young team to gain further experience in game management. The one attempt that the visitors did put on target was called back for a legitimate offside decision, to which the visiting bench reacted furiously, to the point that it was almost comical. In the face of some unwarranted provocation our young team did themselves proud in retaining discipline and seeing the game out without any major incident.
Next up is Harvard. Hope to see you in Cambridge......

Bears 4-2 Tigers

One thing that the home fans at Stevenson field have been treated to over the past two games is goals. TWELVE in all! Once again entertainment has been in plentiful supply for the brave souls who endured a first real taste of a frigid New England fall evening last night..... As you might guess though, seeing six goals per game being scored is not exactly what the staff or players had in mind..... Sure, it's great for the team to be so free-scoring (nine goals in three games) but the fact that our defending has looked more like keystone cops at times is a bit disturbing!!
The match kicked off and our boys immediately set about the task of attacking the visitors goal. Less than two minutes into the contest Evan Coleman picked up the ball on the halfway line and drove a fifty-yard cross-field diagonal ball to Mike Manella. Our diminutive Californian utility man then squared the ball into the path of Sean (FrenchCanadianPortuguese) Rosa, who volleyed an absolute screamer into the back of the Princeton net. It was a very special goal! Even more pleasing was the fact that the build up play was straight from the text book/scouting report.
Inexplicably, but not for the first time this season, our young team then proceeded to let the visitors back into the match. The Princeton central midfield players were getting plenty of the ball and our defence was struggling to cope with the service behind them. Grandstrand dealt well with a couple of situations, and the width of the post was our saving grace on one occasion. When we did counter-attack Sean and T-Mac were looking dangerous, while Jonny flew past the Tigers left back on a couple of occasions as if he was standing still.... The score remained at 1-0 Good Guys as we entered the locker room for the half-time chat. It could definitely be said that we were fortunate to go in with our slender lead intact.
A forceful yet measured talk from Coach Noonan at half-time would surely get our boys re-energized and ready to put this game to bed in the second period....
The team was changed slightly as the second half got underway. TJ, following his energetic and goal scoring performance at Columbia, was on from the start, and he had an almost immediate impact. Grandstrand drove the ball long and TJ out-jumped the defender to flick the ball on to Sean. Mr. Rosa then expertly made room for himself and drove a left-footed shot into the corner of the net. 2-0 Bears!
Less than sixty seconds later Thompson was the provider again as he made a run into the right channel and crossed to the back post, where Nicky was unmarked to plant a firm header into the back of the Princeton net. 3-0!
By now, you're probably anticipating the next segment of this match report...... yup, that's right, we then spent the next portion of the match chasing shadows as this Princeton team rallied and tried to force their way back into the game. Their frontmen were causing problems for our defence all night, and a sortie down our left flank led to the visiting right-winger having enough time to have a quick cup of tea before driving a cross to the near post, with the forward dispatching a header into the back of our net. 3-1.
For the next fifteen minutes our defending was almost comical. Not for the first time recently Grandstrand proved his worth to the team with a series of saves and clearances. The robot was becoming increasingly irritated with the ten men in front of him.... Jay Hayward was re-introduced at left-back and he would have an almost-immediate impact on the match, but not at the defensive end of the park.....
The tireless Rosa was upended twenty-five yards from goal and a free-kick was awarded. Walls and Hayward lingered over the ball. The position of the free kick (about ten yards to the right of centre) was ideal for either a right-footed cross or left-footed shot...... Hayward strode up to the ball and unleashed a powerful, swerving left-footed drive that was simply unstoppable. The Princeton 'keeper flung himself to his left but he couldn't get near it. 4-1 Bears! Another super-strike.... The bench erupted and the expression on Jay's face said it all - he was quite proud of himself....
There was twenty-minutes still to play, and although we had a three-goal cushion, based on our defensive frailty thus far in the contest it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that Princeton could still come back into the game.... and so it proved five minutes later. An early ball was played down our gaping left flank and the pacy visiting forward broke clear. As Ryan "Boots" McDuff came across to deal with the situation the forward got his feet into a tangle. McDuff made slight contact just outside the box and the Princeton Tiger did a magnificent job of throwing himself forwards and winning a penalty. The resultant spot-kick was planted firmly into the back of the net and it was game-on again. 4-2 Bears with fifteen minutes still to play....
Thankfully we managed to see out the rest of the contest. Our defence sat a little deeper which somewhat nullified the visitors' pacy attack, and as they pressed forward it created space at the other end of the pitch for us to exploit. On one such occasion, Jonny broke clear after an excellent ball played in by TJ, and he was unlucky to see his effort rebound back into play off the underside of the crossbar.
Once again our bench was vocal and supportive throughout the contest and the home fans made plenty of noise in their efforts to support the team. Regardless of what we felt on the bench we were at least confident that the healthy crowd on hand had been well entertained!
Up next we entertain the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers - our second consecutive contest against a team from the Jerz....

The rest of the way.....

As the mid-season crunch approaches and the Ivy games arrive thick and fast I thought it would be a good idea to give a quick half-term report and a schedule update for the rest of the way.

