Huskies Overwhelmed

The rivalry between Brown and UConn dates back a long, long way. And despite a gap over the past few years, it's a match that stirs strong feelings in the Brown soccer community. 2000 was the last time these two storied programs matched-up, with the huskies prevailing 2-1 in an ill-tempered affair - UConn went on to the national championship that year....

UConn 1-1 Brown. (5-4 Good Guys on PK's)

As expected, a big crowd was on hand as we took to the field in Storrs. Our boys were in confident mood and feeling the inspiration of tons of great messages from alums and supporters who took the time out to write messages from encounters-passed.

This was a strong and talented UConn squad, well rested and ready for the battle ahead. But could they account for the battling qualities of these Brown Bears.....?

The build up to the game took a bizarre twist when the entire complex experienced a power outage, rendering the locker room lights, scoreboard and PA system useless. We put it down to a conspiracy theory.... To UConn's credit they managed to rustle up a portable generator to power a temporary scoreboard, and the game was only delayed by about five minutes.

Within ten minutes of kick-off it wasn't looking too good for the Huskies. Man-of-the-moment Tayls picked up the ball about 25 yards out and unleashed a powerful low drive into the far corner of the goal. 1-0!

80 minutes of soccer still to play against one of the most talented teams in the nation..... no worries.... :)

If ever we needed some inspiration and energy it was forthcoming from the Bleachers in Storrs. A good-size and loud crowd had made the journey in support of our boys, and certainly made their presence felt.... Even some of the GHM security staff from our home games had made the trip....

As the first-half wore on the home team started to impose themselves on the game, while the home coaching staff took the definition of whining to a whole new level. Apparently they have a divine right to refereeing generosity in Storrs...

The second period was a serious test of mental and physical toughness for our boys as attacking play became secondary to survival. On the few occasions that we did get forward we looked dangerous. But it was the home team in the ascendency as our legs started to suffer the effects of the short rest. It's easy to see why the seeded teams have such a huge advantage in the second round of the tournament. The officiating became more and more one-sided as the game wore on - it almost seemed like the man in the middle was looking for an excuse to give the huskies calls.....

With just three minutes remaining in regulation the unthinkable happened.... They won a debatable free-kick on the edge of our box, and after blocking the initial effort the ball popped up in the air and was duly dispatched past a helpless Robot. Poop! 1-1. And we were so close....

Survival and toughness was the name of the game in extra-time, and once again we showed plenty of it... penalties next!

The players were selected for the kicks, and after some heart-wrenching moments Jay buried the winner in the back of the UConn goal and we were victorious.... YES!

This match will live in the memory of those who witnessed it for a very, very long time...

BC Down

Brown 2-1 Boston College (NCAA First Round)

This was a matchup that captured the imagination. The Eagles coming into town for the first time in a few years, with a group of Brown Bears lying in wait, intent on continuing a run of success against this local ACC opponent with a point to prove. Without getting into the "why's and wherefores", it was a 1-0 victory in Chestnut Hill during the 2008 season that had seemingly prompted the end of the relationship. BC had chosen to no longer play us. Two generations on our roster remembered.....

It was clear from the kick-off that our boys were up for it. Immediately on the front-foot, we took the game to the visitors. Just ten minutes into the contest Oki picked up the ball from Tayls and ran at the heart of the visitor's defence. He beat a couple of players before unleasing an unstoppable shot into the right hand side of the goal past the helpless 'keeper. 1-0 Good guys!
The half continued in much the same vein, with our back four seemingly comfortable. But, this is a talented group of players we were facing, and a moment of individual skill saw the match tied just before half-time. Blondie from Canada sent a shot high past Grandstrand from the edge of the box, and duly celebrated by attempting to "shush" the home crowd. Bad idea on College Hill young man.....
Within minutes we were back on top with Austin beating the BC 'keeper from a few yards out following more good work from Tayls and T-Mac. 2-1 Bears. Ssshhhhhh...... You can imagine the fun that was being had in the Stevenson Field bleachers at the expense of the visiting team as both teams departed for the half-time break. Blondie wasn't too popular.....
The second half was a frenetic and, at times, physical affair. Both teams had chances to add goals, but with all due respect to Boston College, the best team won the match. As has been the case all season, our bench was utilized effectively by Coach Laughlin. Smithy came in for a laboring Robbo and produced an outstanding performance.
As the game wore down the visitors became increasingly frustrated. These ACC boys weren't handling the work-rate of our men, nor getting any joy against a well organized and stubborn back-four.
Blondie made it a night to forget for himself as yet another moment of petulance saw him get his marching orders from a referee who had finally lost patience.

