Taki's
Take Read "Taki's" 2005 Final Four Journal Log Ten: Final Blog (11/08/06) It’s disappointing and it hurts. On Saturday night our season came to an end as we watched a header drift into our net with 20 seconds left on the clock in the NE regional final. None of us believed that the season would end like this, what seemed so abrupt. We were paralyzed after the final whistle with the realization that it was over, all over at that moment. No more afternoon training, no more game day thrill and anxiety, no more testing the limits of our capabilities. It’s really a crushing feeling. The past few days around campus I’ve watched my teammates languish to and from class, everyone’s face expressing their dismay, and that hurts me too. The thing is though, this is so disappointing because our expectations were so high all season. We really saw something special in the team this year. We are a squad full of bright, talented, and dedicated players that became brothers on and off the field, and I believe that we were capable of bigger achievements this year. Unfortunately this is how things unfolded. Soccer is a beautiful and unpredictable game, and to love it is to accept the moments like these. In reality, it was a great year. We won the conference for the second straight year, won the conference tournament for the first time in program history, and broke too many records and received too many honors to list right now. On top of that, we played an attractive and effective style of play this year that was both exciting for our fans and fun for all of us to be a part of. In reflection of this season, these are the things to be remembered. On a final note, I’d like to wish the women’s team the best of luck in the rest of the tournament. Also, just a warning to the nation, next season we do plan on winning it all! Log Nine: Conference Tournament Champions! (10/30/06) It has been a tremendous week for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. Congratulations to both teams for capturing Conference Tournament titles this weekend. It was a long week for the team. Three games Tuesday through Sunday put a lot of strain on our bodies, plus most of us had mid-terms during the week which also added to the stress. On Tuesday we hosted Saint Anselm College for the first round of the conference tournament. Despite a few minor injuries and some juggling around of the lineup at first, we comfortably won the match 3-0. At this point in the year every team is fighting to stay alive and keep playing, so there weren’t going to be any easy matches. The semifinals were on Friday against Southern New Hampshire University. The first half remained scoreless in spite of us out playing them, but early in the second half off a corner we conceded a goal. We didn’t allow ourselves to get discouraged and remained focused and in the 80th minute we tied the match. Eight minutes later we went ahead, but only to concede again with less than a minute remaining. We completely dominated the two ten-minute overtimes but were unable to score, but then finally we were able to win the match in PK’s. The weather couldn’t have been worse for the finals on Sunday against Southern Connecticut. The wind must have been about 40 mph and at one point during the match it even started snowing. It was a close game between two teams that both didn’t give much up. After 110 minutes of the play, even though we dictated and had the best of the play, the match was still scoreless and would have to be decided by PK’s for the second time that week. The first five shooters for both teams scored, but then Southern’s sixth shooter missed and captain Andre Elphic took the opportunity to give us the win and the Championship. We were ecstatic. It was a great feeling to accomplish so much already, and this success will surely drive us onward into the first round of the NCAA tournament which starts this Thursday. We are hosting again this year so everyone’s support would be greatly appreciated. On a final note, 10 players from our team were awarded All-Conference honors, which once again shows the depth of our squad and how much of a team effort this season has been. Congratulations boys! Log Eight: On to Bigger Things (10/24/06) sub-ju-gate [suhb-juh-geyt] 1. to bring under complete control or subjection; conquer, master. The last few games have had both positive and negative results, all of which helped our team build character. Most shockingly, not only to ourselves but to most of the nation was the 1-0 defeat we placed at St. Michael’s College. Rather than point fingers or wallow in disappointment, we focused on the lessons to be gained. This loss painted the picture that all teams regardless of their rank and record have more to prove and a lot less to lose when they play us. It is crucial that we look beyond the numbers and be consistent in our play. We must match the other team’s energy, and dictate the game through our style and strengths and we will continue to have success. Following this