Remaining Games

Oct. 10	Princeton *		7:00 PM EDT
Oct. 13	Rutgers		7:00 PM EDT
Oct. 17	at Harvard *		1:30 PM EDT
Oct. 20	at St. John's (N.Y.)		7:30 PM EDT
Oct. 24	at Cornell *		1:00 PM EDT
Nov. 1	Penn *		1:00 PM EST
Nov. 7	at Yale *		4:30 PM EST
Nov. 15	Dartmouth *		1:00 PM EST

The Record to Date (5 wins, 4 ties, 0 losses)
At the start of the season I think this record would have delighted the staff and players, yet it shows how far we have come, and how much the team has matured in that there is frustration that at least two of those ties should have been wins. There is no doubt that the team bears the hallmark of many typical Brown teams in being hard to beat. But, we can still improve and nobody (staff or players) is sitting back and saying "job done." Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the season so far has been the teams' ability to deal with adversity and recover from set-backs.
The Players
It's impossible to single out one or two individuals for their playing performances, as so many of the boys have contributed to the results on the pitch. In practice, T-time remarked recently that even our scout team is the best one he's ever seen! Both he and Wallsy have kept their focus and just as importantly, have kept the teams' focus when it has been needed, and are providing leadership off the field. I work with the goalkeepers on a daily basis and have been delighted with their attitude, not only to training, but also to each other. They are pushing each other every day but also being the best of teammates. Those not in the starting eleven are pushing to play - this is an absolutely essential ingredient for any squad of players that want to achieve success....
Injuries
Those of you who were at Columbia will have noticed the absence of our pocket-rocket Austin - he is recovering from a concussion sustained at USF and is making steady progress. No fixed date for his return yet, but he's back in light training and raring to go. Dylan Remick sustained a nasty ankle sprain in the Columbia game - no breaks or significant damage, so hopefully he'll be fit to return sooner rather than later..... The welcome sight of Ian Smith in a Brown uniform punctuated the last two contests and he is rapidly coming back into contention as the days go by. It's been a long road back from his pre-season metatarsal injury... Finally, Mitch Justus, yet unseen in a Brown uniform is on the road to full fitness following his hamstring problems...
And the Other Stuff...
There have been a few light-hearted moments along the way..... we can (almost) laugh now at Jonny's own-goal in the BU game, just as much as Robbie almost impaling himself against a goal-post today at practice (he looked back, saw it, then still ran into it....). Then there's the bright blue boots of McDuff, not to mention his very own facebook fan-club group.... Raymond the bus-driver provided some interesting moments as he succeeded in bottoming-out the bus (twice) on one of the steeper hills in the streets of San Francisco (the scraping sound was enough to bring people out into the streets and start video-taping the event!). The office has been a fun place to be, with "tea time" now a regular occurrence (bring your own mug) and Christine truly enjoying poking fun at the whole charade with her impersonations of Jonesy and Yours Truly.... And then there was Villa thrashing Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield..... mistakes in the office are now officially known as "Pulling a Lucas."

"You're supposed to be at home..." Columbia 1-2 Brown

When a small army of traveling fans out-sings the home fans at premier league matches they will most-often recite the lines in the above headline, or perhaps "shall we sing a song for you....?" In Columbia's neat and compact soccer stadium on Saturday night, only the powder-blue walls and the sound of subway trains rumbling behind the bleachers reminded you that you were in fact in New York City, not at the summit of college hill in Providence. Parents, friends, and a very sizeable alumni presence gave our boys the type of support that is so invaluable when on the road.
For obvious reasons, our lads entered the contest with confidence - the mood was good, and we ate well at Mario's in Westport on our trek down I-95. Unlike the fixture in 2007, our bus driver was accurate and timely (when you have a few minutes to look, see Anders' post from the Novembr 19th 2007 blog at www.brownmenssoccer.blogspot.com for one of the most entertaining accounts of a road-trip ever...) and got us to the stadium with both the players and the bus in good working order.
The match started with our boys on the front foot (first time in four games boys!) and Columbia seemingly unable to create any kind of attacking threat. On this evidence it surely was only going to be a matter of how many we would win by, rather than if we would win.... Chances came and went and our boys played some great stuff, only for the final ball to let us down. The introduction of TJ Thompson after about twenty minutes changed the game.... for two reasons.... Minutes after being introduced he made a darting run in behind the home defence and sprinted towards the goal. As the ball bounced the Lions centre-back attempted an aerial challenge that can be best-described as clumsy. TJ was felled like a tree and the free-kick was awarded. Despite the clear foul, the majority of people in the stadium felt that the Columbia defender had at least tried to play the ball. The referee obviously disagreed, and applied the letter-of-the-law in brandishing a red card. It was a harsh decision and perhaps we had more sympathy than most in light of recent events in San Francisco and vs. BU!
Despite the man advantage (I've felt for a long time that a team playing short-handed is not always at a huge disadvantage as they will generally raise their level of play to compensate) it took until the 40th minute for us to break the deadlock - that man TJ squeezing a shot out of traffic and into the bottom of the net. 1-0 Bears would be the score heading into half-time.
Tactical re-shuffles were the topic of discussion among the staff as we made the short walk to the locker room at half time. Having come up with a plan, the boys were given their instructions and entered the second half determined to put the game away. Apparently, these stubborn Lions had failed to read the script and started the second-half determined to give us as many problems as they could. They chased and harried us, forcing our boys onto the back-foot. Talking of reading the script, five minutes into the second half the Columbia centre forward put an unstoppable shot into the roof of our net, having turned with the ball in exactly the manner we told our players he would...... bah, who needs scouting reports anyway! 1-1 with 40 minutes to play - plenty of time for either team to go on and win the match.....
We huffed and we puffed but the rythym that we played with in the first half was nowhere to be seen. Despite a territorial advantage we seemed bereft of ideas and unable to break down a stubborn home defence. They had the same siege mentality that we had thrived on in San Francisco - who could blame them? A result against Brown would be a huge feather in the proverbial cap....
In the waining moments, in an eerily similar scenario to Dylan's breakaway at USF, the Columbia centre-forward wriggled free and bore down on Grandstrand's goal..,... thankfully his finish didn't match his approach play and we headed for extra time. The five minute break was Coach Noonan's opportunity to gently remind the boys how to play. The first extra time period began and our boys had the bit between their teeth as they ran at the home goal with a renewed purpose.
Five minutes in and it hapenned - there must have been twenty players within ten yards of the Columbia goal as the ball pinged around, ricochetting off legs, heads, arms and feet, before Nicky finally planted it past a stricken home defence and into the back of the net ..... 2-1.... our boys ran onto the field with joy, the coaches slumped out of sheer relief (four straight draws would have been too much to take) and the Bear's oustanding traveling fans celebrated in true style.
Quality post-game time was spent with the alums, parents and friends in attendance, and the bus trundled back up I-95 and home to the OMAC. Two rest days to follow and then we welcome the Princeton Tigers to Stevenson Field. Let's just hope they don't feel too welcome in 02912....

