Bring On The Terriers...

After a stretch of 3 tough road games in New York and scenic Indiana, Brown Men’s soccer returned to our home turf this week to regroup for our next match against Marist University. Although Marist usually isn’t a game highlighted on the schedule, the boys knew this game had to be a statement. With results not going our way, it was time for us to stand our ground. For the next week of practice, Marist was all there ever was, it was the most important game of our season.

From a cold dark Tuesday morning to a clear Thursday night, we put in a tireless and concentrated effort. Whether we were working on our shape, honing our skills, or running end line to end line again and again, there was no feeling sorry for ourselves only a hunger. A drive to win. There are few stronger motivations than upholding the tradition of Brown Men’s Soccer.

A wise man would not approach a bear backed into a corner… A small chill of an otherwise perfect night under the lights at none other than Stevenson field was the setting of Friday night’s game. Not the largest of Brown soccer crowds, but a strong parent contingent kept the air buzzing with Brown pride. It seemed like names were still being announced and the reserve one touch game had yet to declare a winner, before Brown was already knocking down Marist’s door. Our pressure proved a problem early forcing a late tackle from a Marist defender awarding Brown a penalty kick in the first 5 minutes. A mother sending her last kid to college is a good analogy for how Voltaire looked giving up the ball to Pepe to take the penalty kick, but all worries were instantly abided once Pepe’s deft run up sent the keeper diving the wrong way. 1-0 Brown! 

Now if you’re familiar at all with Brown Men’s Soccer you’re saying to yourself “Might as well settle in, belt my pants up, and get ready for some hard knocking defend the Alamo defense as we grind this 1-0 win out.” Well you’d be corr- completely wrong! Not 3 minutes later, Jack G-Baby Gorab sent a beautiful free kick set between the Marist keeper and Tariq Akeel. I know who my money is on.  Tariq Akeel heads home his first career goal. After many close calls last season, the ribs of Tariq not being able to score in a real game are over. Sorry Ben! He wasn’t done either. At this point there were murmurs along the Brown sideline “Wouldn’t it be crazy, if we scored every 5 minutes?” well in the 13^th minute Voltaire (feeling extra generous after relinquishing the pk) offered one of his more stylish assists, ally-ooping a header off the crossbar for –you guessed it-  Tariq to send into the net. It must have taken all the composure in the world for the coaching staff to fight back their smiles as they set to work reeling us in to play a focused game… with good measure there were still 75 minutes left! But the Brown Bears ever true kept fighting on. As the old men began to tire out in the closing minutes of the half, the next goal came from a freshmen connection Jason WonderTouch Pesek to NateBro Pomeroy for Pesek’s 2^nd assist and Nate’s first goal of the year. 4-0 halftime, not too shabby. 

It’s not easy to keep intensity after 4-0, luckily it’s also not easy to create intensity when you’re down 0-4. After a short-lived surge by Marist to open the half Brown’s defense settled in and took control and Brown resumed its onslaught. It was about the 80^th minute when someone realized: There are no Juniors on the scorecard! The Junior class immediately realized their folly and Dan Taylor drove a long ball into the box for a classy one touch finish from Tom Arns to send Marist home with a 5-0 defeat. A cool and collected performance earned the back line and a shared performance by Josh Weiner and Mitch Kupstas, their second shutout of the season as well as some valuable playing time for the entire “healthy” team.

While the victory was sweet, it was back to business the very next day for Brown Men’s soccer. A good win, but it won’t be Marists in our way as we claw uphill towards the post season. Our eyes’ now train on Boston University as they come to town Tuesday night. Will we see flashes of pale white like last year? One can only hope!

