Anchorwomen look primed for playoff action

Who: Rhode Island College Anchorwomen vs. Plymouth State University Panthers

When: October 30, 2007 at 3:30pm

Where: RIC Soccer Field, Providence, RI

Forecast: 62 degrees and sunny

The Little East Conference women’s soccer semi-finals will pit the fourth-seeded Anchorwomen (9-8-1 overall, 4-3 conference) against the fifth-seeded Panthers (8-8, 3-4) on Tuesday, as both teams are coming off of very different season-finale results. RIC lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to sixth-place Southern Maine over the weekend, despite the promise of first-round playoff bye with a victory. PSU rode the wave of a three-match win streak that continued on Saturday with a resounding 5-0 result over UMass-Boston.

On paper, the Anchorwomen appear to be well tuned for the low-scoring protocol of playoff soccer. RIC only allowed one goal in its final four matches, due in large part to the defending corps led by senior co-captain Kerry Donahue, and the sensational goalkeeping of freshman Maddie Pirri (0.73 GAA). Up front, the Anchorwomen are no slouches either, with Lindsay Laurie and Brittney Godbout leading the way in goals with five apiece. Senior strikers Gina Calenda (4 G, 2 A) and Jessica Cardinal (4, 2 A), both of whom recorded ten points during the regular season, have undoubtedly bolstered the RIC attack this year.

Rest assured, Plymouth State won’t simply bask on its postseason laurels. Although the Panthers allowed a whopping 40 goals in 16 matches this season, their aggressive attack is spearheaded by striker Alex Marcel, who led the team in goals (8) and points (18) and bettered the “one goal every other game” standard for strikers in fifteen matches. Additionally, striking partner Jamie Coombs chipped in five goals of her own, while Georgia Rooney (2 G, 7 A) held down a midfielding corps that scored a total of thirteen goals, giving PSU a well-rounded attack that can seemingly strike from anywhere.

During the regular season head-to-head match back on October 13th in Providence, the Anchorwomen dominated the first half, scoring two goals before halftime. But in the second half, the Panthers slowly crept right back to tie it at 2-2, and forced the match into overtime. It wasn’t until Abby Hummel’s strike toward the far post in the 94th minute that finally separated the clubs. Coincidentally, the overtime thriller clinched a playoff berth for the maroon and gold.

As with any playoff match, the x-factor will be defending, and the Anchorwomen appear to have the upper hand based on total goals allowed (29-40) throughout the season. Along with home field advantage, the Anchorwomen look primed to extend their season beyond October 30th.

Donuts anyone?

Sometimes, it really is better to be lucky than good.

That sentiment proved to be truth when New England Revolution faced off against their Eastern Conference counterparts on Saturday night. For their part, the Revs were offensively overmatched, and painfully lacked the creative flair that the Red Bulls so prominently showcased in front of the Giants Stadium faithful. Lucky for them that, for all of the Red Bull artistry, the home club failed to find the back of the net.

“Lucky” was certainly the operative word for the Revs Saturday night. New England was lucky to have an elite MLS keeper who stopped every laser and point blank shot fired in his direction. Lucky to have a questionable non-call go their way when it appeared Avery John had put one of his mitts on a Dane Richards ball inside the box during stoppage time. Lucky to leave to the Meadowlands with the series still dead even, despite the fact that the attack was essentially ex parte for much of the proceedings.

All luck aside, props must be given to the Red Bulls, who came out energized in the opening minutes, with Francis Doe, Dane Richards and Juan Pablo Angel starring as the offensive catalysts for Bruce Arena & Co. The speedy and elusive Doe dazzled the home crowd with electric moves straight out of the Anklebreakers textbook, giving the Revolution backs much to chew on in the first half.

Holding back a lethal front line of Angel and an emerging Doe was no simple task, and much of the credit must be given to Jay Heaps, Avery John, and Michael Parkhurst, not to mention Matt Reis, who literally saved his club from what appeared to be a sure deficit in this aggregate series.

But while the backline fought like a phalanx of battle-hardened centurions, it was the Revolution strikers who collectively dressed themselves as Jimmy Hoffa four nights prior to All Hallow’s Eve, as they appeared to the first leg of the playoff party conspicuously absent. They failed to match the Red Bulls’ firepower for much of the match, leaving the onus of keeping the score close squarely on the defenders. Although brief spurts of offense emerged near the hour mark, the fact that the first Revolution shot on goal didn’t occur until the 56^th minute is quite telling of the club’s offensive ineptitude Saturday night.

Matters surely weren’t helped with Andy Dorman chained to the bench for the entire match, as the explosive Red Bull attack showed no signs of letting off the accelerator. Having recognized this, Nicol deferred to James Riley late, rather than Dorman, in order to preserve the match at nil-nil.

So where does this place the Revs come Saturday night? The defending valiantly proved its postseason mettle, and the shots that did get through were duly blocked – often in breathtaking fashion – by Reis, the consummate MLS playoff keeper. The club’s leaders would be wise to allocate an extra playoff share or two for him in light of his all-world performance.

Defending aside, the Revolution must challenge the Red Bulls with far greater frequency – and potency – than they did over the weekend. Pat Noonan has eleven career goals against New York, and Taylor Twellman’s track record against their I-95 foes is also remarkable as well (10 goals). The attack was often unimaginative and stale, due in large part to a formation that puts Ralston in the middle rather than the right, where his remarkable crosses have been greatly missed. With him in the middle, the offense itself is often bland, as evidenced by five consecutive matches wherein the Revs have failed to simply muster more than two goals. Not coincidentally, the last time the Revolution overwhelmed their opponents was on September 15^th against FC Dallas – a game in which Dorman started. The excuse that low-scoring affairs are characteristic of playoff soccer holds less water than a desert dam when two of the league’s best forward tandems reside in your starting eleven.

Nicol’s endeavor into the Ralston-in-the-middle-experiment has garnered less than lukewarm results. Quite simply, the Revolution skipper is not the man best suited for attacking mid slot that the exiled Dorman had performed so well in earlier this season. Of course, the dreaded “c” word lingers above the lanky mid – “consistency”, or in his case, lack thereof. To remedy this, Nicol must find a way to get his regular attacking midfielder back on track. How does he go about doing this? A start against a club that Dorman has enjoyed success against may just do the trick.

