Brown 3, URI 3

On a wet and wild Wednesday, the Brown Men’s Soccer Team played in-state rivals URI to a 3-3 tie at the URI Soccer Complex. In front of a small but boisterous crowd, Brown came from behind twice and eventually built a 3-2 lead before conceding a late equalizer and settling for a draw. Andrew Daniels ’07, Rhett Bernstein ’09 and Chris Roland ’10 tallied goals for the Bears, while Jarrett Leech ’09 earned the tie in goal.

Now, here is your (belated…sorry, I’m really busy!!) post-game report:

Before the game: The boys catch the last twenty minutes of the Brown vs. URI Women’s game and witness a dominant display of offense by Kathryn Moos ’07 and Lindsay Cunningham ’09. Brown eventually wins 4-2, improving to 9-3-3 overall. ‘Sgo Bears!!!

Warm-Up: Before a spectacular sunset that Ian Premo ’07 describes quite artfully as “sick,” the brisk, chilly weather arrives. As temperatures hit a critical point, a dense fog begins to rise up from the turf, prompting Brian Joyce ‘07 to ask where the smoke machine is stationed. Given URI’s techno/house/trans warm-up CD, it seems a less-than-outrageous question.

Kickoff – Brown gives the ball directly to a URI forward. URI begins a long period of territorial domination and forces Jarrett Leech into several difficult saves.

37th minute – So there’s a Canadian, a South African and a Polack playing soccer against a group of Americans. The Canadian gets the ball and says, “I don’t like Americans because they make too many Canadian jokes, but I’m way too polite to score,” so he passes the ball to the South African. The South African says, “I don’t like Americans either because of the CIA’s involvement with Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment, but I’m afraid that if I score too many goals I’m afraid I’ll mysteriously disappear or something,” so he passes the ball to the Polack. The Polack says, “I don’t like nets,” and kicks the ball as hard as he can into the Brown net. 1-0 URI.*

* This joke is in no way meant to demean Polish people or Polish-Americans, or to imply that people of Polish descent are intellectually inferior in any way. Except, of course, former Brown Assistant Coach Scott Wiercinski, who the Brown staff still takes great pleasure in deriding.

51st minute –Running down a thru ball from Brian Joyce ‘07, Andrew Daniels ‘07 releases a long shot that catches everyone in the stadium—including the URI goalkeeper—off guard. The keeper slips and slides as he scrambles to his right, but cannot reach the ball as it bounces tantalizingly off the inside of the post. 1-1 tie.

55thth minute – Ben Brackett ’07 leaps to head clear a ball at the top of the box. He appears to catch an elbow in the (well-conditioned) chops, and the ball falls behind the Brown defense. URI’s right winger scampers in, collects it, and slots it home. 2-1 URI.

61st minute – Brian Joyce ’07 curls in a perfect corner kick to Rhett Bernstein ’09 who leaps high and nods in his team-leading seventh goal of the year. Amazingly, six of his goals have come on headers. In fact, Brown fans are now shocked whenever Bernstein does NOT score on a header. 2-2 tie.

63rd minute – Just two minutes later, a Brown corner kick is knocked down and bobbled around by several players. Brown’s Chris Roland ’10 eventually cuts it to his left foot and hammers a shot from 18 yards out, at the top of the box. The ball takes a deflection off a URI defender and wrong-foots the keeper as it flies into the goal. 3-2 Brown.

78th minute – A URI forward slips through the Brown backline and receives a perfect thru ball. He touches it by advancing Brown keeper Jarrett Leech ’09 and calmly passes it into the goal, as the URI fans celebrate wildly. 3-3 tie.

After the game – The Brown and URI players, many of whom played together this summer, suggest trading jerseys but then realize that they would have to play the remainder of the season without their jerseys. Maybe when you’re pros, boys!

Final Score: Brown 3, URI 3

Overall Record: 8-3-2
Ivy Record: 2-1-1
Next Match: Saturday, October 21st vs. Cornell