Onwards and upwards (well sideways geographically) to Storrs. UConn up next. Another historical rival, another opportunity to write some history....

Eagles Coming to Town....

NCAA Selection Day is an almost-expected tradition on the Brown Men's Soccer calendar. Some people may view post-season play as a bonus on the ned of a surprisingly good year...... We view it as an opportunity to cement this program as a legitimate national contender, year in, year out.....

The irony of a first-round match-up with Boston College is not lost on anyone who has been involved with Brown Soccer over the past decade or so. The newest members of the ACC have been rumored to not really enjoy match-ups with the Brown Bears. So, it is an exciting time for all connected with the program. The local TV station was on-hand to witness the euphoric reaction at Hope Street Pizza on Monday evening, as ESPNU broadcast the draw live to the nation. If we can beat the pesky Eagles then it's another old, local foe in the form of the UConn Huskies that await us in Storrs....... very interesting - a couple of dogs....

How did we get here? Well, despite some bumps in the road, notably at Penn and Dartmouth, we now sit poised to write another chapter into the record books. Here's how we got here.....

Brown 2-0 Holy Cross

Let's face it, the Crusaders weren't exactly coming to College Hill expecting to roll over our Bears. They've had a difficult season, but still presented a different kind of challenge. Could our boys self-motivate against a team sandwiched between two tough Ivy games? Could we avoid being caught napping and thinking of other things? Well, the simple answer is, Yes. Despite an early scare which Big Paul dealt with fairly comfortably, it was one-way traffic into the Holy Cross 18-yard box for much of the opening half. Jonny, Evan, Dyland and Rob all went close in the opening 15 minutes, before we finally got the goal we deserved through Jonny, following good work by Wallsy and Evan. This was the first Coleman-Oki combo since those two "goals" that were called back at Santa Clara and vs. BU in 2009......
As has been the case on many occasions this year, Patdidas Laughlin went to our bench for additional energy during the closing stages of the half, and kept faith as we entered the second period. Dividends were handsomely paid just minutes into the second-half as Mikey produced a bit of magic on the right flank and sent over a teasing cross that Jay "the salmon" Hayward rose majestically to nod home. 2-0, and it was over as a contest. The remainder of the game was a continual onslaught onto the Crusaders goal, while The Wall, Fluffy, Robbo, Dylan, and the Old-Timer had an easy evening at the back. T-Mac produced a few moments of magic, while Bobby-megged Belair tormented the visitors centre-backs. I'm not sure what the stats say about shots on goal, but it seemed like we did everything but score in those final 40 minutes or so.
Holy Cross, gracious in defeat, simply knew they'd been outplayed.....

Penn 1-0 Brown

Frustrated to the extreme. This was a hard loss to take. Just like the Princeton debacle, we started well enough and had the vast majority of the attacking play. Then it happened - they had their first real attack, and one catastrophic mistake later the ball was slotted into the back of our net. We brought it upon ourselves...
We spent the remainder of the ninety-minutes huffing and puffing, but we simply couldn't blow the house down..... Credit to Penn, they defended well. But we simply weren't clinical enough, and games like this are usually settled on a mistake..... and so it proved to be.....