Bears 3-3 Boston University

Sometime between our departure to San Francisco last Thursday and our arrival onto Stevenson field last night, Fall arrived! It was a brisk, typical New England autumn evening as these bears took to the field at 6pm for their pre-game warm-up. Fresh in their minds was the fact that 72 hours earlier they had been three time zones away and had been unfairly "prevented" from winning a match at USF.
As the boys executed their pre-game preparations none could have predicted the 110 minute roller-coaster ride that was about to engulf these players and a healthy crowd - boosted by the presence of a strong contingent of youngsters and their families from Bruno United FC.
The match kicked off and immediately our boys were on the back-foot. "Not again!" we collectively groaned from the bench. "When are we going to start a game properly!" Unquestionably the first five minutes belonged to the visiting Terriers - yet as another ball was played into our box it looked like we were able to cope comfortably, with us having good numbers back and no visiting player in the vicinity. Then, out of nowhere up he popped - leaping like a salmon and planting a firm and pin-point header into the top corner of our goal....... "Oh Jonny (Okafor), what have you done????" Head-in-hands, Jon froze for a few seconds as he realized that the most accurate headed finish that he had ever produced had ended up in the back of his own goal... Bears 0-1 Terriers.
So, once again we were a goal down early in the match, and playing poorly. The goal stirred our boys out of their slumber and for the next fifteen minutes we tested BU's defence with some excellent passing and movement. Jonny was instrumental in our attacking play as responded to his misfortune in exactly the way he should have. Sean Rosa unlucky at the other end with a headed attempt and corner after corner failed to yield a goal.
The visiting Terriers at this stage were being limited to an occasional counter-attack and rarely looked threatening, well except when Big Ryan was feeling charitable enough to gift them the ball (this was apparently the day when our beloved freshman centre-back decided that all this passing to Brown players was becoming boring). From their first corner-kick of the game the visitors ran a play that we were well prepared for (well the coaches were and so were the paper scouting reports!). A complete breakdown led to a free header at the back post...... now we had a mountain to climb..... 2-0 Bad Guys.
A glimmer of hope appeared a few minutes later when Tayls was first to a looping ball inside the box and buried it deep into the BU net. No real celebration at this point, but at least we'd got ourselves back in with a fighting chance. Brown 1-2 Terriers.
The game resuled it's normal ebb and flow in the waining minutes of the half, with both teams creating some decent openings, without either ever really looking like scoring. Some neat combination play involving Tayls, Sean and Wallsy on the far side of the BU box led to Walls picking up the ball and cutting inside onto his left foot. From 35 yards out he hit an absolute screamer into the top corner of the net....... OK, so what really hapenned was that Wallsy hit a soft bobbling shot along the ground that barely made it to the 'keeper, yet for some inexplicable reason the BU custodian managed to let the ball squirm under his body and the ball trickled over the line (my apologies for the previous statement regarding the 35-yard screamer - Wallsy asked me to "dress it up a little" during training today..... ). So, it was now 2-2 and all to play for.