match we played Southern Connecticut, the winner of this game would
decide the conference championship. Both teams deserve praise
because it was a great match and some great soccer was played that
night. The first half ended with two goals from two set pieces, and
the score tied. Our team came out much stronger in the second half,
and late in the match on a flawless build up, captain Mike Vitulano
slotted the game winner. Franklin Pierce University Saturday night was the final conference match and also Senior Night. Before the match started we took a moment to recognize three players who have contributed immensely both on and off the field for the last four years. Kevin Dailey, Andre Elphic and Jason Grier have all played key roles in the success of this team and their contributions will be remembered. The match unexpectedly started out in St. Rose’s favor. Our game wasn’t sharp the first half and we made matters difficult for ourselves. However, during the second half, we reverted to our potential and in a 10 minute span we took a 3-0 lead to command the match. We placed top of table by finishing the conference play with 11-1-1 and 34 points. On Tuesday, the conference tournament starts and we are hosting Saint Anselm College for the quarterfinal match. Come support us through post season play. We are now on to bigger and better things. Log Seven: Defining Ourselves (10/12/06)
e-gres-sion
[i-gresh-uh
During the past few games the team has hurdled over some previous
difficulties and has started to find strong form collectively. Our
joint efforts began to egress in our results as well. We played
away at Stonehill and immediately took hold of the match. A 4-0
lead by the 60th minute also enabled the entire squad to
see action that day. Even with ten substitutions, our depth was
evident as we still dominated play. Freshman Abilio Goncalves
netted his first goal demonstrating that the future of the FP
After big wins I am always worried about underachievement during the next match because teams have a tendency of getting too caught up in their last success. This is why our next match was so important to me. We traveled six hours to Le Moyne College. Undoubtedly they had been waiting for this game, a chance to redeem themselves from last year’s 5-0 degrading loss. To our credit however, we dictated the entire match, scoring within the first minute and ending the game 3-0. Le Moyne is near the top of the tables in our conference, and this win sent a very important message to many teams. That is, that we mean business this year.
The following Saturday, we hosted Saint Anselm. A large and
supportive FP
Last night we hosted Merrimack College. Merrimack plays like a more
organized and talented Bryant, which meant that a very direct and
physical game lay at hand. In addition to what might have become a
chaotic match, the weather was horrendous, cold and raining. The
game remained fast and full of counters, but in the second half we
managed to settle down somewhat and play with more of an organized
and tactful purpose. In the 89th minute on a good
scoring chance Marek (Hawrylik) was brought down in the 18 and we
were awarded a penalty. Captain Mike V (Michel Vitulano) calmly and
surely placed it in the lower left corner and we got our result. Log Six: Getting into Good Form (09/28/06) Class work and soccer have kept me busy, so sorry for the delay. The team had a good week. With the results we had been getting, team moral was high and everyone was motivated and willing to work hard in training. Last Wednesday we played away at Bentley. Our warm up was rushed from being late and Coach had implemented some last minute changes to our tactics, so the first half we didn’t play to our potential individually and as a team. Second half though we reverted to our normal style and put in two goals late in the half to finish 2-0.