That being said, the Revolution need to come onto the pitch with all of its working pieces in place. Ralston on the right, Dorman in the middle, and Thompson coming off the bench should the need arise. Otherwise, an encore of last Saturday night may ensue come this Saturday at Gillette Stadium, where all of the weight of playoff drama may once again fall back onto the shoulders of Heaps, Parkhurst, John and Reis – all of whom may not be able to once again withstand another prolonged Red Bull assault.

The (groggy and discombobulated) Friday morning rant

A few lingering thoughts from last night as I took the elevator to the second floor this morning:

1. After flipping to the DC United-Chicago Fire in between innings of Game 2 of the World Series, I’ll know when MLS becomes big when the MLS playoffs are sponsored by the motion picture American Gangster.

2. As goofy as he can sometimes be (I’m still laughing about his “streetfight” comment during the Columbus-New England Thursday night match back in May), I love Rob Stone. Because while Red Sox Nation is drenched in “Soxtober”, the unintentionally funny Stone phrased a term of his own for the MLS playoffs: “Socctober.” Kinda corny, but I’ll roll with it.

Additionally, I like how Stone opened up the pre-game, stating that MLS does not need a single-table format, a la EPL, La Liga, and just about every major European league in the world. I wholeheartedly agree. I love all kinds of soccer, including many leagues in which I may never see first-hand ever in my life (unless business calls me to Turkey, so I can catch my favorite Turkcell Super Lig club, Fenerbahce). But for my money, and time, MLS takes the cake for me. Sure, improvements can be made, but many of those should remain loyal to the American style of sport, like having playoffs, the biggest showcase for any sport.

3. I had a horrible dream last night about the first leg of the NY-NE first round matchup that can be summed up in three words and three numbers: Red Bull 4, Revolution 0, 13th minute.

4. Speaking of tomorrow’s Revs-Red Bull match, I’d like to thank MLS for having it broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel, which to this day, is only available on digital cable here in RI. Of course, with the Sox and Rockies starting a little after 8pm, the second half of the match may be spent with me feverishly flipping back and forth between channels at residence to be named later.

5. In light of Stephen Colbert’s recent announcement in his bid for the White House in 2008, I would like to propose that, should a catastrophic event prevent such a sure thing, Mr. Colbert seek the MLS Commissioner’s throne. No offense to Don Garber – he’s doing a splendid job, and I say that without reservation – but it’s my belief that the League could use some bears on the sidelines. And monkeys. And chimpanzees. You know, for the kids.

6. I still can’t believe that the collegiate season’s coming to an end in the next week or so. The thought that my workweek and Saturday afternoon lifeblood will soon dry brings a figurative tear to my eye. No more Anchormen/women soccer? What’ll I do when it’s over? Start my Christmas shopping?

7. Good luck to the Anchorwomen this weekend in the quaint town of Gorham, ME, just west of Portland. With a win there against University of Southern Maine, RIC will have clinched not only a first-round bye in the LEC playoffs, but a semi-final home game on November 2nd. Go Anchorwomen!

Tuesday Rant

As I sit here looking out the office window at wonderful splashes of vivid oranges and reds, burnt browns, and bright yellows, I cannot believe that it’s October 23rd, and the college soccer season is nearing an end.

Prior to this season, I didn’t have much of an interest in the college game. As I was busy following the Revolution and Stingrays, the idea of college soccer hadn’t even been a passing thought. But after reading Gregg Easterbrook’s TMQ, and absorbing observations from small-college football teams, it inspired me to do the same, in terms of college soccer. Thus, a new window to the game was opened, and what a Ticonderoga-sized window that proved to be.

I sit here in the exact spot where I first took it upon myself to follow college soccer. I looked toward my two alma maters – RIC and CCRI – and hashed out which school and which squad (men’s or women’s) I’d choose as my primary candidate for additional soccer writing chores. I ended up choosing the RIC sides, but as the season wore on, the RIC Anchorwomen became “my” team.

There’s something in the collegiate game that is absent from pro soccer. A remarkable innocence of the game still resides on the pitches of colleges and universities. A wonderful sense of community prevails. The crowd energy is much different, though still spirited nonetheless, as the majority of them are parents and friends of the players before them. In other words, they literally love the players, and their enthusiasm is touchingly clear.

Tonight, the RIC Anchormen will face off against Amherst College in one of the final RIC home matches of the season. I cannot believe how quickly the season has transpired. It seems as if the RIC-St. John’s Fisher College back on a hot and muggy August 31st afternoon just took place. Now, as the leaves began to retreat from the trees, the number of visits to the RIC Soccer Field has dwindled down to three.

Forget the Sox in the World Series, or the Patriots rolling over the competition. The Rhode Island College soccer teams occupy the first priority slot in my universe right now.

Sunday Morning Striker: Preseason predictions revisited, plus Revs draw 2-2 to TFC

Prognostications are fun. They’re especially fun when looking back at them in hindsight after the events predicted come to wonderful fruition…or when the winning numbers on a PowerBall ticket are foretold.

Therefore, Sunday Morning Striker invites you on a journey back to the cool month of April to discover what an untarnished and clear-minded SMS had to say about the upcoming season:

(Note: The following piece – “2007 New England Revolution Season Preview” – was originally published on April 6, 2007 at SMS’s brainchild, houseofsoccer.blogspot.com)

So now that the good and the bad have been discussed, what type of a season can Revs fans reasonably expect? Well, without further ado, here is a prediction: 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, and an accompanying playoff run. DC United will finish ahead again for the second year in a row.

Do the Revs have the talent to make another MLS Cup appearance? On paper, the answer is yes. On the pitch, the answer is no. There are simply too many variables working against another repeat appearance for the navy and red contingent, most notably the losses of Deuce and Pepe.

With that, it is time for me to slip the noose over my head. See you in DC come November!