Brown 4-1 Yale

It was time to welcome the Bulldogs back to College Hill for our Senior Night game. The pre-game was outstandingly executed by all concerned with Sean, Smithy, Oki, Paul, and Wallsy all being joined on the pitch by their families. It was with a nice emotional lift that we kicked off this game, and was therefore shocking to go a goal down after nine minutes! We fell asleep at the back as a cross came over and the Yale forward must have thought Christmas had come early as he gleefully nodded home from six-yards out.... 0-1 and the sense of deja-vu from Penn was undeniable. But, teams rarely leave Stevenson field nowadays with much to show for their efforts. Late in the half Jay sent over a long throw (we didn't plan that one!) and the ball fell to Pops for the simplest of finishes. The celebration was less simplistic - but that's Pops! So, it's half-time and we're level - not what we wanted, but better than being a goal down!
The second half was a clinic. Three goals scored, Grandstrand picking his nose with boredom, and wave after wave of attacks on the Yale goal. We scored two quick goals (Evan and Sean) and as the game wore down there was the opportunity to, once again, use the bench to it's fullest. A delightful fourth goal came about with five minutes left as S-Mac played in Sean in the channel. His cross found Smithy who headed back across goal where Kev was on hand to bury a header.
This was a great night at Stevenson, and the seniors all left with smiles and the contentment of a job well done....

Dartmouth 1-0 Brown

Not a good day in New Hampster. We didn't play like a Brown team. We folded. It wasn't fun. Boo.

The Story So Far

With apologies for the large gaps in posts (being actually "on" the staff is actually a little harder than it looks!!), I shall attempt to bring all up-to-speed on events to date.....

Brown 1-0 St. John's.
The rivalry continued between the Red Storm of Jamaica, NY and our Brown Bears. A fantastic advertisement for college soccer, this game had it all. Goal-line clearances, fierce challenges, intensity for 90+ minutes, coaches going crazy on the sidelines (even Biggsy had a yell or two!) and a contingent of fans in the bleachers roaring the Bears to victory! It was actually a trademark Evan Coleman strike just two minutes into the contest that sealed the win for the boys. He latched onto a loose ball at the top of the box and dispatched it into the back of the net before many of the crowd had settled onto their aluminum benches at Stevenson Field. This was, for sure, a very talented St. John's team, but try as they might our defence stood tall when it mattered and Grandstrand finally had a lot of work to do! The last fifteen minutes, as St. John's threw everything at us (including the kitchen sink) was described by our two Texan centre-backs as "just like the Alamo." Hmmmmmmm......

Princeton 3-0 Brown.
Wake-up call time. We were good for ten minutes. Then we stunk for eighty. 'Nuff said. Moving on......

Brown 0-0 Haaaaarrvaaaard
I just don't like these people. I don't know why. Well, I do, somewhat..... We out-played them, out-ran them, out-worked them, out-shot them (26-5) and made them look second-best for 110 minutes. But someone put helium in the match-balls that night. We put more shots into the parking lot and practice field than you can imagine. We did everything but score. Sometimes you don't win because you are up against a well-matched opponent, sometimes because a bad call from a referee goes against you, and sometimes it just isn't your day. This just wasn't our day. We didn't lose! But we should have won. Up next.... Hartwick.

Brown 3-1 Hartwick
In 2008 we lost 1-0 at Hartwick. It was the most miserable experience that I've ever experienced on a soccer field. A frozen field on top of a hill, in upstate New York, in October, with horizontal snow, and a performance to match..... We never like to talk about "revenge" in the coaching ranks, but....... Well our 2010 Brown Bears put in a performance on this night that clearly laid to rest the ghosts of performances-past. Despite conceding a somewhat soft goal when we held a comfortable 2-0 lead, it was difficult to see us ever losing this one. The fact that Wallsy scored two goals (one from a free-kick and another following a howler by the visiting 'keeper) says it all really. Our aging captain took advantage of two situations to lead by example. Sandwiched between those two pieces of brilliance was a trademark Sean Rosa effort following excellent work by Dylan and Austin..... Of course, Wallsy has now spent the last two weeks moaning that he didn't get the man-of-the-match award - ah well, you can't win 'em all!

Brown 2-0 Cornell
And so, back to the business-end of things..... The Big Red (isn't that a cinnamon gum?) visited college hill having secured some very creditable results to-date, and we certainly weren't expecting an easy night. Two giant centre-backs, a lethal long-throw play, and a big, direct team descended upon us, and clearly weren't in the mood to leave us unscathed. Yet, to be fair, we were the superior side more-or-less from start to finish. Tommy-Mac was too much to handle for the visitors on this night, and he followed a simple finish from Tayl's cross with a expertly taken second goal following the annual Robbie assist (we think Rob was trying to kick an opponent, but missed and instead kicked the ball over the top for Tommy to use his blinding pace and beat the entire Cornell defence to the ball. A very good (but cold) night at Stevenson gets our Ivy season back on track. Oh, and Haaaaaarvard lost the next day...... :)

Giving the Lions the (Sky) Blues….