Saturday we hosted Bryant University. We anticipated Bryant would try to play a high paced and physical match, which is their strength, so it was necessary that we controlled the pace of the game and not allow it to turn into a track meet. They came out flying and scored off a set piece in the 36th minute. We remained composed, however, and were able to tie the score seven seconds before the half. In the second half we played more organized and connected better with the ball and were able to put in another goal. For the rest of the match we didn’t give up much to Bryant and we held on to the lead to finish 2-1. We picked up six more points that week and the team celebrated appropriately. Last night was another big test for us, playing the number two ranked team in the region, Southern New Hampshire University. They were also the only team last season in the Conference to beat us, so everyone was aware that this would be a milestone to overcome. To our delight, this was the first match that we played well for 90 minutes. Right from the start we played possessive and patient soccer. Switching the play, moving off the ball, and playing off each other the best we have so far. The game finished 1-0 in our favor, but easily could have ended 5-0 if we converted the sitting chances we had. Everyone walked off the field satisfied and collectively proud of one another. This was a great achievement and I am confident that we still have more to show. Log Five: Two more for the score sheets (09/20/06) The past week has been eventful. Tuesday marked the arrival of the last two players on our roster, Adam (Gardiner) and David (Clifton), both from London, England. Some may think that this could disrupt already established team chemistry, but in fact they’ve both meshed in nicely and can now add new depth to our already resourceful squad. Wednesday we hosted Assumption College. Last year we had beat them 6-0 and I had hoped again this year it would be a blow out to treat our home fans and to also allow some players off the bench to get into the game. To Assumption’s credit, the game only finished 2-0. Although we dominated possession, and directed the pace and flow of the game, we were unable to finish several chances. This isn’t a new problem this season, but something we’ve struggled with last year as well. It will be necessary for us to work hard at improving this. Three days later we played away against AIC. We expected this to be a big match because every year AIC is a good challenge but also because they had started their season off with a program best 4-0. We were right; it was a tough victory that finished 1-0 for us. It was probably one of our best starts to a match all season. We came out flying and controlled the first 30 minutes, easily out playing our opponents, but unfortunately this didn’t last. It was a good thing we scored in the first half, because in the second we lost composure and began playing a high paced and impatient game like the other team. At moments they had us on our heels and we were fortunate they weren’t able to score some good chances they had. It also didn’t help that we couldn’t convert the few chances we had that half too. We ended the week however, with six points and that’s ultimately what matters. We will learn from the mistakes we made individually and collectively, and will train on correcting these problems before they occur. Log Four: In the run of things (09/12/06) All week we trained on the upper grass field in preparation for Saturday’s game against UMass Lowell. In combination of last weekend’s frustration and the start of classes, anxieties were high and training hadn’t run as smoothly as we would have liked. UMass Lowell has a small grass field which is significantly smaller than ours, and two years ago when we played there, those on the team who remember, we had a nightmare there. All these things added to the importance of this match, including it was our first in-conference game. Fortunately this game Mike (Michel Vitulano) and Bish (Bisharra Ettienne), two starters, were able to play after rehabbing from injury all week. This added some much needed stability in the middle of the park. First half I believe we came out strong and despite not finishing a couple good chances we showed to be the better side. Second half was a different story. The game became scrappy as we continuously lost possession for unnecessary reasons. We forced passes, tried to do too much individually and basically played against the way we had been training. Luckily we didn’t concede. After a scoreless 90 minutes we played better in the two 10 minute overtime halves but the game finished 0-0. Walking off the field UMass Lowell players were smiling in delight, while our guys were disheartened and angered. This sums up the game. Disappointing as this was, our heads remained high and we realize that we need to step up our performances. When you’re ranked number one in the country every opponent is gunning for you, there are no more easy matches. We understand this and every game now will be motivation to stay on top. Log
Three: Franklin
Pierce Labor Day Classic (09/06/06) "It