Signing out.. Mitch Kupstas

Contests in the Mid-West

It was time for the big trip of the year and this year we were going out to Indiana to play last year’s national champion IU and then the butler bulldogs. We all knew Indiana would be a challenging game but we also learned that butler would be just as tough. They recently beat Louisville and would be well rested while we had a game Friday night. With all this knowledge we pulled out of Brown knowing it was going to be a battle this weekend. So how did we prepare ourselves once the bus pulled out of the OMAC parking lot? We slept…then ate…then slept…then ate. This pattern went on for the whole day. We slept on the bus to Boston then ate in the terminal while waiting for our flight. We then slept on the flight to Atlanta, got off the plane and grabbed something to eat then quickly passed out for the flight to Indiana. We then drove to our hotel, which was very nice and glad to have us. Jameson was immediately banned from the complimentary cookies so he was a bit saddened but everyone else seemed rested and ready to go. That night we had the best hotel meal I have had in my entire life. Again Jameson was a bit hurt because he was banned from the dessert part of the meal but since the food was so great he got over it quickly.  We did the typical scout after dinner then hurried off to bed since we were very exhausted from all the sleeping and eating we had been doing that day.

            It was finally game day and everyone was excited. We woke up had a great breakfast (this hotel was truly killin it with the food…my kind of place) then went off for a training session. The session ended with a 1-touch volleyball game. The Martin Movement put up a good fight against the Blueberry Waffles but the Waffles ended up winning by 2 games to 1 off of some very questionable referee calls by Coach Biggs and some unwarranted ejections in crucial moments by Coach Laughlin. Then it was time to rest and get ready for the big game that night.

            The game was a great atmosphere with a beautiful stadium, a band, loud crowd, and two good teams. . I can tell you though that the second half was the best soccer we have played this year. We had Indiana on their heels the entire second half. They couldn’t get the ball out of their half. Finally Jason Pesek came on and served in a beautiful ball and Pepechino’ (Jose Salama) netted the ball with a beautiful header.  Unfortunately Indiana countered and scored within the next minute and despite our continued attack we just couldn’t get another. We may have lost to Indiana but we saw the potential our team had.  We then had to focus on getting a lot of fluids and food and to start recovery for the next game.

            The next day was a very typical recovery day consisting of a lot of eating, light practicing, drinking, resting and nothing of much interest. We did go have a light practice at Butler’s facility and did change hotels but those were about the only times we left our hotel rooms for more than an hour. We had a team dinner and film later that night. Jason as always killed it with his clips during film and Coach Nuss once again proved he had a skill for getting us food we truly enjoyed while keeping it all under budget. That night consisted of going to the local gas station to stock up on Gatorades and then watching Bridesmaid to get mentally ready for the game the next day.

            The butler game did not go as well as the Indiana game, which was disappointing after showing so much potential against IU. There isn’t much to say about the game other than the fact that we lost 3-0. We can say it was because of fatigue or maybe just an all around poor team effort but it just wasn’t our day. After this we boarded the bus to start our journey home. Once again the pattern of sleep, then eat, then sleep again took over until we finally pulled into the OMAC parking lot to end our trip at 1 AM. We didn’t get the 2 wins that we were hoping for but we did show some great potential and we had some excellent individual efforts which are both two positives things that came out of the trip. I think this trip will benefit our play greatly and will help us to get some big time wins once we start playing Ivy League teams. 

-Ben Maurey

Pulling Together

After enjoying a much-needed day off on Monday, we began to look forward to the challenge we were going to face on Friday, with a “bright and early” 7am Tuesday practice followed by our first team lift. The lifting coaches, aware that we had two big games coming up, kept it light, with multiple high repetition, low weight lunging and squatting exercises. Some of the underclassman were sore in some “new” areas, but they will get used to it soon enough.

The week went on with each practice incorporating another area of focus in preparation for the game against the Washington on Friday.

On Wednesday, I got a call from Big Ben Maurey: “hey man, I’ve got some news… I don’t know how to put this… but I’m CLEARED TO PLAY FRIDAY!!” It was a joyous moment to hear that one of our leaders would be back on the field.  Our team was close to 100% healthy.

It was Friday. We knew the #10 opponent, Washington, that just tied UCONN, was going to be a tough opponent. Thankfully the rain from the night before had subsided, and the Sun had come out so we hoped for another big crowd. Pregame meal was the usual mix of jokes, focused faces, and ratty pasta. Once the players hit the locker-room, it was all business. This was a few of the “post injury players’” (myself included), first home game, and I think we all were a bit nervous, excited, and everything in between.

