Sunday Morning Striker: DC is Vic Mackey, and the Revs were just token One-Niners

Can you believe that summer’s practically over? Sunday Morning Striker can’t. With the lifeguards on Rhode Island state beaches already having blown their whistles at brazen swimmers and sea gull chasers for the last time, SMS sat on his back porch yesterday, reflecting on a summer that undoubtedly breezed past us much too quickly.

Its is here in New England, where summer unofficially lasts from Memorial Day to Labor Day, that many vacationers sprawl to the region during the summer months with hotel and car reservations set for such destinations as Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod and Nantucket. It’s been said that New England, with its warm weather and picturesque beaches is in the fact the ideal summer vacation spot – and far be it from me to disagree with such notable vacationers as past Presidents (Clinton and the Bushes) and celebrities (David McCullough, Paul McCartney, Bill Belichick).

And talk about spectacular weather! It was largely rain-free for the most part – no doubt the reservoirs and lawns suffered. Despite the lack of rain, there were no lengthy water bans to speak of in the southeastern sector, which almost becomes a rite of passage in recent summers. New Englanders were truly blessed with weeks upon weeks of beautiful weather during these past few months. Sure, it was humid and unquenchably hot at times, but then again, it’s summer. It’s supposed to be hot!

There really is nothing quite like summer in New England, and watching the Revolution play on the warm summer afternoons and nights is a huge added bonus. (Note: SMS is of the opinion that MLS should not align its season calendar to EPL and other European leagues. Rest assured, this topic will be addressed in a future article.) Of course, these summer months of watching soccer are naturally sweetened when your clubs flirts with first place, and having its tickets punched US Open Cup Finals is like the bubble gum at the center of the blowpop.

Plus, being treated to Ireland-Paraguay, CONCACAF Gold Cup matches, and of course, a visit from bench-ridden Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy only made the summer that much more memorable. Granted, although the time has come to store away the brightly colored polo shirts and Tony Montana white pants in favor of darker hues and dungarees, let’s not soon forget what a wonderful time this summer was.

And guess what? It’s also back to school for all you educational types! Guess who isn’t going back? The Sunday Morning Striker! Hahahaha, suckers! (Note: I kid, I kid – SMS is currently undertaking massive plans to return to school to obtain his Master’s degree in English come Spring 2008.)

Lastly, in conjunction with summer’s departure, it’s worth mentioning my nomination for The Summer Anthem – you know, that radio-friendly tune that gets played so often during the months between June and August that you can’t escape it anywhere on the FM dial. For SMS, that song was Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, which will forever evoke memories of Summer of ’07 for yours truly.

Anyway, the leaves are already beginning to turn their brilliant colors here in Rhode Island, and will falling weeks thereafter. But before they do, let’s enjoy the last few weeks of hospitable September weather. What’s that? Only three regular season home matches left!?! Aiiiiyeeeeeeeeeeee!

In other news, DC United and Revs kicked off on Sunday afternoon under sticky, late-summer conditions at RFK Stadium, with only one point between them in the Eastern Conference. The last time these teams faced off, the United absolutely dismantled a hapless Revolution side to the tune of 3-0 back on August 5.

You may recall that the Black and Red began the season as slumbering giants while the rest of the East played hopscotch and dodgeball around them. Now they’ve awakened, and they’re in a baaaaaad mood –kind of like Michael Chiklis in The Shield. Remember when Chiklis once played the part of Tony Scali, an affable, pasty police commissioner in the early-90s drama The Commish? That was what DC was during the opening matches of the 2007 MLS schedule -lovable and unthreatening. Now? They’ve transformed themselves into the slimmed-down, ask-questions-later crime fighter. Let’s just say you don’t want to be Terry Crowley or a One-Niner on Vic Mackey’s watch. Did you see what Vic did to Guardo in Season 6? That’s pretty much what DC did to FC Dallas in Dallas last week. Yeah, you read that score line right: 4-0, DC United. So with DC’s guns blazing and Miranda Rights long forgotten, what would this mean for the Revs going into Sunday’s match? Let’s find out.

(Note: the Revs kicked off the first half sporting their road whites, which appeared to have boded well for the side considering the especially hot and humid temps and DC’s astonishing decision to wear their heat-absorbing black unis. Then again, this may have worked perfectly given the above comparison to Mackey, who has an affinity for wearing a black leather jacket in sunny southern California, the locale where The Shield is set.)