is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness." It was another successful weekend for the Franklin Pierce men’s soccer team. Our record has now improved to a 4-0 season start, and we are ranked number one in the nation by the NSCAA/Adidas ranking system. Our first game was on Thursday against Caldwell College. Despite the cold evening, the team was proud to see that there was a large group of supporters to cheer us on for our first home performance of the season. After a very unimpressive first half in which we were unable to even produce a single shot on net, the score remained 0-0. Regrouping with tactical changes at halftime we were able to find our form and out shot Caldwell 11-2, with one goal from Raphael (Guimaraes) to win the match 1-0. I credit the win to good tactical decisions from Coach (Marco) Koolman and the team’s ability to remain determined and execute the game plan. Perhaps the team was overconfident in approaching the second game of the weekend on Saturday versus Nyack College. A lack of defensive commitment was persistent throughout the match. Within the first two minutes of play our defense was caught sleeping on a corner kick to concede a goal, and later on in the match a similar mishap on a set piece would result in another goal against. In reverence to our side, however, the team remained composed and determined and we were able to overcome both deficits. In the 73rd minute of the game we were finally able go ahead with a finish from Marek (Hawrylik) and we managed to retain the lead for a final score of 3-2. Remarkably all five goals during the match were scored from set pieces. Speaking optimistically, we did collect six points this weekend, but the greater success lies in enhancing the faults in our performances. In both games we had poor starts and put ourselves in unfavorable position. The training sessions we’ve been having this week have reflected this, and hopefully we will execute better this Saturday against UMass Lowell. Log Two: SCSU Autumn Classic (08/30/06)
Our locker room was filled with the energy of a new team, prepared and excited to battle. Before entering the field to warm up, Coach Koolman customarily discussed our tactical game plan. Captain Mike Vitulano was suspended for this first game due to a red card from last season in the national final, and as a result the team needed every player to step up and take some leadership. We kicked off at 4:30pm. The match started at high pace and very physical, but early in the match Raphael Guimaraes scored an incredible goal, chipping the keeper from the halfway line. It was a remarkable finish to start off the season. In the second half the quality of our play suffered a bit due to the fact Bridgeport had pushed four players up top and due to some lack of composure from our newly formed squad. They equalized midway through the half, but “Bish” (Bisharra Ettienne) scored from a set piece five minutes from the final whistle and we were able to hang on to our lead, finishing the match 2-1. The following day we had a light training session in the morning. After showering and having lunch we had a team meeting in which we discussed team goals and objectives and also established rules and guidelines that we agreed to adhere to throughout the season. We then finished the evening with a delicious dinner at a nearby restaurant and some well spent time in the hot tub. Sunday, our game was against a much stronger side with a much greater desire to beat us. Last year we defeated Dominican College in the New England Regional final to go on to the national championships. Keeping this in mind, we expected DC to come out flying with emotion. To their surprise, however, which was evident in how well we exposed them, we started the game with an even greater intensity that they were unable to match. I felt we out played them for the majority of the game. Midway through the half, on a controversial decision, a penalty kick was awarded against us. Further supporting my belief in fate, James Thorpe made an extraordinary save to maintain the 0-0 score. Soon after Bish once again scored on a set piece and we went on to win the match 1-0. Tomorrow will be another milestone in the progress of our season. We are hosting two regional teams that are both seeking to upset our number two national ranking. Talent-wise, I believe our team is more than capable of another great performance, so if we can maintain the drive to succeed we displayed on the weekend then I am positive we will conclude this weekend with two good results. Log
one: Preseason (08/24/06)
The team arrived on August 10th. We were an assortment of wide-eyed, incoming freshman, wiser sophomores, and the backbone of any collegiate team, the upperclassmen. The fun and bad habits we had grown accustomed to in the summer were behind us and we were all ready to invest some hard work and sacrifice. After a casual team meeting and introduction, we laced our runners a started our training off with some fitness. BEEP! It’s still painful to try and recall just exactly how many miles we’ve ran since being here, so just take my word that it has been a lot. This year when we arrived on campus, upperclassman residencies weren’t ready yet, so the entire team was living in freshman dorms. On any other occasion this would be awful to be back in those dorms, but living together allowed us to bond more quickly as a team. When you spend time off the field together your chemistry on the field improves as well, and for that I think maybe we are a step ahead this year. Adhering to our preseason traditions, we have been training twice a day. There’s been an abundance of physical conditioning as a foundation, but also much tactical preparation, and from what has been shown this far, the team looks strong this year with our strength being the depth of skill and ability on our squad. To date we have had three preseason friendly matches against D1 schools in the area, and with each match our team continues to perform stronger and stronger. Players, new and returning, are beginning to find more on-field chemistry, and our tactical decisions as a team are becoming more solid. The success of last fall is not something overshadowing us this year, or something which makes us come into the season arrogant. Instead it has brought higher expectations, which in turn has motivated us to work even harder. Our first game is tomorrow, and I am confident we will perform well and start the season off with a win. |
