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....

SM Who? Bears 1-0 SMU

Twas a brutal New England Fall evening as Mother Nature intervened into the Adidas Classic with a vengeance.... Yale and Adelphi battled deep into the second half in the pouring rain, and then the flash of white light in the sky changed everything. Matt Culp said "enough!" and off we all scampered into the OMAC for shelter from a thunder cell. What would we do without Culpy....?? He'd had the automated warning texted to his phone. "Is he the only staffer at Brown who can receive texts?"
The rain continued to fall and the flashes in the sky came and went. Eventually the Yale-Adelphi game was officially ended without further action, and the Brown-SMU match was scheduled for a delayed 8:45pm start. As the boys mingled around the OMAC it was clear that all they wanted to do was play......good news!
With rain gear aplenty and Stevenson field defying the elements both teams took to the field. From the first whistle it was obvious who had the desire, determination and will to succeed. The boys in black (we were officially the "away" team) imposed themselves on a group of Texas-based youngsters who clearly would have preferred a quiet night in with the Wii.
SMU showed some early signs of their undoubted ability as they attempted to build from the back - but Grandstrand in the Bears goal was only slightly tested. As the half wore on the indications started to appear that here was a team ripe for the taking. Slick (no pun intended) passing by the Bears led to creation of gaps in the SMU defence and chances came and went. Then it hapenned - Sean Rosa was released behind the SMU defence and a crude challenge inside the box updended him. Penalty! The referee had no hesitation. Red Card! What? Well then at least a yellow? No?!?!? But surely, the rules are clear - denial of a goal-scoring opportunity by the last defender..... It was as clear-cut as you'll ever see - but apparently only to the brave souls who had come out in the storm and the members of the Brown coaching staff.... Mandell wasn't distracted - he dispatched the spot-kick into the bottom corner and the Bears took a deserved 1-0 lead. The fact that SMU retained 11 players was an injustice of mammouth proportions.....
Youth proceeded to then show it's ugly face, as Brown failed to capitalize on a psychological advantage and put these Texans to the sword in the final minutes of the first half. They were rattled, lost their shape and yet we let them back into the game. Eronious! We entered half-time with the lead intact, yet a mindset of "ok that's enough." No........!!!!
Coach Noonan was happy overall (his young team was beating the fifth-ranked team in the country), yet disturbed that his charges had not capitalized on the uncertainty and insecurity in the spine of the SMU team. He gently explained this at half-time.... ok, maybe he was a little more vociferous than I remember......
The second-half kicked off - at this stage the rain had mostly subsided and the flags behind the goal were no longer whipping in the wind. It appeared that the boys had heeded Coach Noonan's gentle advice at half-time - they harrassed and pressured SMU into submission of possession, and won corners, throw-ins and free-kicks in dangerous areas of the field. Two free-kicks in succession needed intervention from a visiting goalkeeper who looked far from comfortable, and another was aided by millimeters of paint on the inside of the post. Somehow the ball stayed out of the SMU net. The visitors rarely threatened, but when they did key interventions by Walls, Elenz-Martin and the imperious Coleman prevented any serious threat to the Brown goal. But on a night when the collective spirit outshone individual brilliance it would be unfair to dwell too much on individual performances or moments of brilliance. For those who braved the elements, they could not have failed to notice the spirit and verocity of the home bench. The players never let up in their vocal support of their teammates - in miserable conditions a spirit existed of optimism and support for their teammates....
As the game wore on the Brown team demonstrated maturity beyond their years as they managed the minutes to the conclusion of the contest. Can the boys build on this and show this type of effort and maturity every week??? We'll see. The signs are encouraging......

Next up is Adelphi....... more of the same please boys......

Season 2009 Kick-Off

A new dawn brings fresh hope and optimism. As the Brown Bears took to the field in the formative stages of the 2009 season, it was with many familiar faces, yet perhaps just as many new ones. Perhaps the most noticeable changes for 2009 were those patrolling the sidelines..... sure Coach Noonan is still at the helm, but beyond that only assistant coach Gregg Miller and athletic trainer Matt Culp remain. Ryan Levesque has now taken on a role with local rival/friend Bryant University. Nic Rossi, for so long an integral part of the Brown staff, has swapped the east side of Providence for the western shores of the Hudson River as he joins the staff at Steven's Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. Perhaps, most significantly, one of the fixtures of Brown soccer over the past six years, Kenny Murphy, has taken the reigns in his native Connecticut at Conn. College - watch out NESCAC - here comes Murph! Aided by four-year starting defender, Stephen Sawyer, we're sure that Murph will be raising eyebrows in New London in no time.... To all three of our bretheren we wish you the very best and thank you for your tireless work in helping Brown soccer achieve all that it has over the past three to six years....

We welcome aboard two brand-new faces to the coaching staff. Pat "Ray Houghton" Laughlin comes to the Bears from the University of Maine, with stops at 17 junior colleges, 37 state ODP programs and 12 adidas apparel stores along the way. Phil "The Tourist" "C Double C" Jones arrives on our shores from St. Helen's, England. As a born and raised Evertonian, it should be interesting in the office during the Merseyside derby weekends as Jonesy teases Coach Noonan. With Liverpool already having succumbed at home to the mighty Aston Villa in recent weeks, it is left to Everton to secure Coach Noonan's misery for his beloved Reds.

Pre-season began on August 20th - no major injuries coming in except for a metatarsal injury to junior defender Ian Smith. The early sessions were lively and energetic, and it soon became apparent that within the ranks was a renewed attitude and a talented first-year class. The dreaded fitness tests were completed without any major complications and the team showed a willingness to learn and improve as pre-season wore on. A comfortable 5-0 victory over Guelph University (Canada) preceded a hard-fought and well-deserved 1-0 success at Fairfield. The signs were positive - two clean sheets and six goals scored.

One highlight of the pre-season fortnight included an impromptu visit by the esteemed Coach Stevenson and his wife, who captured the attention and imagination of the players with his stories from the history books (that he wrote!) of Brown Soccer of years gone by.

The first game approached and the traditional Noonan pre-season facial scruff became more pronounced - seems like the grey hairs are out-numbering the other colors nowadays....! The sessions increased in intensity, the uniforms came out of the closet, and all the usual pre-season check-lists were complete.... it was time for the first match....

Brown 1-1 Lehigh

It would be overstating things a little to say that Stevenson field was packed to the rafters, but with all things considered, a very healthy crowd was on hand to witness a performance that produced everything that you'd expect from a Brown team...... except a win! Commitment, desire, effort, tactical excellence and solid defending are all hallmarks of Brown soccer and these were on display throughout the 110 minutes of play. Yet after 65 minutes of relentless pressure, a momentary lapse at the back produced a bizarre against-the-run-of-play goal for Lehigh - they could barely belive it themselves. In the preceding hour their own goal had been peppered, while their goalkeeper produced a string of saves to keep Brown at bay. Yet, here they were with a one goal lead and 25 minutes left to hold on......
More of the same followed from Brown. First year players Dylan Remick and Tommy McNamara were prominent, while the Brown front-men did everything but score. Just as all hope seemed to be fading up popped the man, the myth, the legend, Jonny O to scramble the ball across the line for his first goal of the year. We're not sure of the exact part of his anatomy that actually made contact with the ball, but frankly we don't care/don't want to know..... His celebration was, well, ludicrous.....
Despite a further attacking onslaught in the final 20 minutes of extra-time, the Bears could not squeeze past a stubborn Lehigh defence and goalkeeper having a career-day.

Despite the scoreline, a very encouraging start for the boys. Let's hope for many more similar performances to come...