Despite the scientifically-proven advantage, the Revs nearly met disaster in the 3rd minute when DC’s Mark Burch swept a grenade into the box that Avery John chested down dangerously near the goal mouth with United’ Josh Gros buzzing nearby before Michael Parkhurst skied the ball out of harm’s way.

Minutes later, Cristian Gomez fouled Steve Ralston a few yards before the box, leading to a free kick for the Revs in the 10th minute. Despite the favorable spot, Ralston was unable to convert the attempt, as the ball sailed well over the goal.

Soon after, Emilio streaked through the Revs midfield after Shalrie Joseph coughed up the ball. The Brazilian marched forward and fired a rocked that fortunately bounced off the side netting.
By the 21st minute, Steve Nicol was commenting that both teams were playing “average football”, which may have been a kind assessment, since it appeared the match had more of a DC flavor than a Revolution aftertaste.

But by the half hour mark, it became increasingly apparent that the Mackey-like home side was in first place, as they continued to attack and intimidate within the guest suite, threatening to confiscate the opening goal. And they did just that in the 31st minute when Fred harnessed a gorgeous pass from Jaime Moreno right before the box, and fired the ball right past Reis for the one-nil advantage.

With the scoreboard smiling in DC’s favor, the Revs tried to find the equalizer amid the muggy conditions. Off a free kick in the 37th, Ralston unleashed a threatening pass into the box that somehow found Jay Heaps, who was able to take the bouncing ball and flail a low-voltage shot on net before midfielder Devon McTavish headed the ball above the bar to safety.

The Revs created yet another opportunity in the 40th minute when Khano Smith whipped a nice pass forward to Taylor Twellman, who headed the ball toward the far post. Unfortunately, said post, like any nonsentient entity, coldly denied the attempt, and the Revs frustratingly trotted back upfield soon after.

As time began to wane in the first half, and the tide appearing to have turned in the Revolution’s favor, Smith barreled down the left before unleashing a swift pass to Twellman. This time, Twellman took the pass, turned, and cleverly rocketed the ball in mid-air past Troy Perkins in the 45th minute. 1-1, Anyone’s match.

SMS won’t lie – he flipped the channel to USA-Brazil during halftime. Hoping to catch a glimpse of Bob Bradley’s boys as the local eleven sipped Gatorade in the locker room between halves, SMS was quietly swearing under his breath at the timing of the match. Unfortunately, it was a lot of pregame stuff, and when the match commenced, the second half in DC almost kicked off almost simultaneously.

The momentum amazingly salvaged prior to the finish of the first half, the Revs tried to do their best to keep the match under their control in frame two. In minute 48, Twellman took a deflected Smith pass off of Bryan Namoff and passed it right to his striking partner Pat Noonan, who misfired on the shot well off net.

Keeping the pressure on the United backs, Ralston laced an outswinging corner kick in the 55th minute that fortuitously deflected off of Bausch toward the goalmouth. Amid a fury of black and white shirted players, Jay Heaps footed the ball past the goal line for the go-ahead tally. 2-1, Revs.

At the hour mark, DC suddenly regained their offensive form as Gomez sent a pass forward to Luciano Emilio in the box. The Brazilian quickly turned to his left and pushed the ball toward to Moreno, whose quick shot was adeptly stuffed by a crashing Heaps. But the ball serendipitously deflected back to Moreno and only one man to beat this time – Reis himself- Moreno chipped the ball into the twine for the equalizer. 2-2, Anyone’s match.

Riding a tsunami of offensive chances, DC counterattacked in the 68th minute as Ben Olsen charged down the right flank and skipped a pass back toward Gomez sitting in the middle of the box. The striker deftly took it, and shot hard into traffic before the ball deflected off of Emilio and into the back of the net. 3-2, DC.

After the goal, Nicol became instantly heated, both literally and figuratively, and vehemently protested that a foul should have been called on Olsen against Smith just moments before he took the pass from Moreno. Referee Abby Oklulaja felt the criticism was especially undeserved, and casually sent the gaffer to the showers prematurely for the R-rated remonstration.

With two fresh subs (mmmm…subs) in for the Revs, one such sub- Wells Thompson – hooked a ball from the left toward Twellman, who immediately played it toward Ralston on his right. Unluckily, Ralston wound up and fired the shot just wide of goal in the 76th minute.

