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.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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...... :)
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...... :)
Monday, October 11, 2010
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……
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……
Thursday, October 7, 2010
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......
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….
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……
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……
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
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....
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....
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