Brown 3-0 Columbia

The Ivy Season kicked off on October 2nd with the visit of the Lions of Columbia University to College Hill. The baby-blue clad visitors are an improved team from the group that we faced in 2009, particularly on the attacking side, so we anticipated a hard-fought battle on our own patch.
It was clear in the days preceding the match that we had a confident group of players who were gearing up for the start of what some call the “Real” season…..
The match began at a frenetic pace and it was clear that Columbia had set out their stall to try to physically impose themselves – something that we’re now expecting rather than surprised by. It was only through the generosity of the man in the middle that one or two of our visitors did not see cards that matched the effervescent colour of the officials on duty. Composure was the order of the day and our boys stayed focused on the job at hand.
Evan and Oki both went close in the opening minutes as we laid siege to the Columbia goal. Their defence was struggling to deal with our speed of play, with T-Mac and Sean both causing problems with their movement. Indeed it was our French-Portuguese-Canadian adoptee that played a telling ball into the path of the onrushing Oki who, in true Jonny-style, made his way past two defenders, around the goalkeeper and “blasted” a shot that almost broke the back of the net (OK, let’s be honest here, we were unsure if the ball had actually made it until we saw him celebrate!). 1-0 Good Guys.
To be fair to our visitors, we spent a good deal of time after the first goal defending. They put us under a good deal of pressure, but as seems to be the theme, our back-four dealt with most of what was thrown at them. On the occasions that we were breached, Grandstrand did his job well….
The introduction of the Giants, Mandel and Popolizio, after a half-hour gave us a much-needed boost, and it was their skill and endaevour that led to the second goal that would break the visitors’ spirit. Austin sprinted onto a ball played into the right channel and crossed for the onrushing Pops, who dispatched a trademark (ie. contorting his body and throwing himself at a strange angle) header into the back of the net. 2-0 Bears, with half-time approaching – always a great time to score….
The second-half was a slightly more one-sided affair than the first, with Grandstrand rarely called into action. It certainly seemed more likely that we would extend our lead, rather than seeing the visitors from Manhattan get back into the game. T-Mac, Tayls, Legend, and Oki all went close. With about tweleve minutes remaining, Oki picked up the ball on the right side of the box and, with an exchange of passes thrown in for good measure, somehow found himself on the left side of the box, where he played a ball into the path of Austin. The wee man made no mistake from eight yards out. 3-0. Game Over.
The last ten minutes was an opportunity for some of our younger and fringe players to get a taste of Ivy League play. Pleasingly, our momentum continued and we could have scored another…..
Great start to the league season…… Onwards……

Biggs Gets His Ben & Jerrys

Vermont 0-3 Brown

The University of Vermont is a nice place. Cold, wet, and windy, but nice. As we departed College Hill on Friday we prepared ourselves for the long treck through northern New England and an afternoon training session on the UVM campus..... We checked into the hotel on time and headed over to campus for a light training session before taking on the Catamounts the next day in a lunchtime showdown. We were well prepared to take on the home team but certainly not expecting an easy ride.... This is a team that had already won three games, including a significant victory over Stanford in an early season tournament.
Saturday was a much better weather day than Friday with the sun poking through the clouds and just a light breeze blowing in place of the blustery conditions that had greeted us the day before... The match kicked off and we immediately knew that we were going to have to stand-strong to cope with a team that was high in confidence and fully prepared to try to physically overpower us. Superior soccer was the order of the day for our boys and despite the home teams' attempts to unsettle us, we carved out the better openings of the half. Grandstrand was relatively untested...... Once again, it was that man Pops who came up with the first goal of the game as he exchanged passes with Tayls at the top of the box and chipped the home 'keeper from a tight angle. It was a truly excellent goal, better than anything Tevez has ever produced....
Scoring just before half-time is always a boost, and the boys entered the break in good spirits and ready to push on in the second-half. There were very few nervous moments in the second half to be fair, and the only real concern on the sidelines was ensuring that we stayed injury-free and didn't make a catastrophic mistake. The home team changed their shape in an attempt to assert more pressure, but our boys were alert to the shenanigans and coped comfortably. The game was put beyond doubt ten minutes from the end by Sean Rosa with a goal of the simplest nature. Grandstrand launched a kick deep into the UVM half of the field, Coleman flicked on with his head, and Sean just ran through and had the simplest of tasks to put the ball low into the corner. It was a complete contrast to the outstanding passing movement and finish of the first goal, but we didn't care.....
Late on, as UVM pushed forward more, Oki got in on the fun and was on the end of another long ball forward to score our third of the day. His initial shot was hit with such ferocity that the UVM 'keeper fell asleep while waiting for the ball to reach him and consequently Jon was able to follow-up and score the rebound while the custodian snoozed.......
Two road wins in a row now and two consecutive clean-sheets. League play is on the horizon. Columbia are coming to town......