In an effort to reignite the attack, Paul Mariner, coaching in Nicol’s absence, inserted speedster Sainey Nyassi in the 83rd minute.

And no sooner did SMS finish off the previous sentence when Brian Carroll raced down the left flank and kicked a pass right toward a gatecrashing Emilio, who powerfully headed the ball into the back of the net in the 83rd minute. 4-2, DC, and SMS was hearing.

The Revs were given a token four minutes of stoppage time, but failed to find the necessary two goals needed to draw. Once the final whistle mercifully blew, DC had padded their first place lead with an additional three points over their rivals to the North.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: In three matches thus far, the Revs have acquired exactly one point against the United.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Before Sunday afternoon, the last time the Revs tallied multiple goals (excluding own goals) was back on August 2 vs. Kansas City (2-0).

Stat of the Match, Part 3: The last time the Revs coughed up four goals in a match was back on May 26th vs. Kansas City (4-3).

Stat of the Match, Part 4: Matt Reis has a 3.00 goals against average against DC this season. Against the rest of the league, his GAA is 0.66.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: DC’s Luciano Emilio has now scored four goals in two matches versus New England this season. However, SMS can confirm that there is no truth to the rumor that Jay Heaps said afterward “I guess I have to just tip my cap and call Luciano Emilio my daddy.”

The AND1 OH BAY-BEE Play of the Match: Readers, SMS has betrayed you by failing to note these types of plays in which youngsters wave their tees in the air as if there are no repercussions. Though he couldn’t discern one particular play of this variety Sunday afternoon, SMS was impressed with MLS debutant Sainey Nyassi, and his trademark speed in the waning minutes of play.

True, Nyassi is a just a newcomer with much to prove before his induction ceremony in Oneonta, but SMS was excited every time the Gambian touched the ball. Mark my words: Sainey Nyassi will become a bonafide MLS star before long.

Mexico-Brazil at Gillette Stadium: Forgive my flair for the dramatic, but Wednesday, September 12, 2007 will go down as one of the most important days in the annals of the Sunday Morning Striker. For on this day, SMS will bear witness to two of the world’s greatest players: Brazil’s supremely-talented Kaka and Ronaldinho.

The occasion may unfold to become a story the grandkids about given Brazil’s scarcity in the region – this will mark only the second time in over fourteen years that Brazil has visited New England. The last time was back in June 1993, for the U.S. Open tournament, when A Selecao faced off against the US in New Haven, CT.

Why 50 Cent will never play left back for the Revs…or any other team: Recently, TMZ.com, an occasional guilty pleasure of SMS, reported that Fiddy was brushed up a bit by a Tyra Banks bodyguard on the “Fashion Rocks” red carpet, to which the Vitamin Water pitchin’ rapper got ticked and angrily retorted, “What the (bleep) is wrong with you? How are you gonna bump me?” said the muscle-bound, already-been-shot-at-nine-times rapper in response to the push.

With a reaction like that, it’s fair to say that oft-fouled (and borderline assaulted at times) Taylor Twellman is more of a man than Curtis Jackson.

Yeah, it’s almost autumn, but seriously, it’s way too soon for this stuff: SMS eyeballed a “Make their holiday wishes come true” Christmas banner at the top of “My eBay” page. Last I checked, there were still 105 shopping days left ‘til Christmas. Yikes.

SMS Alma Mater Soccer update: Yes, after nearly two months without regular updates of local sides not named the Revolution (the fortunes of the RI Stingrays were previously chronicled by Saturday Morning Striker), the college soccer season is well underway, providing fodder for regular updates.

In order to avoid any ambiguity, SMS will state for the record that he attended two colleges during his late-teens and early-twenties: Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.

Now, with that being said, it’s pretty hard keeping track of one club, nevermind four clubs (both schools have men’s and women’s soccer – it is the 21st century, after all). So, I’m defaulting to one club: the side that SMS watched for very first college soccer match. The club that SMS has officially adopted to update for the masses is…the Rhode Island College women’s team, colloquially known as the Anchorwomen! Yes, they are the lucky few that get a regular plug from the Sunday Morning Striker himself! It’s a wonderful day to be an Anchorwoman!

Ahem…on to the action…the Anchorwomen tied 2-2 to St. John Fisher College during their August 31st season opener at the generically-named RIC Soccer Field in Providence, RI. Lindsay Laurie and Gina Calenda scored for the good guys in a game that, despite the final score, was completely dominated by the home side.

