NCAA Round 1

Floating on the emotional high of being named Ivy League Champs the boys' began another week with the potential of it being the last of the season.  As a team, we gathered in the Pizz for the NCAA's announcement of the 2011 tournament bracket.  The video stream loaded and the silence was sickening.  Although we had confidence in the committee, there was a significant chance that we may not get a bid.  Finally the announcers finished their babbling and were ready to unveil the bracket.  Unlike previous years, the bracket appeared in full all at once, but the catch was the print was very small. Coach was the first person to the screen panning the bracket as it flashed in front of our eyes.  Fairfield at Brown!  A roar of cheers cascaded through the halls of the Pizz.  Another goal to cross off the boys' preseason checklist as complete.
Preparation for the 1st round match began that night with practice under the lights at 7 PM.  The boys' were still flying from all of the recent news.  Taking that into consideration, practice went well.  Finishing up with a full-field scrimmage where the meat of our CB's greeted the sweet feet of our frontline with hostility, so much that the idea of "extra time" was out of the question.  Our back line in combination with Big Ben Maurey up top creates a team with a whole lotta meat as we like to put it.  It's a gamble depending on the day as to whether the small and skillful can prevail over the large and athletic.  Typically, it's the dimensions of the pitch that determines the outcome, our smaller players enjoy a short and tight game much more than their larger counterparts.  
The day of the day was upon us.  The conditions, cold and rainy, were less than ideal.  However, those were just the type of conditions that Bruno strives in.  Mental fitness is one of the many invaluable characteristics of the BMS identity. ( You know what I mean if you already saw the result.)
From the kick-off til' the first half's whistle the Bears were all over the Stags.  A first half effort by Evan the "Legend" Coleman and E-Rob was pulled out of the net by a late offsides flag. It seemed all but inevitable that the Bears would put numbers on the board in the first half.  Opportunities rained in for Bruno but none could find the net.  Then on their first shot of the game a lanky attacking midfielder found a ball that bounced perfectly to him in stride and struck it into the upper left corner of the goal.  Stags 1 Bruno 0.  Just minutes later Fairfield found their second goal; nothing short of miraculous for a team seemingly being pummeled throughout the first half.  The bears entered the locker room facing a two goal deficit but not one of the players gave way to the thoughts of impending doom.  After an inspirational halftime speech the boys' took Stevenson once again for what could be the final 45 minutes of the season.  
As the clock counted down from 15 minutes remaining the boys' stayed focused.  They pushed forward.  Rosa finds a goal from the top of the box, 2-1. We were closer but not close enough.  Less than a minute later Rosa takes another shot, rebound, goal for Mandel!  At this point we could feel it, we were back in the game with the momentum at our backs.  We drew a corner with 5 minutes remaining.  The ball bounced around the box out to Leonard who dropped the hammer and struck a volley into the bottom corner. Brown 3 Fairfield 2.  A much deserved win for Bruno.  Three goals in 6 minutes, a fantastic come back victory.  Touched with the magic of Stevenson Field we move on for a rematch at St. John's.

The Ivy Title At Stake

Immediately after our victory at Yale we heard the news that Dartmouth had beaten Cornell.  The result set up a historic showdown at Stevenson Field.  Starting in the year of 2000, five different teams have won multiple league titles.  Brown and Dartmouth each have four since then, either sole or co.  Being new to staff, all of these facts are impressive to me.  The excitement which was building up day by day before the game was a cross between being free-falling and pure ecstasy.  The trick was to keep everyone as calm as possible until just before kick-off.  Once the whistle blows, it's out of everyone's hands and then it's time to just let the boys' play.  

It was practice as usual, keeping our weekly routine to a T.  The training sessions leading up to this match were some of the most intense and competitive sessions we had all year.  The boys' were fired up, and rightfully so, they should be.  The 2012 class had yet to win an Ivy League Title.  

It had seemed like a long season to this point, but once the team heard it was down to one game, the growing pains melted away.  The feeling that the Seniors had is something that I admittedly could not explain.  Being at Brown and a part of this team has been a fantastic experience for the past three months, but beginning to wrap my mind around their experience through four years would be impossible.  I of course had my own college experience much like others' that I'm sure you've heard, which lack comparative value to that of a member of Brown Men's Soccer.  