During half-time a group of Bruno United youngsters made their way onto the hallowed turf at Stevenson and were presented to the crowd. Recognition was given to the nine state finalists and four state champion teams, including the Girls U14's who were only the second-ever Bruno girls team to reach the regional tournament, and the Boys U17's who reached the regional semi-finals - only the third RI team in history to ever achieve this feat. All this achievement from a club that is still less than ten years old! Bruno United is a not-for-profit premier soccer club that was founded by Coach Noonan and whose president is former Brown goalkeeper, Ted Von Gerichten '78. 260 boys and girls between the age of nine and eighteeen benefit from the coaching expertise and level of play produced by the club. To find out more about Bruno United visit our website at www.brunounited.com.

At half-time our boys heard what they needed to hear and re-entered the fray with a renewed purpose. Surely now we would go on and win this game that we had fought back into....
Big Ryan was feeling equally charitable as the second half got underway however. He had apparently watched some bull-fighting on television at half time. Minutes into the half he produced a performance that any matador would be proud of as he "ole'd" the visiting centre-forward into our 18 yard box. Grandstrand was a sitting duck.... 3-2 Terriers...... really!???
Once again our team responded with Sean Rosa's tireless running at the heart of the attacking play. TJ Thompson cut in from the left-side and squared the ball only to see it evade everyone as w desperately tried to claw back into the match. Fittingly, it was a moment of magic from Rosa that did the trick - he picked up the ball 22 yards out, cut inside the defender and unleashed an unstoppable drive the cannoned in off the crossbar (I'm not lying this time!!). The 'keeper had no chance. 3-3. Wow! There was still plenty of time for more drama in this contest. So it proved in the final moments of regulation as chances came and went for both teams. Rosa, TJ Pop and Jonny all went close, while Nicky elected to pass when well-placed (ghosts not yet entirely laid to rest...). Big Paul made one excellent save to keep us in the contest, and time expired - onto extra time..... again!
Minutes into the first extra time period, TJ won a corner on our left side. Wallsy put the corner kick on Jonny's head, who steered it into the path of Evan, who then buried the ball into the empty net...... cue hysteria on the bench, in the stands, and heads-in-hands for the visiting Terriers...... but wait, what's happening? The goal's been disallowed!! What for?? Offside? No! A push??? Who??? The referee was convinced that he'd seen a push - he was apparently the only one in the entire city of Providence that had.....
For the next seven minutes Grandstrand was as active as he had been all season as our boys seemed to capitulate after the horrendous decision by the man in black. The end of the first period was approaching - we had to hold on..... we did..... just!
Coach Noonan ralied the troops for the second period and normal service was resumed. The visiting 'keeper made a couple of decent stops and Jay was unlucky not to have connected better with an ambitious forty-yarder. Grandstrand made one excellent save low to his left....
As the final whistle sounded there was no doubt who the happier team was. Despite leading three times in the contest, the visitors were undoubtedly happy with the draw. Our boys were frustrated, even a tad angry.... The spirit of the teams' play was epitomized by the performance of players like Sean and Mikey M who ran their socks off for yet another overtime contest.
We're still undefeated.....yet, had it not been for the intervention of two officials in two games, we could have two straight wins under our belts....
Running into Bruno parents and players today, I was told what a "great game" it was. "Sure, for the fans it was. Not so much if you were on that bench!"
Up next is Columbia - Ivy League opener in Harlem at 7pm Saturday. See below "Columbia Reception" for details of the pre-game reception. Hope to see you there!

Left Coast Part 4 - USF 1-1 Brown

The words echoed around the hotel meeting room as the troops were prepared for the 2pm kick-off at USF....... "you won't get any favors from the referee." This might be perhaps the most prophetic yet understated pre-game comment ever directed at a Brown team....

Raymond the driver used his local knowledge and managed to get our bus up and down and through the Bay Area landscape in plenty of time for us to settle in to the cozy confines of the locker room at the Koret gym, adjacent to the field at USF. This was apparently the same gym where Bill Russell played during his youth - and it was also apparent that not much has changed since the famous (pre) Celtic utilized the facility..... the boys packed in to the locker room like sardines and managed to get themselves dressed and equipped for the 90 minutes ahead.

The pre-game talk took place in the gym itself (the addition of four coaches to the locker room was simply not feasible) and the boys took to the field. Almost immediately, the coaches recognized that something was missing. "They're not buzzing," said Ray Houghton. I agreed with him. He called them in and tried to gee them up - it helped, but still we felt like the atmosphere of the day had a somewhat flat feeling. A piece of sublime ball control by the home teams' "associate head coach" failed to lighten the mood....

The match kicked off and it was apparent that USF were "up for it." The referee showed no early indication of the ludicrous way in which the day would unfold as he made some astute decisions early on. The only thing that concerned this staff at this stage was the fact that the team seemed disjointed and were playing on the back foot. As the minutes passed it became obvious that something had to be done..... Then it happened - the talented USF centre-forward passed the ball through the chasm that appeared between the boots of big Texas Ryan and bore down on an exposed Grandstrand. 1-0 to USF and we were reeling....

Our immediate response was to shuffle the pack and introduce the combative Robbie M. into the midfield. Slowly we began to look more organized.... then it happened. Robbie was fouled from behind near the halfway line and reacted angrily to the no-call. The response from the referee was an immediate red-card. We were gob-smacked. A warning? Yes, definitely. A yellow card? Maybe... A red card? Never!

