RHODE ISLAND UNIVERSITY

[Frank Cunha]

EX Rhode Island Gotsmanov signed with Minnesota Thunder


03/03/07 - Thunder Adds Two More Players to 2007 Roster


Goalkeeper Platter Returns, Forward Gotsmanov Comes Home



ST. PAUL, Minn. (Saturday, March 3, 2007) – The Minnesota Thunder announced today that it has signed two more players, including Woodbury native Alexander “Sasha” Gotsmanov through the 2008 season. Goalkeeper Nicolas Platter will also return for his third stint with the team and has signed through the 2009 season.



Gotsmanov comes to the Thunder after spending the last two seasons with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Gotsmanov was a standout player at Woodbury High School where he was named to the All-State team three seasons and earned All-Midwest and All-American honors in 2000.



Gotsmanov played his collegiate soccer at the University of Rhode Island where he completed his career fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 89 points. In his senior season he led the entire nation with 19 goals and 46 points.



He was drafted by the Rapids in 2005 as a developmental player. Gotsmanov was the leading scorer for the Rapids Reserve Team as he scored six goals and had three assists in 12 games, good enough for a fifth place tie overall in the MLS Reserve Division. That same season he was voted the most valuable player on the reserve squad.



In 2006 Gotsmanov was loaned to the Thunder for six games where he logged 202 total minutes.



“We got a good chance to look as Sasha last year,” said Thunder head coach Amos Magee. “While he never got completely comfortable in the short time he was here, we saw several glimpses of imagination and inventiveness. We expect him to score some goals for us.”



Platter returns to the Thunder for his third season. The young promising goalkeeper will be fighting for a starting spot against long time Thunder keeper Joe Warren.



In 2006 Platter played in six games for the Thunder logging 454 minutes including an impressive win over league powerhouse, the Montreal Impact. He finished the season with a goals against average of 1.8.



Platter played his collegiate career at UC-Davis and finished his as the school leader in shutouts with 17 and the leader in saves with 195. He was named the team’s most valuable player in 2003.



“Nic has continued to develop in all the right ways,” said Magee. “He is a leader in our summer camps and will challenge Joe for playing time this year.”



The Thunder opens its 2007 home season on Sunday, May 6 at 5:05 p.m. against the defending USL First Division champions, the Vancouver Whitecaps. For ticket information, please visit Minnesota Thunder Professional Soccer Team or call 651.917.TEAM.

[Frank Cunha]

Rhode Island major rebuilding

Rhode Island - The Rams are looking at a major overall in 2008. Rhode Island is always a fashionable favorite to contend for the Atlantic 10 title, but it’s not often that the Rams have so many replacements to contend with on both sides of the ball. John O’Connor will enter his third season as the head coach at Rhode Island counting on a youth movement of sorts to get back into the thick of things.



Getting things going at full speed might take a while given the learning curve that exists due to the graduation of a nine member senior class that included five All-Atlantic 10 selections and four NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region players. The Rams also will be without former assistant coach Gareth Elliott who accepted the head coaching job at Siena in the MAAC. Elliott, who also had a stellar playing career at Rhode Island, severed in the capacity of assistant coach for five years.



The departure of forward Lukasz Tumicz who was a First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection and a First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region honoree will leave a noticeable gap in the Rhode Island attack. Tumicz led the A-10 in point production in 2007 with 27 points coming from a conference best 12 goals and 3 assists.



The Ram midfield will be without Geoffrey Cameron who was named the 2007 Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year, Danleigh Borman (1g, 7a) who was an A-10 Second Team selection last year and a four- year starter, and David Badecki (0g, 3a) who was a four-year starter.



The Rhode Island defense also takes a major hit due to the loss of Adam Howarth who was a 2007 First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection and four year starter, Callum Bissett who was a 2007 Second Team All-Atlantic Team selection and four year starter, and Kevin Algozer who was a three year starter.



Last year the Rams were 9-8-2 overall with a 7-1-1 mark in league play. The relatively unimpressive overall record reflects a 2-6-0 record in the month of September that included matches with nationally ranked Harvard, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Brown on the road. Rhode Island has a slightly more user friendly schedule in September of 2008 against non-conference opposition which is a good thing for a team in a rebuilding mode. Look for O’Connor’s squad to improve as the season progresses but the bottom line is that they likely lack the experience and depth to make a strong run for the A-10 title and may be hard pressed to earn a spot in the six team A-10 Championship Tournament.