Four days later, the Anchorwomen tasted victory in another fantastic performance in which they scored four goals over Johnson and Wales University, with a final of 4-1.

Finally, on Saturday afternoon, they dropped their first match of the season at Clark University, 3-1. Jessica Cardinal scored an early goal for the guests, but it was all Clark Cougars after that, with three unanswered goals thereafter. The Anchorwomen currently hold a particularly linear 1-1-1 record, and look to clinch victory on Tuesday when they face off against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at RIC Soccer Field. Take a guess who will be in attendance?

For those of you who wish to jump on the Anchorwomen bandwagon while there’s still room, you can catch all of their home games live and in living color at the official RIC Athletics website (www.ric.edu/athletics).

As side note, I highly encourage you – if you’ve never done so – to head over to your alma mater and support the school’s student-athletes, whichever school or sport it may be. I can tell you from a personal standpoint that my heart filled with so much pride as I sat atop the aluminum bleachers, watching my fellow RIC classmates on the pitch. I’m truly humbled and proud to report on their 2007 season.

US Women’s National Team Feature: Hope you have your coffee supply is stocked and the bagels in fridge are fresh, because tomorrow morning’s Women’s World Cup match vs. North Korea kicks off at 4:55am ET. If you’re a die-hard like myself, you will bypass your buddy TiVo on this one and wake up with the birds and catch the game as it unfolds.

SMS recalls a quote from his favorite comic book title as a teen – Generation X – in which Jubilee stated to Husk, her early-rising teammate, “Only garbage men and psychos are up this early…” Since we all know SMS’s profession cannot be categorized as “sanitation engineer”, I suppose that makes me a psycho. But we already knew this, right?

Join us back soon after the FC Dallas match at Gillette Stadium, where SMS hopes to be discussing victory rather than defeat. Though victory is crucial in these late-season affairs in which few points separate first and fourth place, don’t forget: this is also preview of the U.S. Open Cup Final, which will take place in Frisco, TX (which is, in fact, Dallas for MLS purposes) on October 3rd. Therefore, a hearty thrashing of the Hoops is in order come Saturday night to set the tone for the rematch in October.

Post Game thoughts: RIC beats RWU, 1-0

After watching yesterday’s 1-0 Anchormen victory over RWU, some post-match fare:

– The match was a very high-paced affair, with both clubs playing aggressive, attacking football throughout. The fact that it remained 0-0 for as long as it did – 65 minutes – was not only testament to both clubs backlines, but also some communication issues on the part of the Anchormen.

– Referee Edwin Resendes appeared to have no interest whatsoever in pulling the yellow card out of his shirt pocket, despite the fact that the match was filled with more elbows than a macaroni salad. By the time the second half came around, I was almost waiting for both clubs to come out in helmets and shoulder pads.

– RWU had a deep bench, and it was noted by a few spectators within earshot of my perch that there were more royal blue players on the bench than on the pitch.

– The Ryan Kelly goal was a thing of beauty that materialized in Ferrari-quick fashion off a Bobby Sturdahl free kick in the 65th minute. After Sturdahl swept the ball into the area, Kelly immediately raced into its path, and headed it past a helpless Dan Ruscigno to conclude the sweet sequence. As astonishing as it was that the match remained scoreless for so long, it was only appropriate that the build-up to the lone goal came and went so quickly.

– Though the Anchormen played a pretty good match, the amount of cheering from the stands during the match was considerably less than the amount heard during women’s games, though the attendance figures for both clubs are roughly the same.

– Completely unrelated to the match itself is that the RIC Bookstore is completely sold-out of RIC Soccer tees. “You want a RIC Baseball tee? You got it. RIC Tennis? Sure, what size? RIC Soccer? Sorry, we’re out of them until the next order arrives in a week or so.” In the meantime, check out the snazzy adidas warm-up suits, which are quite fashionable.

Thursday Rant

On the agenda for today (with a little spiel to follow):

Rhode Island College men’s soccer, 4:00pm. The Anchormen will be facing intrastate foes Roger Williams University at the RIC Soccer Field this afternoon. The Anchormen are 1-1-0 thus far, and will be playing their first home match of the season. I’m going to have to miss the first half of this one, as I leave work at 4:30pm.