So here we were, 25 minutes into the game and a goal down and a man down. We feared the worst, especially after the opening twenty minutes where USF looked dangerous every time they went forward, and we looked anemic in attack.....

Yet, the onslaught never came and these ten men actually started to take control of the contest. Perhaps inspired by an instinctive Grandstrand save moments after the red-card, our boys seemed to organize themselves, at least to the point where they looked more solid defensively....

The half-time whistle sounded and we exited for the locker room with just a little hope. "Now is the time where we show our true colors" or words to that effect, were bellowed from Coach Noonan. "We can still get something from this game." Heads started to lift and self belief began to ooze it's way back into the mindset of our boys....

The second half started and one team sat back to absorb pressure as the other attacked and passed the ball as if playing with an extra man. Yet it was Brown who looked like they had the extra player! USF seemed to have no interest in building on their lead and were content to protect a one-goal advantage with perhaps the thought that they could sneak another goal as we pushed forward..... T-Mac conceded a free-kick at midfield and got a yellow card - there was nothing too harsh about the decision, although a couple of the home players had escaped punishment for similar misdemeanors..... At the time we though nothing of it....

Ten minutes later Austin broke clear and bravely challenged a clearly-tentative goalkeeper who came out feet first towards our diminutive striker. Neither player came out of the collision well, with Austin banging his head ferociously into the turf. Now we had lost one of our goal-threats as well as having to play with ten men. Moreover, the replacement of the USF 'keeper actually worked in their favor as they returned their normal starter between the posts. Surely we couldn't suffer any more adversity in this game...... aha! How wrong can you be!! Minutes later a USF player fell onto the ball at midfield and attempted to shield it while lying on the ground. The referee failed to blow his whistle so TJ and T-Mac attempted to extract the ball. Only when one of our boys made contact with the player and not the ball did the referee elect to blow up - about five seconds later than he should have. We were awarded the free-kick, yet our man in orange elected to show T-Mac a yellow card - his second of the game. Now we're down to nine players and still a goal down. The referee, realizing his gross error gave our staff the "my bad" wave...... not much help now!!

So, here we were, down to nine men, twenty minutes to play and a goal down. Well the only thing to do now was to get everyone behind the ball and try to limit the damage..... NOT ON YOUR LIFE MATEY!!!! That would be what MOST teams might do in the same situation, but this Brown squad is made of sterner stuff than that! Another tactical re-shuffle and for the next twenty minutes you would have thought that USF was playing with nine men! We won a free-kick as Jonny O was whacked from behind for the umpteenth time. Up stepped Jay to drive in a sublime shot that the home 'keeper could only parry and at the second attempt Dylan smashed the ball into the net.... Cue melee on the visiting bench.... 1-1 with eight minutes left!!

Grandstrand and the re-energized Bears defence kept the scores even going into the final minutes and now it was time for extra-time. Twenty more minutes to play - surely we couldn't hold on, or even win this game, could we? The first overtime period mirrored the final twenty minutes - it was Brown who pressed and passed while USF struggled with our movement. It was only in the second period where they finally took some risks and played with a 4-2-4 to try and unsettle us. Chances came and went - Grandstrand, Coleman, Walls, McDuff and Hayward all threw their bodies in front of shots. Nicky headed everything in the middle of the park as if there was a radar on the ball, and Jonny, Pop, Rosa, TJ and Mikey M all ran their socks off..... then in the waining moments Sean Rosa won a tackle in midfield and sent Dylan racing clear of the home defence - he was 1v1 with the home keeper..... who pulled off a world class save to deny him. That would have been a story to tell.....

The final whistle sounded and the USF players slumped to the ground as our boys walked off the field having produced one of the best performances against adversity that I have been a part of. The fact that the score was a tie was dissappointing - but as a performance it was up there with the very best, and deserved so much more.....

As the post game food was consumed with great fervour the players and parents mingled with some of the friends and alumni of the program who had provided us with outstanding support during the course of our entire trip. Despite being 3000 miles from Stevenson, the vocal backing that our players received was louder and more enthusiastic than anything provided for the locals. Although they may not have told you directly - everyone associated with the team is truly apreciative of the efforts put forth by our friends of the program.....

2005 Team Captain Sean Gosselin ('06) and Coach Noonan renew aquaintances at Pier 39

A few more hours were spent in the city as we awaited departure to the airport for our JetBlue trip back to Boston. Thankfully the newly acquired whiteboard was firmly in the grasp of the tourist this time....

The Tourist (left) And Ray Houghton Make It Through Airport Security With Precious Cargo

Columbia Reception

The pre-game reception for the Columbia game is now set. Here is the information:

Time: 4:30 - 6:15pm. Saturday, October 3rd, 2009.

This is a chance for the Soccer Alums and parents of the current team to have a place to mingle prior to the game at 7pm. You can contact Dave Flaschen at dflaschen@castaneapartners.com or Jonathan Resnick at jresnick@barbizon.com to let them know if you plan on attending....

The address is The Boathouse, 533 West 218th St., New York. As you turn onto 218th st proceed to the stop sign and make a right hand turn right into the boat house drive way. The boathouse is the building on the left at the bottom of the drive way.