Terriers Lost Their Bite....

Boston University 0-2 Brown

The euphoria that followed the Friday night win over Indiana was also tempered with the simple fact that we had to regroup and re-energize less than 48 hours later to face Boston University at Nickerson Field.
BU is a tricky opponent, a team with pace and power and playing on the “lovely” field-turf in Boston. The boys seemed well-prepared, and we knew that our squad depth would be tested to it’s limits as we took to the field. The home side were certainly ready-to-play, and were intent on rebounding from a bad loss at arch rival Boston College just a few days earlier.
Almost from the outset we got the sense that the pace of the game was going to be an issue for us. Lethargic would be an apt description for the first half-hour of play…. We survived a couple of scares with ball hitting our crossbar and another long-distance effort missing by inches with Grandstrand unsighted. It was to the bench that Laughlin went, and the introduction of four sets of fresh legs after a half-hour seemed to give the team the lift we needed.
Shortly before half-time the ball found its way to TJ Pops just inside the BU box and he swiveled to hit an unstoppable half-volley into the corner of the net. On the balance of play you could say it was less than we deserved at that stage of the game, BUT, you still have to finish your chances….. and Pops did….
As the second-half got underway Laughlin kept faith with the players who had ended the half so well, and it proved to be a masterstroke. Ten minutes into the second period Bobby “megged often” Belair made a late run into the box and planted a header beyond the reach of the Terriers keeper after a quality service by Jay from deep on the left wing.
At this point our energy levels seemed to increase further and the home side never really threatened with any real great chances. Once again, the defence stood firm, the midfield scrapped and battled, and our forwards continued to work their opponents hard, giving them no time on the ball.
Another shut-out for Grandstrand, another excellent performance in difficult circumstances, and not a bad way to end a weekend! Onwards to Vermont….

WHOosiers Defeated

Brown 2-1 Indiana

The marquee matchup of the season so far saw the visit of the infamous Indiana Hoosiers to Stevenson field. Having done our homework on this squad, we knew it was going to take a mighty effort on our part to secure a good result.
The match kicked-off in the cool autumn night with an unusually low crowd on College Hill. Although, as is always the case, the Brown student population began gathering just minutes into the match, and formed a raucous and supportive noise to cheer the boys along.
It was an end-to-end affair throughout the opening skirmishes of this contest, with both teams having a share of the ball and testing the defences. Both stood strong until the 15th minute, when a speculative effort from 25 yards was uncharacteristically fumbled by the previously robotically-efficient Grandstrand, and the Hoosiers #10 gleefully knocked the rebound goalwards. Despite a magnificent effort by Evan to clear the ball off the line, the linesman had already made his mind up and given the goal. 1-0 Hoosiers, and our first goal conceded on the season. Was it over the line? More irony to follow……
The first time a team concedes a goal can tell you much about the character and mental capabilities of that group. Do they go into a shell? Do they concede another goal quickly afterwards? Or do they respond with a determination to set the record straight and recover from the blip? Well, you can guess how these Bears responded….
Indiana were buoyed by the goal and played some decent stuff over the next 10-15 minutes, but our defence stood resolute, and slowly we started to exert pressure of our own. Gaps began to appear and the visiting ‘keeper made two excellent saves. Just before half-time it seemed that we’d leveled the match as Jay squeezed the ball over the line at the back post. However, the linesman had failed to see the ball clearly cross the line and Indiana hacked it clear. A 1-0 halftime deficit was a harsh reflection on 45 minutes that had seen these feisty Bears more than match their esteemed opponents…
The half-time talk wasn’t time for panic or screaming and yelling. Calm words from Coach Laughlin kept the boys on an even keel, and just a few minutes into the second half our pressure paid off as T-Mac buried a shot into the Indiana goal… The second half developed into a pulsating contest as both teams went for the game winner. Our boys enjoyed the lions share of possession for a 20 minute spell without getting that elusive goal….
Just as it seemed that the match was headed into extra time up popped our resident Canadian to grab the winner. As Sean bore down on goal he evaded the onrushing ‘keeper and squeezed a shot towards goal from an acute angle. Cue delirium….
As much as these Hoosiers huffed and puffed, Robertson, McDuff and the rest of our defensive unit stood strong and resolute. The final whistle blew and it was all over. The seven-time national champions departed college hill knowing that they had simply been beaten by the better team……