Other flimsy predictions:

2007 record (W-D-L): 14-10-8, 52 points (2nd place, Eastern Conference). Almost got it right there! Although the win-draw-loss record (14-8-8, 50 points) isn’t entirely accurate, the win total was exact, and the points are pretty darn close. Then, with DC United finishing ahead of them in the Eastern Conference, SMS has to admit that he was sweating this prediction a bit while Tom Soehn’s team was awash in early-season mediocrity. But the MLS season is a marathon, and not a sprint – and thus, SMS stood by his predictions with his fail-safe guarantee: all predictions right, or the next one’s free.

Reserve Team Record: 5-3-3. In hindsight, SMS is puzzled why he even attempted to predict this one. Perhaps he was trying to one-up his journalistic counterparts by even factoring in the reserve division into his litany of predictions. Or maybe he was just trying to spotlight his preview of his breakthrough, almost-off-the-ground Revolution Rookie Report website (which is still in its fetal stage, unfortunately). For the record, the Reserve division went 6-3-1, but SMS was within one point of predicting the exact point total.

Team MVP: Taylor Twellman. Ok, this not SMS’s boldest prediction. Maybe this one was a “gimme” – but anything can happen! Twellman stepped up with another fine season, tallying 16 goals while polishing his status as an elite MLS striker, despite missing five matches due to injury and national team obligations.

Golden Boot: Taylor Twellman. Another gimme. This category and its predecessor pretty much go hand in hand.

Best Defender: Michael Parkhurs.. While the Revs backline has been sporadically shaky throughout the season, Parky’s been the most consistent defender on the squad, bar none. Want to challenge SMS on that? Go ahead and tell SMS – completely sober and drug-free – that there was a better Revolution defender.

Rookie of the Year: Adam Cristman. Why stop at just team rookie of the year? Cristman is the leading candidate for MLS Rookie of the Year honors! Granted, alot of people (including SMS) were raving about first rounder Wells Thompson’s performance during preseason training. But it was Cristman, who scored an impressive six goals before the bell sounded on the late-winter schedule – that really separated himself from Thompson with an uncanny knack for putting the ball in the back of the net.

Supersub: Wells Thompson. Again, is there any really debate with this one? Wellsie came off the bench in 16 of 26 MLS matches this season, and exhibited great versatility by playing on both sides. Of course, his status didn’t diminish when he recorded a crucial goal in the US Open Cup Final against FC Dallas earlier this month.

MLS All-Stars: Parkhurst, Twellman, Joseph, Reis and Ralston. 100% accurate, thank you very much. Maybe it was another freebie, but cases could have been made for Andy Dorman and Pat Noonan prior the season. But SMS knew that due to prior injury past (Noonan) and the dreaded underrated label (Dorman), his All-Star predictions would prove to be prescient.

First Reolution player to take out David Beckham on August 12th: Shalrie Joseph. N/A. Beckham never graced the Gillette Stadium pitch, thus ruining this prediction, and ruining a prime opportunity for Ivan Gazidis to suspend the Grenadian.

Toughest match: October 6, at Chicago. It was tough – Chicago had playoff fortunes on the line, Blanco wreaked havoc on the Revs, and the local lads just could not muster the necessary firepower to overtake a hungrier Chi-town side. Conversely, Reis was assaulted with Fire shots in the second half, and couldn’t withstand the barrage, as the Revs lost 2-1.

First goal: Pat Noonan, at Chicago (April 7). Wrong. Just flat out wrong. Noonan didn’t score his first goal of the season June 16th against Columbus, and the Revs were shut out in Chicago. SMS takes his mulligan right here.

First red card: Shalrie Joseph, at FC Dallas (April 29). Close – SJ recorded said red card four days later at DC in front of a national audience on ESPN2’s MLS Prime Time Thursday (which surely played right into the hands of Gazidis).

First clean sheet: April 14, vs. Toronto. DING DING DING!!!

First mid-season departure: Shalrie Joseph, to Celtic FC. SMS looks back in nervous laughter at this one in light of the recent news that Joseph just signed a contract extension this past week. How happy is he now? SMS won’t speculate, but third-person soccer journalists never take a class player like Joseph for granted. Whatever he asked for, SMS hopes he received it.

Next player to be at the center of a transfer rumor: Michael Parkhurst. This was the “hot” rumor when the media got bored writing about the Joseph rumors. The shroud of secrecy concerning MLS player contracts is only one rung below the manifesto of “enemy combatants” at Guantanamo Bay – all of whom have slightly better deals than those under developmental contracts! Where would Parky go should he be transferred for money that will ultimately not be used? Anyone’s guess is as good as SMS’s.

Most Interesting Non-Chicago Game: May 19 at Houston. This one was a yawner, with the Revs scoring early courtesy of Shalrie Joseph in the 9th minute, and then, doing their best to defend, defend, defend after that. Perhaps the most interesting non-Chicago match was the September 15th affair against FC Dallas. Not only because the Revs clinched their playoff tickets with the 4-2 win, but it was a stunning display of an aggressive attack after being flat-out embarrassed at DC a week prior.

Back to reality: In news up north, the Revs and Toronto FC squared off in the regular season finale at the magnificently-built BMO Field. This was the first trip up north for the Revolution, who looked to finish the 2007 campaign on a high note before the playoffs next week.

Anywho, the Revs kicked off to begin the match, and guess who was back on the bench? Second leading scorer Andy Dorman! Aiyeeeeeeeeeee! Now, SMS is no former Liverpool-playing, MLS-coaching Scotsman, but what in God’s name is your second-leading scorer doing on the bench when your offense has been stale during the previous three matches. But SMS digresses…for now.

Back to the match: Taylor Twellman fired a groundball to the Toronto keeper in the second minute, as the Revs looked keen to acquire a goal early on.

Non-soccer thought: Bank of America was an official sponsor of the Comcast Sportsnet telecast from BMO Field. BMO Bank, mind you, is the national bank of Canada. Wonder which has more money?

Then, in an stomach-turning sequence in the eighth minute, the Revs defending became inexplicably limp when Andrea Lombardo took a ball near midfield and fed it to a wide open Colin Samuel, who punched a shot that was safely smothered by Matt Reis.