Left Coast Part 3 - "Day Off"

"This is busier than a game day" remarked Culpy as we settled into hotel number two of the trip. With the tourist living up to his name and bopping all over the Bay area and all kinds of behind-the-scenes plans being put into place, it certainly seemed like we were racing around more than usual..... but this was the staff. Thankfully, the players were able to enjoy a relaxing day and spend some quality time in San Francisco.
The day started with breakfast in Santa Clara, followed by a short bus ride up to see the facilities at the University of San Francisco. A short walk on the field was followed by the boys getting some free time in the Fisherman's Wharf area of the city. A few of the elder statesmen in the squad took a guided boat tour of the harbor, while others kept themselves amused in the tourist stores and many eateries that the area had to offer. While the boys wandered the tourist spots and took harbor boat rides, the staff were busy preparing for the scouting reports for the next day's game with a very talented USF squad.

Schlenks, TJ and T-Time Enjoy San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz Lurks in the distance!

At 3:30 we boarded the bus for a quick ride to the hotel which was situated just outside the city limits, near the airport. However, there was a short delay when Nicky's math skills deserted him and instead of being dropped by his family at Pier 39, he showed up at Pier 50+! But order was quickly restored and we set off for the hotel. Unfortunately, it was at this moment that the 40,000 people inside AT&T Park also decided to descend upon the Embarcadero and we were stuck in traffic for over 30 minutes.
Once we eventually arrived at our hotel it was a quick turn-around and we were off to the home of Brown Alumnus, Hunter Stern, who together with his wonderful wife and family put on a magnificent spread of food and drinks for the boys at their home in the city. More alums joined us at the house and great stories were shared between the new players and their esteemed forefathers....
Despite being willing and able to stay at the house all evening, the business of having to prepare for USF took over and we returned to the hotel for a late-evening meeting and video preview session. With information and motivation at hand the boys retired to bed and the staff took to the hotel lounge to discuss the game plan for the next day....

Left Coast - Part 2; Santa Clara 1-1 Brown

The boys awoke to overcast skies in Silicon Valley. Yet by 10am the sun was shining brightly and the team took a twenty-minute stroll in the local area to loosen their legs. The vast majority of the team elected to take the optional ride over to the Great Mall, where a few took in a movie and others explored the local shops. The mall contained a Dave & Busters in which yours truly was well and truly trounced in two consecutive games of air hockey, scoring no fewer than eight own-goals in the process (my defensive line was far too high).

On to the real business in the afternoon - it was time to prepare the team for Santa Clara..... two years earlier a very talented Santa Clara had visited Stevenson Field and had been put back on their west-coast bound aircraft with a 2-1 defeat fresh in their minds. There were enough players remaining from that squad who were sure to remember that night in Providence and would be intent on revenge. Furthermore, the young talent in their squad was a prized mixture of highly touted recruits.
Following a thorough scouting report and excellent pre-game meal the boys boarded the 'San Francisco Mega-Bus' bound for the short ride over to Buck Shaw stadium, home of the Santa Clara teams and the MLS San Jose Earthquakes. Preparations were ideal, the boys were ready to play and took to field in energetic and buoyant mood.
Despite the small lingering fear that the comprehensive beating of URI would leave the team feeling over-confident, the staff was unprepared for the opening twenty minutes of lackluster play by these talented Brown Bears. One player in particular was seemingly afforded inordinate amounts of space and time to run at our defence! It was no surprise then, that after another mazy run the ball was played into our box to a home player with a little too much time. T-Mac was there though - no worries - oops..... as his opponent turned, T-Mac jumped high into the air like a gymnast and the ball was played into the middle of our box. Robbie made an attempt to clear the ball but only managed to deflect it goalwards, and despite making an initial save, big Paul was helpless to stop the follow-up. 1-0 Santa Clara, and we couldn't really complain.....
The boys woke up a little after the goal and almost immediately leveled things. In fact they did level the game from a corner as Evan Coleman planted the ball into the corner of the home goal after a Jonny O flick-on. For some reason the linesman on the far side indicated that Jon's head was somehow an extension of his arm and disallowed the goal. Our boys slowly began to pass the ball better and create some problems for the home defence and their annoyingly rythmic drum section in the far bleachers.
Half-time saw an "inspirational" "speech" from Coach Noonan. The freshly-arrived whiteboard proved it's durability and the boys entered the second-half fray with a stronger focus and intensity.
Chances came and went in a decidedly one-sided second half, and it looked as if this match was going to end in heartbreak as we entered the final ten minutes. Jonny O was causing problems for the home team and they simply had no answer for the slick movement and passing from our boys. But, as much as we tirelessly knocked at the door, the door wouldn't budge! Then, out of the blue Nicky Elenz-Martin decided that it was time to finally shoot the ball again. He unleashed a powerful left-footed drive from 25 yards out that the home 'keeper had no chance with. The response from the bleachers was amazing - a group of Brown fans was significantly larger than you'd expect and they made plenty of noise to boot! 1-1, and the only thing preventing a dominant Bears victory now was the clock.
At the end of regulation the instruction to the boys was more or less to keep up the pressure on a home team who were clearly intent on preserving what they had. A special mention here has to go to our entire squad of players on the sidelines - the intensity and enthusiasm was most-definitely an insiration to the players on the pitch.
Extra-time came and went with our boys retaining their dominance but without that killer touch to take the game. The performance had been deserving of more than a tie, but we had to be pleased that these boys had once-again come from behind and refused to lose.....