Offensive productivity is clearly among the key unanswered questions facing Rhode Island as they head into the season. Senior Kedan Crosby (3g, 2a) is among the returning forwards who O’Connor will look to as a remedy for the offensive weaponry lost due to the departure of Tumicz. Sophomores Matt Preyss and Jonathan Periera are among other returning players up-top. Redshirt sophomore Andres Ruiz (1g, 1a) is among the more seasoned returning midfielders. Ruiz saw action in eithteen contests last year including ten starts. Sophomore Greg Balicki (2g, 0a) should step into a starting role in the midfield in 2008 along with senior Kevin Hamill (0g, 1a) who might also play in the back.



Chris Pennock enters his junior season in goal for the Rams with two years of starting experience under his belt. Last year Pennock notched five shutouts and recorded a 1.24 goals against average. Pennock will face the challenge and pressure of adjusting behind a defensive back line that is without three veteran starters. Junior Dominic Petrarca (1g, 1a), who has been a starter for the past two seasons, returns to add some experience and stability to the Rhode Island backline. Sophomores Michael Tanka and Dwayne Williams are among other returning players who should be in the hunt for more playing time in the back in 2008.



O’Connor has announced the addition of a nine member recruiting class that includes six freshmen and three transfer students. O’Connor stated, “We’re very excited to have an experienced and versatile group of players coming to campus.” He added, “This class has big shoes to fill - with the loss of last years’ class - but I’m confident they will make great additions to an already wonderful Rhode Island soccer family.”



Midfielder Gary Crooks is from Falkirk, Scotland and is a junior transfer from Louisburg College where he was an NSCAA Junior College First Team All-American and team captain. Crooks is among the new additions who should challenge for a starting role and should make an immediate impact. Midfielder Josh Gonsalves is from Markham, Ontario out of St. Augustine High School and the Winstars Soccer Academy. Gonsalves was a member of the Ontario Regional Team. Defender Eric Hutson is from St. Charles, Missouri out of Francis Howell North High School where he was an All-State First Team selection. He played club soccer for Lou Fusz Soccer Club. Defender Franco LoPresti is from Whitby, Ontario out of Father Leo J. Austin High School and the Winstars Soccer Academy. He was a member of the Canadian National Training Centre and Team Ontario. Midfielder Reece Markman is from Dallas, Texas out of J.J. Pearce High School where he was an All-District selection. Markman played for Andromeda Soccer Club Defender Ryan McCormick is from Cranston, Rhode Island and is a redshirt sophomore transfer from Syracuse University where he played in 13 contests last year with 3 starts. He played club soccer for the Mid-State United Soccer Club and was a member of the Region I ODP team. McCormick played for the Rhode Island Stingrays of the USL PDL. Forward Erkko Puranen is from Visitasaari, Finland out of Voionmaan Sports High School. He was voted the top U-17 player in Central Finland. Puranen may very well be the wild card among the new recruits with the potential to make an immediate contribution to the Rhode Island attack. Midfielder Kevin Shaw is a junior transfer from the University of Hartford where he was a starter for two years as a defensive midfielder. Shaw is from Denny Sterlingshire, Scotland. Shaw should compete for a starting position right away. Defender Cody Zane is from Freedom, Maine out of North Yarmouth Academy where he was an All-County, All-Conference and All-State selection. He was a member of the Maine ODP team and a Region I ODP pool player.

[Frank Cunha]

paying off huge this year, and he'll be the deserving winner.
Rookie of the Year
The Candidates
Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo): He doesn't have as many starts, hasn't played as many minutes and hasn't scored as many goals as some of the opposition, but few rookies have had the impact that Cameron has. The attacker from the University of Rhode Island quickly became a key player off the Dynamo's deep bench, impressing with his skill and clutch play.
Kheli Dube (New England Revolution): The top rookie scorer with four goals and three assists, the Zimbabwean was among MLS's best forwards -- and a pivotal figure for the Revs, especially with Taylor Twellman sidelined -- before an abductor strain sent him to the sidelines from Aug. 9 to Sept. 11. The most skilled rookie and perhaps the first-year player with the biggest upside.
Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy): The U.S. under-20 veteran leads MLS rookies in games, starts and minutes played, stepping into a difficult situation and faring fairly well. L.A.'s defense has been horrid this year and a lot of that has been about the backline, but the former Cal State Northridge All-American -- a veteran left back with virtually no central experience -- stepped into a starting role and has been the Galaxy's premier defensive player.
Others: Danleigh Borman (New York Red Bulls), Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Bobby Burling (Chivas USA), Roger Espinoza (Kansas City Wizards)
Best bet: MLS's rules for this award eliminates New England's Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi, who deserve consideration, and Toronto FC's Marco Velez, who might have won it. Had Dube not missed that month, this wouldn't be close. But he did, and Cameron and Franklin will give him quite a battle. The guess here is Franklin's minutes will be decisive.