Amazingly, the open MLS player audition that is the Toronto FC roster (40 different players have showed up for the Reds this season alone), perhaps sensing a bit of complacency on the Revolution end, attacked like a side with nothing to lose. Who would have thunk it? To their credit, they almost found the back of the net a couple of occasions before the ball trotted out toward their end of the pitch, where the Revolution were able to secure a corner kick shortly thereafter.

In a hilarious scene, Steve Ralston, doing his best to properly line up his ball before the corner flag on a CK, was caught in the midst of a sudden downpour of red and white streamers courtesy of the Toronto supporters. After a bit of a delay from untangling himself from the paper tentacles, the steely vet finally launched a long outswinger that failed to find an onrushing teammate.

Back defending, the Revs were once again pressed intermittently by the “who-dats” of the Toronto FC front line. Though they did well to keep the ball away from Reis after the initial onrush of Toronto shots, it wasn’t until minute 21 that the Revs finally pressed forward with Pat Noonan leading the way. The striker traversed through the Reds backs and fired a low shot that clanked off the far post, as the Revs turned back upfield empty handed.

By the half hour mark, the Revs still searched for paydirt against a squad they had scored seven goals against in two prior matches. But with their backs so often in the shadow of their own goals, the local eleven struggled to assemble the necessary numbers to move forward.

By the 40^th minute, a perfect four-word phrase was uttered by analyst Brad Feldman when describing a lofty Noonan shot toward goal: “to no great effect.” No kidding! The Revs seemed like they were playing with a collective hangover, as the attack looked lethargic, and the Reds taking advantage of their distracted opponents.

As the Revs sputtered toward the finish line of the first half, it seemed as if they were doomed to head back to the locker room at the half with the scoreline knotted at zero.

That was until Michael Parkhurst alertly took a loose ball near center circle, looked up field, and noticed the Toronto keeper Kenny Stamatopoulos well off his line. One touch, two touch, and the defender sent a ball cleared for take off, picked up altitude, served pretzels and soda as the pilot flashed the “fasten your seatbelts” sign, before it descended over the outstretched arm of Stamatopoulos and into the bottom of the net in the second minute of stoppage time.

Fresh from the locker room , the Revs kicked off the second half seemingly energized by the Parkhurst’s circus goal, as the Revs set up for corner kick in the 48^th minute. Ralston whipped an inswinger toward the duo of Twellman and Jeff Larentowicz before Twellman ultimately put a head on it and pushed it top shelf past Stamatopoulos for the second goal of the match.

Though he wasn’t about to argue with the results, SMS was pleased to see Andy Dorman finally freed from his bench sentence in the 51^st minute, when he came on for Wells Thompson. But instead of taking his usual freewheeling attacking mid role, the lanky Welshman was earmarked for the right, as Ralston remained in the middle.

Nevertheless, the Revs attack remained potent, with their muskets loaded and bayonets sharpened. But before they found another goal, Toronto held back the Revolution attack, and set up a quick counterattack that died seconds later.

Just before the hour mark, the home side pressed hard against the Revs back line when Marvell Wynne tangoed with Khano Smith for the ball before the box. Wynne, with little room, finally took hold the ball and nailed a shot that ricocheted off the near post. However, the ball skipped right toward Samuel, who slid into the deflection and directed the ball toward the corner of the far post for the first Toronto goal in the 59^th minute.

The Reds searched for the equalizer in the 82^nd minute when Robinson took a free kick from the right channel and fired it into the mixer, where the ball bounced anxiously between red shirts until Smith fired the ball down field.

Nursing a one-goal lead with time winding down in regulation, the Revs tried to keep the Reds at bay. Yet, the Reds were not about to concede the so-called meaningless match, and organized the attack in the 92^nd minute. Tyler Hemming sent a high pass from midfield toward the box, where Jay Heaps uprooted its intended target, Chris Pozniak – but the referee signaled play on. The ball then squirted to Robinson, and immediately fed it to the right to Danny Dichio, who side volleyed a quick, 18-yard arching ball that… floated…(oh no!)…just…over…Reis…and under the bar for the equalizer. Aiyeeeeeeeeeee! What say you? A late-goal given up the Revs back line? Surely, you jest!

Seconds later, the match ended, and the Revs once again left points on the pitch yet again, as they drew 2-2 to Toronto FC.

THREE PENNY ANALYSIS: Surprisingly, analyst Greg Lalas called this match a “bye week” for the Revs, with their playoff tickets punched, and the playoff matchups already set. What? Are you kidding me?

Well, apparently, the Revs must have been listening, because they played with the lackluster of a team that simply mailed it in during the first half, as they seemed to simply play out the remainder of the match await the more important one next week in New York. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Parky’s fluke goal, the Revs would have been chained to a pathetic one-goal effort.

If there’s one intangible so grossly overlooked by statheads and analysts, it’s the idea of momentum. It could be argued that the Revs end of season momentum in 2006 really catapulted them to within minutes of achieving the MLS Cup. A bye week? I don’t think so less-famous Lalas brother.

Now, if you take away the silly Pakurst and Dichio goals, the match still ends in a draw, so it’s fair to say that while the Revs controlled the ball for much of the second half, they ran into an energized expansion side north of the border. Of course, the Dichio goal was a microcosm of the back line’s recent troubles. Why did Nicol insert Riley for Smith, and plug him right into the midfield, rather than dropping him back? God and Nicol only know, but the move proved costly.

So, there you have it. Instead of marching into the playoffs riding the wave of victory, the Revs will instead stumble in, with their tails between their legs, after drawing to an expansion team in the final regular season match. SMS hates to say it, but he must: the Dichio goal may be the undoing of the Revs come playoff. That goal killed any potential momentum going into Game 1 next week.

Taylor Twellman career MLS goal tally: 91 and counting…

Speaking of Twellman….where were you at 10:39pm ET on Sunday night? If you were watching Game 7 of the American League Championship Series live from Fenway Park on Fox, you saw a close shot of an unidentified (by the announcing team), blonde-haired fan with a beverage in his hand enjoying the game.

