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!