On a personal note, I used to absolutely rue the fact that my alma mater didn’t have a football team. While my friends would gleefully root on their former school’s football teams, whether it be Division I or III, I was seemingly stuck without a school to root for, as both of my alma maters – CCRI and RIC – do not field football squads.

Luckily, I was converted to soccer a few years ago, and only recently rediscovered my Anchorman pride in rooting for the Rhode Island College men’s and women’s soccer teams at the ol’ stomping grounds.

Let me say, as a young alumnus, there really is nothing quite like rooting for your school’s athletic teams. Though my school is rather small compared to the mini-cities that comprise some college campuses, I’m just beginning to understand why so many of my fellow alumni proudly sport their school’s colors and apparel. The sense of pride that comes with watching a team that you have a personal attachment to is truly rewarding, in addition to the fantastic sense of nostalgia that harkens back to your own college years. In essence, it allows you to return to your youth, and in hindsight, a much simpler time.

That being said, the school’s soccer sides allow me to display that pride on a regular basis during the fall months. While my friends head back to campus each Saturday afternoon to catch their football teams in action, I take the short journey across the Seekonk and Providence Rivers back to the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood where the RIC campus resides and watch the school’s – my school’s – student-athletes play soccer.

And you know what? To be honest, I don’t even care anymore that RIC doesn’t have a football team, for I’d only be afforded the measly five home dates typically scheduled in college football. In comparison to soccer, the combination of the RIC men’s and women’s sides allow for a buffet of 17 home matches from late-August through October.

My friends can have their college football. I have my college soccer – RIC soccer – to passionately root for.

An Explanation

I wanted to attend Tuesday night’s Revolution-RailHawks US Open Cup semi-final match. I really did. I even printed out the directions, escaped my work-release assignment two hours early, and fueled up my gas-guzzling Acura.

Then, less than two miles after my car screeched out of the driveway, I hit traffic on 195-W in East Providence. As soon as I nearly rear-ended the Ford Escort stopping short in front of me for the third time, I had an epiphany.

“Do you really want to sit in traffic for the estimated two-plus hours that the travel provided by the oracle known as Mapquest?”

Amid the three-mile parking lot in front of me and the taunt of the pulsating colon between the four and the thirty-seven on the dashboard digital clock, a corresponding thought began sneak into my cerebral cortex. I clutched the eleven o’clock and one o’clock positions of my steering wheel, and fell deep in thought.

“Hey, you know what would be alot easier? Chuck the directions, hit the next exit, and sail your way to the alma mater to catch the women’s game over there. It’s free soccer, man, and you’ll save yourself half a tank of gas. Plus, you’ll get back home in time for dinner.”

These voices, I tell you. Sometimes you just have to heed them. So I did.

With a brown paper-bagged ham sandwich, a cold, sweating bottle of spring water, and the crisply folded directions sitting on my passenger’s seat like a paper-mache crane, I crawled through ten more minutes of traffic before finally hovering down the Killingly Street off ramp, with a mere two miles of high quality, no frills roadway between my 2001 Acura CL and the RIC Soccer Field.

Less than seven minutes later, I slammed the driver’s side door behind me in the Fogarty Life Science Lot and made a break for the gated entrance of the field sixty yards in front of me. Upon my arrival, I strolled along the bottom rung of the no-frills metal bleachers and looked up to locate a suitable vantage point. About ten rows high, and fifteen yards to the left of center circle, I put down my water, and leaned my elbows back on the aluminum benched row behind me.

Then, I took an elongated sigh. It was the exhalation of accomplishment, with a magnificent view before me, as the late-afternoon sun began to drench my exposed forearms and shins.
And what an entertaining match! The home team played with a precision and awareness of a SWAT team. They flustered the blue and gold Johnson & Wales University opponent with constant pressure and amazingly scored only four goals despite the fact they fired an eye-popping 22 shots on goal.

But as the final quarter-hour of the match began to dwindle, I conversed with a group of incoming freshman sitting only a few rows above me. Ah, youth. They asked about the best places to get sushi, and where to go in Providence, all the while I answered their questions as my head swiveled back and forth between their fresh faces and the ball on the pitch.

After the final whistle had blown, I walked out of the stadium not only with a smile on my face, but with a few new friends. Not for one moment did I regret missing the Revs-RailHawks match. Yes, it was an important game, but one I’ll just have to admit I bypassed for something more feasible…more accessible…and, to be frank, more fun.