After a short but hard training the day before the day, the Seniors, who have compiled 46 of the team's 62 points this season, stepped in front of the squad.  One by one, each soon to be alum, vocalized their thoughts of wisdom for the next group to use in their quest as a BMS player and student.  The theme was  "enjoy it". Enjoy every aspect of it.  Don't be distracted by what could be, focus on what is.  Stay in the moment, and take advantage of the opportunity you have been given.  As we all listened, the sincerity in the voices of these eight young men was apparent.  They each had something to say, equally important to themselves and the group.  It was the type of moment that seems to never end and yet it is over in a matter of minutes.

Finally, it was the day of the day.  The seats at Stevenson were beginning to fill.  Students had grouped together in the small parking lot next to the field preparing to cheer on Bruno.  It was Senior and Alumni day adding to the intensity of the match.  Thoughts of this being the last game of their career rattled the Senior’s brains’, not to mention the Ivy Title at stake.  We started out the match nervous, playing conservatively weary that Dartmouth may get Lucky.  Once the first ten minutes had passed we were in a groove and the nerves seem to dissipate for the time being.  Finally, the boys’ just began to play instead of worry.  Dartmouth put up a good fight as expected.  They looked for Lucky every chance they had, one timing balls over our back line in hopes that he could run on to them.  Our defense shut the “one man show” down.  The few opportunities he had he squandered either wide of the goal or at SKS. 

Everyone was focused and we were going for the win, not the tie.  Some of our frustrations offensively could be accredited to Dartmouth’s defense.  We did have three glaring chances to score, unfortunately in those moments we could not finish. Rosa was in behind the back line, had the keeper beat, but a defender was able track back just in time to cover the net, making it difficult for him to find the open goal.  We also had several opportunities from corners and set pieces, which narrowly missed the frame or were gathered by Cohen. 

Early in the first OT, Lucky had a header off the post but the referee held his flag up for offside.  Other than a few shots from distance and acute angles, which were saved by SKS, Dartmouth did not have many opportunities to score goals. 

The game was by far the most intense 110 minutes of the season.  The 2200 at Stevenson were one with the game, hoping to see Bruno send the Big Green home and take the Ivy rings.  However, after two overtimes the game ended scoreless.  It was an eerie feeling as the crowd didn’t know what to think, neither did the players.  The waiting game began.  Columbia was at Cornell for a 7 PM kick off with plenty of Ivy scenarios possible. 

That game ended in a tie making Brown Ivy League Champions! 

It’s a fantastic feeling! 

We celebrated for the night then had our eyes set on a possible NCAA tournament birth.  Brown standing tall from the Ivy League!

A huge thank you for all of you who supported us this season and at the final game.  Thank you to the alumni who attended the get together post-game. 

Fairfield @ Brown this Thursday, kick-off on Stevenson at 7 PM.

Go Bruno.

Graven Title Hopes In New Haven

Bruno was on the road for it’s final regular season bout against yet another formidable Ivy League opponent: Yale.  Coming off of a win at home against Penn in the first snowstorm of the year; Brown was feeling confident traveling a few short hours to CT for a 7 PM kick-off.  The Bulldogs were looking to rebound from a disappointing loss at Columbia and keep their title hopes alive with a win at home. 

Upon arrival the boys’ had a bit of time to kill and rather than waiting it to pass they opted to wander out to the pitch and support their fellow Bears.  The Women’s team was in the midst of an Ivy showdown with hopes of finishing third in the league.  Showing their pride in Bruno, the boys’ cheered loudly until late in the second period when they returned to the locker room to begin preparation for the match. 

Bruno took the field as their own with 7 shots and 7 corners in the first segment.  The Bears were in rare form; the best football of the season coming at the perfect time.  Gorman was storming down the left side in dominating fashion, whipping in crosses or laying it off for one of Remick's relentless runs out of the back.  Rosa and Pops were swarming Yale’s defense with constant pressure forcing mistakes but unfortunately they could not capitalize on them.  Bobby Thalman was looking more like Van Der Sar, picking balls out of every corner of the frame.    With the amount of opportunities received and Yale’s lack there of, it would have been a travesty for the Bears to drop this game. 

In the second half the 562 in attendance were silenced as the Bears pummeled the Bulldogs with 9 more shots and 6 corners.  Nothing seemed to find the net other than a controversial call, which pulled a Bruno goal back in the first.  Thalman continued to have the game of his life being credited with 5 saves which seemed more like 12.  The Boys’ were determined to get a result; Mandel was putting together another great performance recording the most shots on goal over the course of the match.  He had their left back on his heels and continued to create opportunities throughout. 