Another Revolution Marketing idea: Two words – “Revolution streamers”.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: Before Colin Samuel’s goal at the 59^th minute, Toronto had gone 239 minutes without scoring a goal against Matt Reis.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Danny Dichio’s goal in the 92^nd minute made it three of the last four matches in which the Revs have allowed a game-tying or game-winning goal after the 60^th minute.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: Michael Parkhurst’s David Blaine goal just before the end of the first half was the first of his three-year MLS career.

Stat of the Match, Part 4: The Revs have failed to beat an opponent with a worse record than theirs in each of their last three matches.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: Last year, the Revs closed out the regular season on a 5-0-2 tear. This year, the Revs went a mediocre 2-3-2 in their final seven matches.

SMS Alma Mater Update: It was a perfect week in every respect for the Anchorwomen, and they kicked it off with a 2-0 road victory at Westfield State College. Kristina Haughey and Linsday Laurie each netted a goal in the shutout victory up in – you guessed it – Westfield, MA.

Yesterday, RIC continued its shutout streak by beating Eastern Connecticut State University 1-0 at RIC Soccer Field on Senior Day. And who better to team up on the game’s lone goal than a pair of seniors? Kerry Donahue whipped a perfect free kick from thirty five yards right to Abby Hummel, who headed home the only goal necessary, as the maroon and gold beat their Little East Conference rivals. More importantly, the win moved RIC into outside pole position in the LEC standings, and ensured them of an all-important home playoff game come the end of the month.

Anchorwomen, SMS enthusiastically salutes all of you, and looks forward to catching the home playoff match later this month.

US Women’s National Team update: The WNT closed out their 2007 schedule with a rather disappointing 1-1 tie to Mexico yesterday, as Heather O’Reilly and Monica Ocampo each scored for their clubs. In net for the fourth consecutive match was Briana Scurry, who held down the fort as best she could while Hope Solo was a no-show once again. With the draw, the US WNT has gone 3-1-1 in their last five matches since the controversial goalkeeper switch.

It’s absolutely fair to say that the aura of invincibility that once surrounded this team has been tarnished, but it’s unfair to say that it’s entirely Greg Ryan’s fault. The club’s vulnerabilities (defending, creativity) became its undoing against Brazil, and nearly became its undoing against North Korea.

With the 2007 fixture list completed, will there be wholesale changes come next year for the WNT? Which players have achieved their final caps? Stay tuned for more drama in 2008. In the meantime, SMS would also like to salute the WNT for their many, MANY successes in 2007, and went 18-1-4, which by SMS’s estimation, is a hell of a year for any squad!

Join us next week after the first leg of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where SMS will focus his entire attention to the match itself, and will bypass the extracurricular tidbits for a later date. Thanks to the powers that be, the match will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel, which is only available on digital cable in RI. Thanks MLS! But fear not, as SMS will find a way to deliver the best post-match critique that money could buy. Fortunately, on an exclusive basis, SMS will provide said commentary to the first 100 Revolution fans free of charge! Get here early!

Donahue, Hummel lead RIC to victory on Senior Day; clinch playoff berth

On a cool and overcast autumn afternoon, the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen warmed up the home crowd with a gritty 1-0 win over Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday.

The Anchorwomen, who also honored their seniors in a touching pre-match ceremony, were challenged by an ESCU squad that had entered the match riding an astonishing 465-minute streak of shutout soccer, and looked poised to extend the streak even further.

Early on, both clubs searched to establish the attack, as possession was fairly even after the first twenty minutes. The two-headed monster of Gina Calenda and Lindsay Laurie began to menace the Warrior backs halfway through the half as RIC began to tilt the possession scales in their favor.

With the scaffolding removed, the potent Anchorwomen attack began to elicit desperate measures from their opponents, and the Warriors were forced to foul in the 28th minute, setting up a free kick from about 35-yards. Appropriately enough on Senior Day, a pair of seniors hooked up on the a set piece strike when senior defender Kerry Donahue curled it perfectly toward a gaggle of white and blue jerseys up front before senior midfielder Abby Hummel thumped a header that lodged itself in the back of the net for the one-goal lead.

As the second half commenced, the proceedings began to get even chippier with both clubs trading jabs in the midfield. To his credit, referee Tony Reis refused to make himself a part of the game, as he allowed the players to simply play.

But as tempers began to flare near the hour mark, Reis did well to keep the match from becoming a multi-card UFC event after Kristina Haughey battled Melissa Roy for the ball near the right channel before Roy brought her down. But before Roy was booked, Haughey kicked back at the Warrior midfielder, to which Reis immediately rewarded with a red card, thus leaving the home side a player down with close to thirty minutes remaining.

Unfazed by the dismissal of their teammate, the Anchorwomen hunkered down on defense stood up a impressive Warrior attack that had scored seventeen goals in its previous five matches. Led by Donahue and Mallary Bileau, the backline became an impenetrable fortress, as the Anchorwomen held on for the win.

With the victory over their Little East Conference rivals, RIC clinched not only a playoff berth, but a home field playoff match either on October 30th or November 2nd.

Are the wheels coming off the Revolution wagon?

Make no mistake: the Revolution before us has become a hollow husk of its early season self. Forget the stats and results. The most telling sign of the argument is this: come match time of the regular season finale Saturday afternoon, the Revs second-leading scorer may once again be relegated to bench duty.

Why? Because that’s precisely where Andy Dorman began the last two matches. Granted, the attacking midfielder hasn’t been the dazzling, red-hot form that saw him clinch seven goals in the first fifteen games of the season. But then again, like all soccer players, he hit a bit of a lull, and before his sails could feel the strong breeze necessary to push him back on track, manager Steve Nicol benched one of his primary goal scorers. But why?

Perhaps the answer may, in part, lie in the defensive struggles of a team that has allowed more decisive late-match goals than it would care to. Though the Revs still sit close enough to the head table to allow themselves a playoff run, the fact remains that the club will go nowhere fast with a back line that has allowed crucial late-game goals in three of its last four MLS matches. Adding to this concern is that starter Avery John has been sidelined with a left knee strain that has kept him out of action since September 29th match against Colorado.