If I had driven another 97 miles west with 100 minutes minimum of seat time, parked my car, waited in line for $17.00 tickets to watch soccer on a high school football field, and had to do same thing all over again (save for purchasing tickets a second time, obviously), I would have been teetering on borderline mental instability. I would have arrived home late with an early wake-up call for work the following morning, grumpy, and sucking down iced coffees by the tray load in order to overcome the effects of sleep deprivation.

Like I said, these voices…sometimes you just have to listen to them.

Rookies wave goodbye to Oka and Solle

Nobody said that a rookie’s life is ever easy.

Often times, a team’s incoming freshman are treated like bellhops and busboys, saddled with extra chores like lugging equipment around and carrying the goal to and fro during practice. In other words, they accept – involuntarily, of course -the work that no one else wants to do.

Yet, despite the tedious tasks, this year’s edition of Revolution rookies has formed a remarkably tight bond amongst themselves. In addition to collectively bearing the brunt of their added responsibilities, many of the rooks already shared a common thread before arriving in Foxboro, as many had played with or against each other since high school. Combine these factors and a wonderful sense of camaraderie becomes instilled, as full-fledged friendships become forged between the fresh faces.

So you can imagine that when the news of the club’s release of rookies Arsene Oka and Ryan Solle broke last Friday, there were more than a few raised eyebrows and shocked expressions.
“Ryan was kind of a prankster on the team, and at first you thought it might be a joke that he was playing on us. That’s what we were hoping: that it was just a joke,” said fellow rookie Chris Loftus.

Unfortunately, it was no playful ploy on the part of their fellow freshman, as the rookies had hoped, and soon Solle and Oka would be saying goodbye to their teammates and friends. As the news began sink in, the emotions then turned serious.

“Obviously everybody was shocked to hear (about them being released),” said Kyle Helton, a rookie right back, who’s known Solle since high school. “I wasn’t expecting that at all, and I don’t think any of the other guys were as well.”

Loftus agreed with his fellow rookie on his emotions when the news finally began to sink in.

“(It was) immediate shock, when I heard about it. Ryan is a very close friend of mine, and was close with all of the rookies, especially Wells (Thompson), because they went to school together.”

The Revolution rookies are indeed a close group, and regularly go out to dinner as like a family would, all knowing they can take solace in their common experiences as first year players.
So after the news finally began to set in on Friday night, the rookies did just that: they went out to dinner as a whole. There, they offered words of encouragement to their hard luck friends.

“I told (Solle) to keep his head up, and that opportunities will come his way, and that it’s not the end of the world,” said Loftus. “I feel terrible for Ryan because I know how hard he works and how much he loved being here with the guys on the team. He’s going find a team that can use him, and he’s going do well wherever he goes.”

Though the loss especially reverberated among the rookies on a personal level, Helton also acknowledged that the news served as a stark reminder of how unpredictable the life of a professional athlete can be.

“You have to play like every day’s your last. Obviously, you really don’t know what’s going to happen. You just have to come to practice and work hard everyday, and try and make an impact.”

Nevertheless, although the business of soccer can be painfully cruel to those who play it, sometimes all a player can do is simply accept the news when a teammate – often times, a friend – is cut by the team.

“It’s going be a tough loss for the team, especially within the rookies; we have a tight-knit group. We don’t want to lose anybody,” said a somber Helton. “They’re both going to be missed.”

Loftus explained that although his fellow rookie and friend Solle is no longer a member of the team, the bond would always remain.

“We’ll keep in touch for the rest of our lives. He’s a good friend of ours.”

Anchorwomen thrash JWU Wildcats, 4-1

The Rhode Island College Anchorwomen took an early lead against the Johnson and Wales University Wildcats and never looked back, beating their intra-city rivals 4-1 at RIC Soccer Field under pleasantly sunny skies Tuesday afternoon.

The opening salvo was engineered in the 11th minute when Kerry Donahue, playing up front rather than her typical defender role, took a bouncing ball in the box and fired a high, close-range shot clanked the bar and into the net, giving the Anchorwomen the early one-goal lead.

Though RIC had dominated much of the match in the first half, the Wildcats took advantage of a brief defensive hiccup and organized a quick counterattack in the 42nd minute. Freshman Jen Hurley and Colleen Marasco gatecrashed the RIC box with only one defender to beat before Marasco chipped the shot past keeper Krissie Pyrzynski for the equalizer.