Finally, a ball served into the box was slapped down by a Yale defender leading to a penalty in the second minute of the first overtime.  Mandel was “cold-blooded”, composed, and confident as he approached another one of his favorite set pieces.  He buried it into the net past Thalman, for his second game-winner in as many Ivy contests to set the stage for a championship match up on Stevenson.  

Penn @ Brown - By Senior Mike Manella

Brown v. Penn

October 29^th, 2011

As the Brown Men’s Soccer team emerged from a curtain of white snow and entered the gates of Stevenson Field amidst the first snowstorm of 2011, it was clear that the evening’s spectacle would be a memorable event.  Pushing through sleet and pile-ups of snow and mud, Bruno fought to chip, drive, and scrap together passes in the worst weather conditions they had faced all season.  No training session could have prepared them more for this type of game.  The mentality of the players and the determination of the coaching staff and referees to have the game played despite other Ivy League games being postponed gave Bruno the opportunity to prove why they wanted to be Ivy Champions.

For three years in a row the Bruno seniors came up short against Penn, but this year the seniors would get their chance to get a positive result and start a new trend for seasons to come. 

The Penn Quakers made the most of their discomfort against the relentless sky, and when the game began both teams felt that one slip, one deflected shot from distance, or one snow-diving tackle through an opponent might be the small difference in this big fixture.

The first half saw chances for both sides as forwards Sean Rosa and TJ Popolizio struck towards goal several times after good ball movement and runs to support the attacks created the best possible chances.  A Penn forward broke through the Bruno back line early in the half, but Sam Kernan-Schloss came through with a big save in the chest.  Sam rallied his teammates to keep their focus and eyes on the ball, which never took a natural bounce the whole game.  Outside midfielders Taylor Gorman and Daniel Taylor were able to find their footing in the snow before the Quaker wingers, and allowed Brown to control much of the first half play.  For anyone playing or watching, and not that anyone could actually see clearly, it was easy to tell that there would be no clean strikes on goal tonight.

The second half showed that both teams had realized how to use the surface, and much of the running was straight up and down with balls played hard and high towards the opposing backlines.  Bruno began to take control of the game after fifteen minutes as substitutes entered the storm to make a positive impact.  Excited by both the opportunity to play in a game with such a rare atmosphere, as well as a chance to regain feeling in fingers and toes, the Bruno substitutes worked hard to get the ball forward and into dangerous areas.

The game was a battle of the boxes, and as legs began to tire for both sides halfway through the second half Bruno struck a ball from the left side into the box hoping for a chance on net.  The chance that counted most finally came.

Credit for the goal must be given to Taylor Gorman, who made a long run through the snow piles to get forward into the box and sacrificed his body to the early lunge from the Penn central defender.  Gorman was able to poke the ball away just as the defender misjudged the path of a through pass from the top of the box.  The ball stopped in the snow, and the Penn defender’s challenge carried his right leg through Gorman’s ankles.  A clear penalty for the referee to give from ten yards away.

As the referee blew the whistle and pointed to the spot, senior forward, Austin Mandel, a corner-kick, free-kick, and penalty-kick specialist, sprinted as fast as he could to grab the ball and stake his claim on his favorite set piece.  And of course, “Raaandy”, as he is called on the team, side-netted a well-struck penalty past the Penn goalkeeper that warmed the limbs of all Brown supporters braving winter’s wrath that evening.

Raaandy’s strike proved to be the 1-0 difference Bruno needed to secure another Ivy League victory.  Substitutes relieving Brown starters continued to bring the energy and effort that was necessary for the last half hour until the final whistle was blown to secure the crucial three points.

Certainly a game and night to remember for all in attendance, but Bruno had moved on to thoughts of Yale as soon as they left the pitch and the important training and focus necessary to continue to strive for an Ivy Title.