In an attempt to shore up a back line that has deserted its stellar 2006 form, Nicol has recently tinkered with his starting eleven like a mad scientist. Last Saturday, he dropped winger Steve Ralston to the back, moved Wells Thompson into the starter’s role at right wing, and employed a defensive 4-4-2 rather than the preferred 3-5-2. With the emphasis on defending, a playmaker like Dorman gets lost in the shuffle, and by extension, the offense as whole suffers. The numbers don’t lie – against such “formidable” opponents like Columbus (31 points), Colorado (38 points), and Chicago (42 points), the Revs have averaged a whopping 1.33 goals per game. Despite the changes, the defense hasn’t exactly shined, either. During the same set of opponents, they’ve allowed decisive goals in the same stretch after the 60th minute against Chicago and Columbus.

To his credit, Nicol has tried to address the troubling situation before the MLS playoffs commence. Serbian defender Dusan Petrovic was brought in to help stop the bleeding, but the deal collapsed faster than his fall on the Payson Park practice pitch when he suffered a knee injury in September. With the MLS roster freeze having since expired, Nicol has resorted to shuffling the cards already dealt But in doing so, he’s sacrificed the potency of the attack, as Ralston and Dorman find themselves in roles they’re largely unaccustomed.

It’s curious as to why Nicol would simply realign and move players like chess pieces when fresh defenders are at his disposal. Kyle Helton, Marshall Leonard, Gary Flood, and Amaechi Igwe are not only healthy, but have shown themselves capable in reserve league action. In fact, Leonard would seem to be the perfect fit to take John’s left back position, since the versatile fifth-year veteran can play on both sides. Strangely, Leonard has yet to record a single minute of first team action this season, despite the club’s defensive woes.

Of course, going into Toronto and facing a club they’ve thumped to the tune of seven combined goals to none may just be the cure to what ails both the offensive and defensive ends of the spectrum. However, should the Revs come up short to another less-talented squad, it could reveal even more uncertainty about the club going into the playoffs.

Interview with US WNT Midfielder Lori Chalupny

Ask any soccer pundit or casual fan about the biggest story from last month’s Women’s World Cup, and the sure answer can be summed up in two words: Hope Solo. Much of the media, including mainstream, focused of the goalkeeping controversy that, depending upon whose views you subscribe to, cost the United States Women’s National Team the World Cup after their astonishing 4-0 loss to Brazil in the semifinals. While the spotlights focused on the tabloid-like tension between manager Greg Ryan and Hope Solo in the days after, the fact that a few players were playing tremendously during the tournament was hopelessly lost between in between the flashbulbs and front page headlines.

One such player who certainly opened some eyes was midfield Lori Chalupny, a 23-year-old native of St. Louis who plied her trade with a women’s collegiate soccer powerhouse – University of North Carolina – before playing alongside the likes of Kristine Lilly, Abby Wambach and Linsday Tarpley on the Greatest Team You’ve Never Heard Of.

In fact, the former Tar Heel wasted no time in recording her first World Cup goal against Nigeria – her 1st minute goal was the second quickest in Women’s World Cup history. Altogether, she scored two goals during her first Women’s World Cup tournament, in addition to making a name for herself on the game’s brightest stage.

Revsnet’s Brian O’Connell caught up with Lori shortly after her breakthrough performance last month in China.

Brian: With this being your first World Cup, what were your emotions like, not only arriving in China, but in the hours leading up to the match vs. North Korea?

Lori: “Being my first World Cup game, there were a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement leading up to the North Korea game. I really just tried to focus on the things that I needed to do in the game and the things the coaching staff outlined for the team. Standing on the field for the National Anthems was probably the most nerve-racking time, but once the whistle blew, the nerves went away and I could just play like normal.”

Brian: Against Nigeria, you scored that first goal right off the bat. First of all, what was going through your head right after the ball found the back of the net? Secondly, did you ever expect to score so quickly in any match, never mind a World Cup match?

Lori: “Well during the game, I didn’t even realize how quickly we scored so that wasn’t even a thought in my mind. It felt really good to get one for the team and it was really nice to have the early lead to work with. That always helps in a game of that magnitude.”

Brian: After the Group stage, your first opponent was England, and early on, it appeared that the game may end in their favor. What did the team do in the second half to really turn the attack up a few notches and score three goals within the course of 12 minutes?

Lori: “I don’t think anything out of the ordinary was said in the locker room at halftime. You have to remember, a soccer game is 90 minutes long, not 20 minutes or 45 minutes. As we always do, as a team, we just kept going after them and finally got the ball to bounce our way.”

Brian: Going into the Brazil match, was the team distracted at all by the move? It appeared that the team itself wasn’t firing on all cylinders as the game wore on.

Lori: “The goalkeeper change really had no effect on our preparation or confidence going into that game. We just really got some unlucky breaks, giving up an own goal and then getting a red card. To give Brazil credit, they are a great team and unbelievably skillful. I think as the game wore on, we started to get tired. It is hard to play a team the caliber of Brazil while a man down. I think the third goal kind of dampened our spirits and it was tough to recover.”

Brian: Lastly, I think you really established yourself as perhaps one of bright young stars on this team. Are there any “what ifs” personally that maybe you wished you could have accomplished?

Lori: “I am really proud of the way the team responded against Norway and the performance we put forth for ourselves and our country. After such a tough loss, we pulled together for our best team win of the tournament. Personally, I would have loved to come back home as champions and wish I could have done more to help the team accomplish that goal, but I am proud of what we did achieve.”

Sunday Morning Striker: Hi-Liters make their mark, beat Revs, 3-2

If you happen to be reading this from a residence/semi-permanent location within New England, you’ve surely been inundated with advertising images of numerous pumpkin-themed products. Pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin candles, pumpkin bagels, and even pumpkin-flavored lattes have been flashed before your eyes on TV and in-store signage.