Blah....

BROWN 0-0 HOFSTRA

The euphoria of the Friday night win over South Carolina was soon put to rest on Saturday morning as the team prepared to face Hofstra in the second match of the Brown Classic. Training was light but lively and the team was ideally prepared for an entirely different opponent on Sunday afternoon in the penultimate game of the showpiece...
Energy levels were surprisingly high as the match kicked off and the game was played at a frantic pace. Our boys pressed and harried the visitors who were intent on launching the ball into or behind our back-line at every available opportunity. It appeared that Hofstra's direct and disorganized style of play had a little bit of an unsettling effect on our boys, who failed to really ever get into a settled way of playing, despite dominating the early stages of the match while forcing a few corners and a couple of solid saves from the visiting 'keeper. The game was hardly a great spectacle, but entertainment isn't entirely the reason why we play games.... a win was paramount in the mind.
In the end it was our own wasteful finishing that cost us the match as two glaring misses in the second half defined our day. Hofstra probably felt relieved to come out with a draw. We however, just felt.... well.... blah....

Four games in and we've yet to concede a goal and remain undefeated - yet reflecting on those four games it could so easily be 4-0 rather than 2-0-2....

Catchy Title Options Too Numerous....

BROWN 1-0 SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

As always, the showpiece event in the college soccer calendar in Rhode Island is the annual Brown Classic. This year was no exception as the perennial powerhouse University of South Carolina from the SEC visited our lovely little state. The atmosphere inside Stevenson was electric with a packed house witnessing a hard-fought and exciting match of college soccer.... The matinee for this match had been an uninspiring battle between Hofstra and Yale, so entertainment was needed!
We expected a physical battle and certainly got one from the Gamecocks. Tackles were tasty, and these southern visitors certainly felt compelled to make sure that our boys felt the full force of their "style" of play...
The first-half was a tight affair with neither side really taking control of the game. A few chances came and went for both teams, but both defences and goalkeepers stood firm. It would be fair to say that a couple of the visiting Gamecocks were fortunate not to be more harshly punished for indiscretions that led to both Sean and T-Mac getting some nasty blows in the face.
But, it was the second-half that really stood out in this outstanding match. After about ten minutes Laughlin released the well-rested attacking cavalry for the Bears, and it was a siege on the visitors goal for about twenty minutes. Oki was at his best, running at will into the spaces behind the home defence, while Austin and Sean's movement caused havoc. With support from a dynamic midfield performance by Evan and Rob it seemed a matter of time before these Gamecocks were put to the sword. Two wonder saves from their 'keeper kept the scores even, and on a rare excursion into home territory Grandstrand was equal to the task to dive full length to deflect away a powerful shot from 25 yards....
Inevitably it was another powerful run from Okafor that set up the winning goal with just eight minutes left in the match. His teasing cross to the back post was supremely guided on the volley by TMac across goal and there was Sean to gleefully head home from four yards out. Cue pandemonium on the sideline as Gimpy Sam was mobbed by his teammates in celebration. As the visitors pressed for an equalizer, counter-attack opportunities became more prevalent and it was from one of these that Oki was crudely chopped from behind when clean through on goal. EVERY person on the field stopped to prepare for the free-kick and inevitable red-card, everyone except the referee that is, who had apparently not seen the incident..... bizarre! Despite some busy moments for the home defence in the closing stages, the Gamecocks couldn't muster a worthwhile effort on goal and were left dejected and defeated. As Laughlin said in the moments after the game "that's what Brown Men's Soccer is all about."