Left Coast - Part 1

As the bus trundled out of the OMAC parking lot at 5:30am the mellowing sounds of the Notorious B.I.G. (Going Back To Cali) permeated through the bus. Coach Noonan has always been a big fan of west-coast hip-hop and tapped his feet gleefully to the sounds of the California-themed CD. By the time the bus reached Attleboro the majority of the boys were fast asleep and stage one of our three-part journey to Santa Clara was underway. Despite the early start, traffic was heavy on I-93 heading towards Logan Airport but we arrived unscathed and with plenty of time to check-in and negotiate security in this yet-to-be renovated Terminal B at Logan International. The boys settled down to some light breakfast fare and casual reading as we awaited boarding, looking especially dapper in their new travel suits.
The American Airlines 757 soared into the early morning sky and banked left towards the west - we were now well underway and heading for the pacific coast. The flight passed without incident (minor turbulence over the midwestern states aside) and we touched down into San Francisco International 30-minutes ahead of schedule. Bags were collected and within fifteen minutes we were aboard bus number two and heading towards Santa Clara.
Throughout all of this travel our very own tourist (aka Coach Phil Jones) and myself had been working behind the scenes to figure out two things: (1) How would we get a new coaching board to the hotel, and (2) When was the best time to "inform" our nervous-flyer-hence-cranky head coach that the coaching board had been left on the bus outside Logan Airport..... After a half-dozen phone calls and a credit-card transaction over the phone while the aircraft taxied across the SFO tarmac it was decided to "wait until we're at the hotel." Overnight shipping was confirmed and we now at least had a plan in place..... His reaction when told...... laughter...... what?? All that stress and he laughed? What's going on?
A few hours after a hearty pasta-dinner at a local Italian restaurant we trained on the field-turf at Santa Clara. The training session was light, and punctuated by the tourist injuring his shoulder while jogging (he apparently "turned the corner too fast")!!!!???? Other notable moments included some stellar ball control by Culpey as he assisted with goalkeeper training and the very-much-unwanted distraction of the boisterous Santa Clara men's swim/water polo team standing poolside at the outdoor facility next to our practice area....
Day Two tomorrow - let's hope the boys are as ready for this game as they have been for games 1 through 5.

Rams Slaughtered

For the past fifteen years or so the annual match-up between our boys and the University of Rhode Island has been the marquee game in Rhode Island soccer calendar. Always a hard-fought and tightly contested affair, the game has significance not only in local bragging rights, but also an impact on the NCAA tournament aspirations of both teams.
The approach to this match was slightly unusual. For example, (Ray) Pat-Laughlin (Houghton) was on the staff at URI for a number of years during his nomadic travels around the New England soccer scene. Not only was Coach Laughlin's insight into URI soccer especially useful, but the fact that he was able to use his inside knowledge to get the bus within a few feet of the locker room also helped....
The field at URI was in fine shape - well when you consider that turf-management is an academic program of study on this campus surrounded by sod farms, then it really ought to be good!! As the players warmed up they had energy and focus, and they returned to the locker room for the pre-game chat looking ready to play. Ray Houghton was up first as he rallied the boys for the 90 minutes ahead. Then is was over to the boss; "it will be a one-goal game - guaranteed!" he bellowed. "It will probably go to overtime," he said with a look of intensity and fervour..... prophetic words from Coach Noonan??
The boys took about three-minutes to slice through the Rams defence for the first time. Surely they wouldn't provide gaps as wide as Narragnansett Bay in their back-four all afternoon, would they? Within minutes T-Mac cut in from the left and danced past three defenders as if they were standing still - his skill dazzled the crowd..... and Sean and Austin, who clearly didn't think he was going to put the ball on a plate for them inside the six yard box, so instead hung out about twenty yards away and applauded the effort!
The ease with which Brown players passed around and through this URI team was incredible. A continued assault on the home goal eventually led to a Brown corner. Walls swung the ball to the back post and up popped freshman left-back Dylan Remick to head the Bears into the lead. 1-0 Brown.....
Shell-shocked URI defenders were still settling down from the first goal when Sean Rosa slid a ball into the path of Evan Coleman at the top of the box and he duly dispatched a low drive into the bottom of the URI net. 2-0.
At this point the home team woke up a little and tried to exert a little physicality into the contest. A few rash challenges went in and it was clear to see that these sheep were rattled. As the game settled down some of the approach play by Brown made the neutral observer realize just why we call it the beautiful game....
The culmination of yet another great passage of play led to Brown's third goal. Okafor dispatched a text-book finish across the URI 'keeper into the far corner of the goal - with his LEFT foot!!! Just at that moment three little pigs flew across the URI campus. 3-0 Bears with ten minutes to go in the first half.
What do you say to a team that has a 3-0 half-time lead in their local derby? Well Coach Noonan found the right words to keep the boys motivated and the second half proceeded in much the same way as the first. Mandel and Rosa worked tirelessly to pressure the home sides' defence and the Elenz-Martin/Medairos combination controlled the middle of the park. Perhaps the best example of the spirit and ethic of the team was a forty yard run made by Mikey Manella - to pressure the URI left-back just ten yards from his own corner flag.
After the URI goalkeeper skewed a goal-kick out of play I turned to our in-house URI spy (Ray Houghton) and said, "Is that normal for him?" "Never," said Ray. Five minutes later the same player smashed a shanked goal-kick into the stomach of Austin, who gleefully ran twenty yards and drove the ball into the back of the URI goal. 4-0 Bears and 30 minutes to play.....
In an eerily similar turn of events to goals 1 and 2, URI conceded again within minutes. Mandel half-volleyed from 15 yards out to give the home 'keeper no chance.
Schlenker, Gavey, and Robertson all entered the fray for Brown and looked assured and comfortable. At no time in the second period did it look like a Brown back-four of McDuff, Walls, Remick and Coleman would be breached. Walls and Remick attacked on the flanks while Coleman and McDuff combined to win everything that needed to be won in the middle.
As a spectacle the game was over with twenty minutes left and quite a large portion of the crowd made their way out of the complex (most were wearing powder blue).
A quick glance at the scoreboard said all you needed to know about this performance. 5-0 in goals, 15-0 in shots on goal.