Now, if you like these products, then you have much in common with Sunday Morning Striker. For SMS delights in many Autumn-related goodies and sights, which also happen to include pumpkin-themed foods, candles, drinks, and actual pumpkins! Companies like Dunkin Donuts exploit SMS’s appreciation for the pumpkin flavor by heavily promoting their Pumpkin lattes and muffins which you can combo up for a discounted price.

Like the brainwashed media gadfly he has become, SMS has unsurprisingly caved into the pumpkin craze and taken to a strict pre-match regiment of a Dunkin pumpkin muffin and pumpkin spice coffee for RIC Anchorwomen games. After all, with free admission and the lack of big guys in florescent orange jackets telling you that you’ve got to part with the beverage in your hand prior to entering, SMS takes advantage by brining in his delightful fall-themed fare. (Note: SMS realizes that RIC would rather have you purchase food at the concession, to which he does at halftime for the ubiquitous soft drink/coffee and hot dog. But in spite of free admission and no strict food or beverage policies, SMS contributes to the alumni fund to keep this good thing going.)

Yet, it seems as if every fall, there is another pumpkin-based product out there to pull a few extra Washingtons out of the wallet. I mean, c’mon: pumpkin lattes? Great idea, but you’ve got to admit, it’s becoming a bit much. Of course, there can never truly be enough pumpkin themed foods in your author’s humble opinion, as SMS awaits the day where he can purchase pumpkin soda, pumpkin sushi, and pumpkin cereal. Mmmmmmm…

And to take the fall weather a step further, how fantastic is it to watch soccer with a backdrop of fiery reds, oranges and yellow leaved maples and oaks? SMS used to think, prior to his awakening, that football was the ideal fall spectator sport. While this is true to a point, absolutely nothing beats fall soccer at the alma mater.

Speaking of pumpkins, SMS hopes that the Revolution buggy doesn’t turn into one once the clock strikes midnight on the regular season. So far, they’ve played to a 2-2-2 record since September 9th, which is hardly encouraging since their competition in that span (with the exception of DC United) all had worse records than the Revs. Two more muffins remain on the schedule; it would seem to be prime pickings for a playoff bound team to gather some steam going into the playoffs.

In related news, the Revs hosted the pumpkin muffin Crew (7-11-10) on Saturday night. Recent history tells us that if the previous to matches are indicative of anything, it’s that the Revs back line will cough up a late-equalizer, thus knotting one of the best clubs in MLS against one of the worst.

Anyway, at 7:38pm ET, the Revs trotted onto the pitch in a 4-4-2, with midfielder Steve Ralston dropping to the back and Andy Dorman relegated to the cool air surrounding the Revolution bench. The Hi-Liters (a.k.a. the Crew, for their…heck, if you don’t know why they’re called the Hi-Liters, then maybe you shouldn’t be reading this) commenced the match in gleeful fashion as they passed the ball about for the early-evening entertainment.

By the tenth minute, the Revolution had grown weary of the Columbus passing clinic and jump started an assault. Khano Smith delivered a cross that just missed its connection with an oncoming Steve Ralston having been beaten to the ball by Columbus keeper Will Hesmer.
Shortly thereafter, the Crew sprung to life with a threat in the 16th minute, after they were awarded a free kick just beyond the D. Tim Ward fired a rising laser that rose just over the bar and out of the danger.

However, the Revs found the scoreboard first in the 26th minute when Ralston launched a corner directly to the noggin of a well-positioned Taylor Twellman, who sprung from Hesmer’s welcome mat and glanced the ball into the net.

The lukewarm Columbus attack managed to press into Revolution territory in the 33rd minute, when Eddie Gaven put a ball right toward Matt Reis before the keeper cradled it. Thus concluded the one of the few abrupt, yet harmless Crew mini-me attacks.

In the final minutes of the half, Columbus continued their short sojourns toward Reis and came back yet again in the 42nd minute, as Robbie Rogers whipped a threatening cross that the red-kitted keeper adeptly extinguished, as the Crew trudged back upfield yet again without finding the back of the net.

During halftime, SMS refreshed himself with a double fist of coffee and diet Pepsi, as the official friends of SMS were frantically texting him with such tempting messages as “hot chicks at the bar…meet us there in five.” Readers, SMS bypassed another evening of beautiful females and interdisciplinary banter among his blokes about anthropology, women’s studies, and sports to deliver this extremely-biased match report!

As Half Two kicked off, the Crew inserted their Argentinean striker, Guillermo Barros Schellotto, in an attempt to ignite their stale attack. The move paid immediate dividends, and the Columbus had its pedal back to the metal early on in the second half.

Anywho, with the Hi-Liters dominating possession, the Revs tried to answer back with a quick attack in the 55th minute, but Young Wells Thompson was caught well offside. Shortly thereafter, Pat Noonan raced toward goal before giving it up to strike partner Twellman, who guided a rocket just wide of the far post in the 57th minute.

The Crew finally put on their hard hats (SMS couldn’t resist) and jackhammered through the Revs backs when Schellotto harnessed the ball in the box, and fed it forward to Robbie Rogers, who initially flicked the ball off the right post. Unluckily, the deflection went right back into the box, and Gavin cleaned it up with an easy-as-pumpkin-pie goal in the 61st minute.

The Revs backs had their hands full yet again in the 77th minute, when Gaven raced down the left channel, and caught up to the ball just before the ball passed the byline. The midfielder then took the motionless ball right on the line, looked up, and beautifully delivered the ball to teammate Stefani Miglioranzi, who raced toward goal and easily pushed the ball past the defenseless Reis for the go-ahead goal.

Shortly thereafter, Nicol made a late-match substitution as he inserted Andy Dorman for Thompson to try and revitalize the stale Revolution attack in the 82nd minute. Amazingly, it worked – though indirectly – as Ralston took the ball, and initiated a little give and go to Shalrie Joseph inside the box, then quickly took the return pass and nailed it home toward the far post in the 83rd minute.

But the joy from the equalizer didn’t last. Schellotto, the bane of the Revs back throughout the second half, strolled past the halfway line, took the ball from 25 yards out, turned his defender, and fired a groundhog through yards of open real estate that just escaped the paws of Reis into the left post in the 86th minute.