Friars Win World Cup

Or so you'd think.......
The opening weekend of the season was time for the inaugural Ocean State Cup - the brainchild of the four Division 1 soccer programs here in the smallest state in the Union. The elimination-format tournament took place at the home site of two of the participants, with the 3rd/4th place game and championship match being hosted by none other than the Bears of Brown University at Stevenson field. In the opening "semi-finals" URI traveled to Providence College, while we had the short trek up Route 146 to take on the Bulldogs of Bryant University.
BRYANT 0-4 BROWN
Hurricane Earl had muted down into more of a series of scattered heavy showers and wind gusts by the time it had traveled this far north. Yet despite the mellowing, the weather proved to be a far from ideal atmosphere in which to play the first showpiece match of the year. Coming off the back of an encouraging win at UNH in pre-season, the boys were ready and prepared for the challenge presented by a direct and physical opponent in Smithfield.
A fairly even first twenty minutes started to become somewhat one-sided as our boys took hold of the game. Spaces in the home defence began to appear, and a number of half-chances came and went before Oki got on the end of a fine passing move on the left flank and he was left with simplest of jobs to slot the ball home over a flailing home 'keeper from 12 yards out. 1-0 Bears and you could already sense that more was to come....
The second half started almost perfectly for Brown as the returning-from-injury T-Mac bamboozled the home right back, got to the by-line and sent a teasing ball across goal that Sean Rosa made no mistake with. 2-0 after 48 minutes...
A couple of testing shots were fired in at Grandstrand from distance who managed to hold onto a slippery ball that was fired in at pace. But, truth be told, he was never truly tested and was a virtual spectator for much of the match as a solid back-four of Wallsy, Robbo, Fluffy and Dylan (gotta come up with a nickname for the road-runner!) kept a physical yet pedestrian home attack at bay.
As the home side became more frustrated the tackling became reflective of their mood, and it was no surprise when the centre-back got his marching orders for a second rash challenge. What was surprising was that the tackle was the result of Wallsy (yes Wallsy) beating him for pace down the line!
A short while later our peroxide-haired left midfielder from Maine made the result secure with two goals of his own - a well placed free kick from 25 yards out and a tap in from about 25 inches out....
As the game wore down it was an opportunity to blood some of the young promising talent in the squad, and virtually every player on duty made debut minutes in a Brown uniform. Definitely a nice way to kick off the 2010 season!

BROWN 0-0 PC
If the weather had been uncooperative on Friday, Labor Day 2010 was the antidote.... glorious sunshine bathed Stevenson Field as the boys, resplendent in their shiny new white kit, took to the pitch to take on the Friars of Providence College. It has been a long time (five years) since this in-state rivalry had taken place during the regular season. Bragging rights in regular-season 2006 had gone to the Friars, while our boys had been victorious in the last few Spring season meetings... So here we were again, with some silverware at stake this time....
It was a flat atmosphere on college hill as the match kicked-off and the play from both teams certainly reflected that in the opening stages. While our boys were certainly not playing at their maximum potential, there was little threat on either goal in the first 45 minutes. Some choice words from Pat Adidas Laughlin during the interval re-focussed and energized the home team, and PC were on the back-foot for much of the second half. Yet clear-cut chances were still at a premium and neither goalkeeper had very much to do. Inevitably the match entered extra-time and by this stage it appeared that the visitors from Admiral Street were content to see the game out. At one stage there was an APB put out for the PC goalkeeper as he went to retrieve a game ball to take a goal kick....
In the closing minutes we scored a perfectly good goal to win the game, yet the referee spotted a "handball" by Fluffy as he rose to head the ball into the danger area. Apparently Fluffy is now wearing large white goalkeeper gloves in games (maybe he thinks they look cute with the turquoise and pink cleats??). Frustration, yet hardly surprising given the performance of the man-in-the-middle.....
And so, the game ended in a draw. Due to the nature of the competition it had been decided that an actual champion had to be declared and so the lottery of the penalty shootout ensued. I was fearful in the extreme when the hand of our only English player went up to volunteer for a spot kick...... incredulous when our goalkeeper did the same! In true English style Wallsy had his penalty saved and up-stepped former Bruno United player Wilder Arboleda to sink the decisive penalty for the visitors (where's the loyalty, how dare a Bruno player score at Stevenson Field!!!). Mad celebrations ensued for the Friars - we were left wondering exactly what all the fuss was about....
Two games..... zero goals against...... four goals scored...... no major injuries from the games..... Not a bad way to start.....