The whistle blew, and as if in one motion, Jack Gorab “G-babe” hit a cross to Pepe Salama , who headed it towards the near post, and Voltaire touched it in. Unfortunately, the sideline referee thought Pepe or Voltaire was off sides and called the goal back. We were pissed to say the least but we all had to get our mind focused on the next play. The half went on with a lot of defending of their 50+ yard flip throw. As the half was coming to a close, Washington was able to sneak in a goal from a corner. 

The second half was another game. We came at them with all that we had. Tariq Akeel had a header off the cross bar. Pepe nearly had free kick goal that the keeper just got with tips of his fingers. We did our best to scrap for a tying goal, but unfortunately we couldn’t find the back of the net. We battled and for that I am proud.

Once we left the locker room on Friday, our minds switched to the next opponent. Saturday practice consisted of a small-sided game with players who didn’t get as much time on Friday, and a 20-minute cool down run for the rest. After practice the travel list was posted, we grabbed some lunch, and hit the road. BMS bus rides always are a place where memories are created. The bus ride started off with a freshman Christian Rodriguez “C-rod” telling the whole team a joke. It was strictly “an attempt” at a joke (sorry C-rod), but Coach Kevin saved the day with a well-executed, classy jest. That night at the hotel we prepped for Sunday’s game and got some rest.

Kickoff. We came out strong in the first half. Getting our first, first half goal from G-babe, with a nice poke in from a bouncing ball in the box. We were able to close the half and prevent them from getting a goal.

The second half was spent doing more defending then anything else. They scored from a cross towards the middle of the second half. We held on till overtime. Overtime came and we battled through the first half. With 3 minutes left in the second overtime, their left midfielder hit a curving shot that deflected and found the bottom left corner.

We have more to work on and will hit the ground running Tuesday in preparation for Indiana. BMS has always been about never giving up on our goals and finding our identity in the face of adversity. Coming off two tough loses this weekend and headed out to play Indiana its time to truly put the motto to the test and get a result against Indiana.

Time to put in that work,

Daniel Taylor

Round 1..

            The last day of double sessions is always a relief, as preseason comes to an end. The ice baths are used less frequently, there’s less limping around the locker room, and you see the energy building around the team as we get closer and closer to game 1.

            Game day arrived pretty quickly. August 22^nd seemed like a long time ago as we got on the field for our practice at 7pm on Thursday night. The practice went as usual, with the famous “One Touch Game” at the end - luckily my team came out with a win after some bangers and some laughs.

            As we entered the Ratty on Friday afternoon for our pregame meal, you could see some nerves and some excitement throughout the team. I’m not sure if it was about the game or about the fish that the Ratty was serving for “Linner” at 3:30pm that day.

Soon enough, we were warming up across from Bryant on Stevenson and the stands were slowly being filled. This was a classic home opener for us, with a lot of gritty performances, including some new guys showing they are “gamers.” The game went as expected, with a lot of set pieces from Bryant and we were counter attacking pretty well – Voltaire almost scored as he got in behind their backline, but the keeper made a decent save to keep the game at 0s going into halftime.

            As we went out for the second half, we all knew there would be limited chances on goal, but we needed to take full advantage when they came about. I gotta say, Voltaire did… and scored a banger. A ball lofted forward from a free kick was headed down to V by Pepe, which Voltaire then proceeded to take off his chest, shift from his right foot to his left, lean back (almost doing the Bernie) and “shank” (sorry V) with the outside of his left foot into the side netting. The crowd of over 1,500 people went nuts.

            In typical BMS style, we held on for dear life (our parents are probably losing years off their lives each game), and we were able to come out with a huge first home victory.

            For those who are not BMS alums, the Friday – Sunday turnaround for games is usually one of the hardest for the team each year. A lot of guys played big minutes of Friday night, we were at home, there was a huge crowd, it was our first game, etc. etc. Therefore, the Saturday session was pretty light, with some guys putting in more work than others – mostly focused on recovery.