Next up for the boys is the west-coast trip with games at Santa Clara (Friday, 9/25 at 7pm) and San Francisco (Sunday, 9/27 at 2pm). FOR ALL OF YOU ALUMS AND FANS ON THE WEST COAST WE'D TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SAY HI.....

A Visit to the Bulldogs....

Brown 1-0 Bryant

Squeak - Thump - Squeak - Thump - Thump - Squeak....... "It's not the best type of bus to try to write things y'know" stated our bus driver as Coach Noonan desperately tried to steady his pen and prepare his pre-game notes. The converted school bus was clearly there to serve one simple purpose - to get us from Point A (the OMAC parking lot) to Point B (Bulldog stadium at Bryant University). It did that without any problem. Beyond that, one might determine that this had been a somewhat adventurous 23-minute jaunt across our small state (yes, we counted the minutes - for entertainment...). Laptops were kept in the safely-padded confines of backpacks, food was left in the sealed containers, and all other items that couldn't be stuffed under seats were happily bouncing around in the overhead racks....

The boys took to the field at Bryant for the pre-game walk-around and immediately noticed something quite unusual.... if Nick Elenz-Martin played on the wing he was suddenly 5'7"! Similarly, playing Austin Mandel at centre-forward made him a towering six-footer! The field, a multi-use (American)football / soccer / lacrosse combination surface was crowned like no other. The nice thing was that this group of players took it in their stride and simply had a laugh about it....

The pre-game team-talk took place in seats 22 through 52 at the back of our custom cruiser. The team had the information needed and now just had to go out and produce an energetic and disciplined performance against a very physical and fit Bryant squad. In 2008 this first-year DI team had given our squad a good scare and that was never far from the minds of the returning staff...
As soon as the match kicked off it was abundantly clear that this was never going to be a contest that would entertain the football purist. Tackles flew in, the speed of play was intense and the back-four and goalkeeper spent plenty of time dealing with the home sides' aerial assault. True to form, the defence never looked in any danger and the most that Grandstrand had to do in the Brown goal was routine.
At the other end of the field the speed of play and movement by our boys was beginning to cause unrest in the home defence. Sean Rosa and Austin both felt the full force of some strong tackling but managed to remain effective. Chances started to open up, with Evan Coleman being inches away from connecting with a corner and Tommy McNamara forcing the home 'keeper into a decent save.
The introduction of Jon Okafor after about thirty minutes added a new dimension to the Bears attack. And it wasn't long before "Oki" had an impact on the game as he raced clear of a static defence and slotted the ball to the right of the Bryant 'keeper....... ggggooooaa...... SMACK - it hit the post! In the ensuing mayhem the boys in black reacted fastest and up popped Tommy McNamara to slot the ball into a gaping Bryant net. 1-0 to the Bears and it was no more than we deserved.
The second half kicked off with Coach Noonan's advice ringing in the ears of the players. "Score the next goal" he insisted.... We did everything but score the next goal in a decidedly one-sided second half. Nicky broke clear and in an act of unbelievable charity elected to pass when he could have walked the ball into the back of the net. Flashbacks to Santa Clara circa 2007 perhaps???? Tommy Mac went on a mazy dribble through the home defence moments later and finally laid the ball into the path of Tayls who somehow managed to put his shot into the midrif of a goalkeeper who was protecting a miniscule portion of the home goal.
The boys were comfortable in defence and never really looked troubled. But that elusive second goal never materialized. The closest perhaps was a speculative 35-yard effort from Rob Medairos who rattled the crossbar.....
Some days you have to slog out a victory and this was a perfect example. Nobody came away from Bryant talking about a "great game" but all who witnessed and participated understood the endeavour and energy that it took to get a result against stubborn and hard-working opponents.
Next up is the big in-state showdown vs. the Rhody Rams....