Ivy in Ithaca - by Junior GK Sam Kernan-Schloss

Ithaca, NY: though beautiful, it sure is one gloomy, far, cold place to travel for a weekend. However, there was one bright thing about the trip: another chance and another opportunity to make our mark in the Ivy League. Oh, well I guess there were two bright spots; the second being a gourmet, Italian meal from the Popolizio family. Similar to the trip two years ago, the team embarked on our journey early Friday afternoon so that we could stop for a solid, “day before the day” training session. At about 3pm on Friday, we pulled into the TJ Popolizio Memorial Soccer Complex in Clifton Park, NY. The streets were lined with fans and even the local news station came out to document the return of their homegrown star: Pops. No, that didn’t actually happen, but I personally was half expecting that to be the case. After a solid training session, we did nevertheless, get treated to some homemade chicken parm, ziti, Italian meatballs, and cookies. We may as well have been important enough to bring the local news crew out…. Mr. and Mrs. Popolizio served us well and we were very grateful to be getting back on the bus with a full stomach. Next stop, Ithaca.

Cornell Men’s Soccer was flying high, having the season of their lives. At 8-1-3, Cornell was on an 11 game unbeaten streak going into our Saturday afternoon game. Still full and energized from our meal in Clifton Park, the team departed the hotel at 1:45 ready for a battle. We were prepared for the kick ball, the long throw, the 3,4,5,6, maybe 7 different Cornell strikers we would face. Sure enough, 4 minutes into the game, Cornell had subbed their starting forward for a new fresh pair of legs. Bruno controlled the first half, with Rob Medairos and Evan Coleman destroying the center of the park, and Dylan Remick and Alex Markes ready for any long ball into the channels. We were well prepared. The defense once again kept me safe, going into the halftime break with the scoreboard reading 0s.

The second half did not begin the way we would have hoped. The home side got on the board early with a glancing header after the ball had been cleared and reserved from a Cornell corner kick. Having been down 1-0 before, everyone on Brown knew we could come back. What we didn’t know was that we would level the score only minutes later with a classy finish from our 6 foot 10 inch freshman forward, Ben Maurey. After Sean Rosa won us a corner, Jay Hayward, like he has so many times in his career, stepped up to take it. Maurey got free at the front post and knocked in his first collegiate goal from an exceptionally slight angle. Bruno and Cornell were level again. The half ended with some back-and-forth play. The team had a glorious chance in the final few minutes but couldn’t find a way to sneak out the win. Both overtime periods saw much of the same, with both teams looking to get out with some sort of a result. The game ended 1-1. Needless to say, we weren’t HAPPY with the tie but after a 6 hour bus ride and against a team that plays little of the beautiful game, it was a respectable outcome.

            Next up on the Ivy League slate: Brown vs Penn at the confines of Stevenson Field in Providence.

Holy Cross - a view from First Year Daniel Taylor

After a grueling battle against Cornell and a few good acappellas from the first time travelers, including one from myself which seemed to be quite monotone and another from Ben “6’9” 320” Maurey.  We had only one practice till our next battle against Holy Cross.  This game was special because everyone was allowed to travel. More than other away games, I noticed how many more people were doing work pregame, which is most likely due to the fact that it was on a Tuesday and many people such as myself had exams the next day. Coach came to the back of the bus to gave his pregame speech: “Be ready to play… no excuses… ” after which he stated the started line-up.

We got to the field and it was without a doubt the coldest environment we had played in yet, so the starters really had to be ready to play when the whistle blew. We had a decent warm-up and it was good to have the whole team there to get us hyped up.

We started the game very well, keeping the ball moving and using our back line to keep possession. This was a great opportunity for me to gain confidence and every touch helped. We had a few great opportunities off of crosses to get the first goal, as well as others that our forwards made for themselves. Defensively, Holy cross only threatened us with a couple moments of individual play, including a shot just right of the goal, but other than that E-Rob and Rough McDuff were their usual beastly selves and kept the back in tact in the first half. At half time we were all quite confident in our ability to win the game, we just had to play smart and finish one of opportunities. In the second half we got a more looks at the net while keeping most of the possession, including a few long distance shots and some missed headers but we just couldn’t get the ball in the net. We all had that feeling that one of them would go in. It wasn’t till the first overtime that Eric Robertson somehow hit a backwards header off a corner. I admit even I was confused on who scored when we all rushed the field, I ended up jumping on pops because it seemed like he scored due to the fact that he was celebrating the most.

It wasn’t our biggest win of the season; we new the score could have been by more but we were happy we won and performed well. After the game we all rushed inside and hit the showers and changed as fast as possible due to the fact, like I said, it was a Tuesday and we all needed to get back to work. Everyone was happy with the win, but at least in my mind, once I was on the bus I was thinking about the test I had the next day, and the battle against U Penn coming up. Our game against Holy Cross showed a combination of good soccer as well as intense scrapping, which was great to see.