            Sunday at Providence College was a little bit of a different atmosphere than Stevenson on Friday night. The crowd was mostly parents, and nowhere near 1,500. Regardless, the team brought a lot of energy onto the field after being pent up in 3 white vans on an extremely LONG trip from Brown (approximately 5 minutes).

            We all knew the PC was going to be tough. PC is a Big East opponent, cross-town rival, and this was for Rhode Island bragging rights. We were attempting to keep the “Ocean State Cup” in our possession for another year, and we came really close to fulfilling that goal (Co-Champs really doesn’t count). The game started out pretty back and forth, with each team struggling to connect passes on a dismal playing surface. With about a minute left in the first half, PC was able to successfully complete a short corner, and the ball ended up at the back post, where a Providence player headed it towards goal. Whether or not the ball crossed the line, I do not know, but I do know that Weendog made an unreal save. Unfortunately, the sideline ref deemed it a goal and PC took the 1-0 lead into half time.

            After some inspirational words from coach Laughlin, we came out flying in the second half, grabbing a goal of our own. Pepe settled a ball thrown into him and sent it to the back post. The ball was looping and must have stayed in the air for about 3 minutes. As the left back for PC gazed at that beauty of a ball, DT was able to sneak in behind him and head-knee-ab-shin the ball into the back of the net. We were then back level at 1-1.

            The rest of the game was hard fought, with each team creating their own chances, but no real threats. At the end of 90 minutes, we were still tied and headed into golden goal overtime. The 20 minutes went by quickly and the game ended in a tie. We were crowned Co-Champions of the Ocean State Cup.

            Overall, the team was happy with the weekend’s results. Although it would have been great to win both games, a win and a tie is not a bad way to start the season. We are looking forward to Washington on Friday at 7pm and hope we can get the same type of crowd and support we did for Bryant.

Back to the nitty gritty - Jack Kuntz

2013 Campaign: The Beginning

Back to Brown at last, back to Brown at last. We, the Men of Brown Soccer returned to campus in the August heat, itching to get back out on Stevenson Field and start our 2013 campaign. However, first of course: the formalities. As always, the first day of preseason begins on a scale and with each player on his tippy toes under a measuring tape, attempting to make himself as tall as possible. Then, the infamous “body composition pincers” which have been known to make even the strong at heart shutter. After a slew of meetings each player retires to his respective bed to a sweaty night of sleeplessness while having either dreams or nightmares about the 3-mile fitness test that will take place the next morning.

It seems as if it is before sunrise the next morning when we head down to the football stadium for our 12 laps around the track, with the seniors hoping that it will be our last one of these mornings ever. Through sweat and some tears and excessive screaming and shouting, we remarkably get 20 of our 24 players who were able to run across the line in under 18 minutes, which has to be some sort of record for the first attempt at this test, a definite boost for the team’s morale, sending us to the v-dub with our chins held high, knowing that this afternoon we will be finally able to convert our group of track stars into a soccer team.

The first practice every year goes relatively the same way. Happy faces and tired legs from the 3-mile lead to an adrenaline filled session full of extremely hard and late tackles followed by a long time spent in the training room full of rollers and ice baths.

After this day of firsts we fall into the routine of two a days, which consist solely of: sleeping, lots of television, eating, meetings, soccer and time spent in the locker and training rooms. Much time at meals is spent discussing what shows everyone is watching and getting on guys for not being up to date on their TV. This gives us a great opportunity to get close with all of the new guys and catch up with all the others and recap our summers’ festivities.

We are allowed to play a couple exhibition games during preseason against a school from Canada and local D-II school, both of which are learning experiences and greatly help us to improve our young team. The freshmen are able to see this type of “dress rehearsal” and hopefully be a little bit more prepared for when we come out of the gates on Friday night for the real thing.

We are all looking forward to Friday night against Bryant, and will be working hard over these next couple days in order to prepare for our first test. We hope to see many of you out there supporting us!

Signing out,

                        Josh Weiner