The Big Kick-Off

Yes, it's that time again.... the new season is upon us and the men of Brown Men's Soccer are underway, looking to build upon the improvements shown during the 2009 season as they once again tackle some of the nation's very best collegiate teams on college hill.

The roster remains with a very familiar look from the one that ended the previous campaign, with more than 20 players returning. We have said goodbye to some great players, but also welcomed a talented young group of freshmen who will be looking to prove themselves capable of stepping onto the hallowed grass of Stevenson Field....

Pre-Season

A relatively healthy group reported back for the start of double-sessions and from the outset the energy and enthusiasm was high. Coach Laughlin wasted no time in imprinting his expectations for the group and they responded accordingly. Fitness levels were excellent, and the attitude was positive. The entire squad traveled up to UNH on August 28th and a creditable 1-0 victory was earned against a UNH team that was playing its third pre-season match. Sean Rosa scored the decisive goal midway through the first half, latching on to a loose ball in the box after a trademark Manella long-throw.

As double-sessions ended and the team geared up for the first "real" match of the season one could sense confidence and optimism from within....

A New Era......

Most of you reading this will, no doubt, be aware of the news that Coach Mike Noonan, leader of the Brown Men's Soccer team for the past fourteen seasons, has recently departed for Clemson, South Carolina.

Starting with the 1995 season, Mike brought immediate success with his winning mentality, knowledge of the game, and unmatched work ethic and attention to detail. The title of Coach Rick Pitino's autobiography "Success Is A Choice" comes to mind when you assess Coach Noonan's work habits as head coach of the Bears, as he put in hours and hours of his personal energy to ensure that Brown Soccer sustained a history of excellence during his tenure. Noonan established himself as one of the nation's brightest soccer minds in his fifteen years on college hill, and we are sure that Clemson will benefit from his presence on campus.

As has been emphasized throughout the process of hiring of his replacement, Brown Soccer is a sustainable entity that will move on, whomever is at the helm of the program. With that, we welcome another outstanding soccer mind to Providence in the form of Pat Laughlin, a man familiar to many of us, as he takes the reigns from "within," having been an assistant coach with the team in the recent outstanding 2009 season.

Coach Laughlin has already started the process of sustaining the tradition of excellence for Brown Men's Soccer. The players are engaged and lively, and the 2010 recruiting class have all re-affirmed their commitment to the university and the program. The Spring season begins shortly with visits from Boston College (April 16th) and Providence College (April 14th) just around the corner.

Before coming to Brown, Laughlin served as head coach at his alma-mata, the University of Maine, where he turned around a perennially losing program in quite remarkable fashion during 2007 and 2008. Prior to his tenure at Maine, Laughlin was an integral member of staff on the 2006 Atlantic-10 championship-winning Rhode Island Rams squad. For a more detailed biography on our new coach visit www.brownbears.com.

April 24th is Spring weekend at Brown. Crammed in to the festivities of that weekend will be penultimate soccer-event of our Spring season, the annual alumni game. Recently-graduated players (who are still in shape hopefully!) will put the current squad to the test in a highly contested contest at the Berylson Family Field complex. Revenge is on the minds of the current squad, who suffered a 2-1 reverse in April 2009!

For those alums who are visiting campus on that weekend and are confident/healthy enough to participate, we look forward to a great game. To ensure that we have knowledge of your attendance please contact me at gregg_miller@brown.edu.

I am sure that you will join me in passing along your gratitude for the 15 years of hard work and outstanding success that Brown Men's Soccer enjoyed under the guidance of Mike Noonan. Just as significantly, we welcome Coach Laughlin to college hill and look forward to further years of prosperity and success.