Allotted four minutes of stoppage to send the crowd home happy, the Revs tried to form a late attack. The opportunity came from a free kick awarded just inside the D, as Ralston and Larentowicz stood before the ball. Then, Larentowicz stepped up and fired a curler that died on impact at the Crew wall, as the Revolution faded quietly into the cool New England night, giving up a sour 3-2 loss to the Crew.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: The last time the Revs beat Columbus was during last season’s final regular season match, winning a 1-0.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: For the third consecutive game this season, the Crew tallied a goal at 85th minute or later goal against the Revs.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: The sixth-place Crew has now scored three goals against the Revs twice this season. The only other club to record three or more goals twice against the Revs this season is first-place DC United (3-0 on 8/5, and 4-2 on 9/2).

Stat of the Match, Part 4: Since clinching a playoff berth on September 15th, the Revs are 1-2-1 in MLS action.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: After coming in as a 2nd half sub, Guillermo Barros Schellotto took only one shot on goal – the game-winner in the 86th minute.

THREEPENNY ANALYSIS: The Revs looked good early, despite intermittent Columbus attacks, and looked poised to impose their will going into the second half up 1-0. But when Schellotto entered the match in the second half, the momentum slid toward the Crew, as the Argentinean became the offensive catalyst that the guests had lacked in the first frame.

The Revs struggled to contain Schellotto, and the striker showed no mercy, as exemplified by his amazing 86th minute game-winner in which he simply took James Riley to school on, and then fired a missile that lodged itself into the left corner of the net. The Revs just could not find answer to his artistry, and just failed to spark anything offense thereafter.

Once again, the Revs failed to wrap up what should have been at least one point against a much lesser squad.

Random soccer-related thought: After scoring his 90th career MLS goal Saturday night, SMS strongly feels that there should be some sort of club-sponsored countdown banner devoted to Taylor Twellman’s march to 100 goals.

Trick or treat! The Gillette Stadium pitch came to the match disguised as a football field.

Sunday Morning Striker End of Season Award announcement: Prior to the match, the team trophies were handed to the club’s top performers. In recognition of this event, SMS has created his own award: “Most Improved Player since an SMS bashing.”

All season, SMS harped on a certain left-sided midfielder who’s more known for his wild crosses and shot than his curiously-stylish “brohawk” hairdo. A gentleman who, to his credit, kept at it, and actually put together a nice streak of well-played matches down the stretch. The man who nearly put a Rodney Harrison hit on Jay Heaps after scoring his first goal of the season against FC Dallas.

So without further ado, the winner of this year’s award goes to…Khano Smith!

SMS Alma Mater update: The Anchorwomen began the week on a rough note, with a heartbreaking 1-0 double-overtime loss to Roger Williams University on Columbus Day Monday. Freshman keeper Maddie Pirri did well to keep RWU off the board until Hawks forward Amanda daCunha spoiled the clean sheet performance in the 104th minute.

RIC then traveled to Bridgewater State College and dropped a tough 3-2 loss on the road. Brittney Godbout and Kerry Donahue trallied a goal apiece in the losing effort, as the maroon and gold came up a goal short.

Finally, the victory that eluded them all week was finally achieved on Saturday afternoon at the RIC Soccer Field, where Donahue and Krista MacKinnon scored the fist two goals against Plymouth State University. But PSU answered with a pair of its own in the second half, knotting the score at two, and sending the match to OT. But Abby Hummel ended the OT on her own account, with a wicked shot that lodged itself into the far corner for the much-deserved 3-2 win.

US Women’s Nation Team feature: The WNT saw its first action since the World Cup on Saturday night as for the first of three consecutive matches against Mexico. Unfortunately, the match was not televised live from Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, and with the Revs-Crew match starting at half an hour prior to US-Mexico, SMS was relegated to following via MatchTracker during half time at Gillette. Luckily, our women thumped their Mexican counterparts 5-1, after initially going down 0-1 in the sixth minute.

SMS really doesn’t want to go there, but he will: The whole Hope Solo controversy, which has been skewered, stewed, baked, fried, boiled, broiled, grilled and roasted by the media, has led SMS to conclude that there really is no such thing as bad publicity. Don’t believe SMS? Go ahead – try to order a Hope Solo jersey from ussoccerstore.com.

Join us again after the regular season finale against Toronto FC, where SMS will revisit his pre-season predictions, and comment on how close he was to predicting the exact record of the Revs this season, among other prognostications. Want a good laugh? Just see how far off he was in his prediction of the first Revolution player departure!

Hummel helps Anchorwomen take OT thriller, 3-2

The RIC Anchorwomen finally broke their overtime jinx and prevailed in the added frame off an Abby Hummel goal in the 94th minute, as the maroon and gold beat Plymouth State University 3-2 on a crisp early-Saturday afternoon.

The possession scales favored the home side for much fo the first half, and they duly capitalized in the 38th minute off a counterattack, as Krista McKinnon glided through the Panther defenders and fired a hard shot and tucked it under the far corner for the opening goal.

Less than five minutes later, RIC found the back of the net yet again when defender Kerry Donahue pushed forward and fired a curling rocket from the left channel that sailed past PSC keeper Ashley Riberdy in the 41st minute.

Riding the two-goal lead, RIC looked intent on taking the victory until the 62nd minute, when Stacy DiSabato fired a free kick that initially landed in the clutches of RIC keeper Krissie Pyrzynski. But the senior keeper failed to corral it, and Alex Marcel pounced on the rebound for the PSC goal.

The guests’ offensive momentum continued in 71st minute, as the Plymouth State side found themselves deep in the RIC end, as a scramble for the ball ensued in the 6-yard box. Then, Georgia Rooney finally put a foot on the ball and thwacked it into the net for the equalizer.

After the game remained tied after regulation, the Anchorwomen anxiously headed into overtime with a 0-5-1 record in their previous six extra-time affairs. But any apprehension about another heartbreaker dissolved less than four minutes into the first OT when Hummel took the ball near the right corner of the box, and beat Riberdy far post for the glorious game-winning goal.