Undaunted, the Anchorwomen immediately reclaimed the lead less than a minute later when Kristina Haughey took a beautiful feed from Rebecca Corregan and fired a shot past a helpless Kate Nast for the 2-1 lead before halftime.

The home side continued their domination in the second half, and seemingly inhabited the Wildcat end ad infinitum. However, it wasn’t until the 73rd minute that their efforts were reaped when Christina Tavana netted RIC’s third goal of the match.

With the match already in their back pocket, the Anchorwomen tallied one more score in the final minute of play when substitute Gina Calenda pushed the ball forward and deposited it into the back of the net, giving the Maroon and Gold their eventual 4-1 victory over JWU.

Revs sign Gambian U-20 Nyassi, cut Oka and Solle

The New England Revolution announced on Friday that they have signed Gambian U-20 midfielder Sainey Nyassi, and released midfielders Arsene Oka and Ryan Solle.

The 18-year-old Nyassi caught the attention of a few MLS sides after he starred in this year’s U-20 World Cup with a Gambian team that reached the knockout stages by beating New Zealand and Portugal. He started each of the squad’s four matches, and although he did not record any offensive statistics during the tournament, he was reportedly training with the Revolution soon after his strong showing.

By adding Nyassi, the Revolution hope to infuse some added talent among a midfielding corps that, at times, has been stuck in neutral. The Revs have scored only four goals in their past five games, one of which was an own goal during the NY Red Bull game. Additionally, it was rumored that the Revs were also looking at Abdoulie Mansally, a fellow U-20 Gambian teammate of Nyassi.

Though the Revs already had two open rosters spots, a corresponding set of moves were made in conjunction with the addition of Nyassi. The club waved goodbye to midfielders Arsene Oka and Ryan Solle, as they were given their release from the club Friday.

Oka, who was originally signed on September 15, 2006, had an impressive preseason where scored three goals in six games. He was rewarded with his first MLS action this season when he appeared as a substitute at Chicago during the season opener on April 7. However, as soon as it appeared he was on his way to more regular playing time, he was ultimately limited to six reserve division matches afterward, where he scored two goals and recorded one assist.

Solle was drafted in the second round (25th overall) of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft in January, and looked primed to join his Wake Forest teammate, Revolution first round pick Wells Thompson, in the New England midfield this season. Although he did not record any first team minutes, Solle played in all eight reserve division matches, and recorded one assist during the season. He was also one of the primary corner kick specialists for the reserve squad this season.

Finally, the Revolution also announced that they had obtained FC Dallas’ natural first-round selection in the 2008 Supplemental Draft for “salary budget considerations.”

What this seemingly “minor” move may entail is two-fold. One, it appears that the front office may have traded off open salary cap space for the additional selection next year, which may shut the door on the Revolution making a major acquisition this season. Secondly, it may also indicate that manager Steve Nicol may already be eyeing another collegiate star for next season’s roster.

RIC Anchorwomen tie St. John Fisher, 2-2

Under a late-summer sky, the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen tied St. John Fisher Cardinals 2-2 during their season-opening match at the RIC Soccer Field Friday afternoon.

The guests struck early when speedy Cardinal midfielder Mary Dougherty netted a floater from the edge of the box at the 7-minute mark of the first half. Down one-nil going into the second half, RIC’s Lindsay Laurie took a majestic, long-ball feed from Mallary Bileau and promptly left-footed the equalizer past Cardinal keeper Ashley Martin in the 52nd minute.

Game tied at one apiece, the Anchorwomen crashed the net as senior striker Gina Calenda harnessed a wild deflection in the box and fired the ball into the back of the net, giving the Anchorwomen the 2-1 lead in the 78th minute.

Seemingly on their way to the home opening victory, RIC looked to squeeze the Cardinals attack with the one-goal advantage. However, less than two minutes later, Cardinal freshman Meagan Gee caught RIC keeper Krissie Pyzynski off her line in the 79th minute sent an amazing 28-yard lob from the left wing that landed into the far corner of the net, which gave the guests the incredible equalizer before a stunned maroon crowd.

Though the RIC Women dominated both overtime periods with three quality shots on net, the game-winner never materialized, as the game ended in a 2-2 tie.