RI Oceaneers Kick it Up a Notch
GoLocal Sports Team
RI Oceaneers Kick it Up a Notch
The professional league, the equivalent of a minor league in baseball, has eight teams, all based in the Northeast. They’re made up of mainly American born players, and are a feeder league to Major League Soccer (MLS) and other pro leagues.
“This league was created with the goal of developing professional players who will eventually be sold (transferred) to MLS teams and foreign professional clubs. Our team is in the process of negotiating an agreement with a 1st Division French Professional Soccer Club which will result in our acting as a feeder of players to the French team,” explained David Borts, General Manager of the Oceaneers.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTLike many European leagues, the ASL has a split season - they play the first half of the season in the fall and the second half in the spring. The Oceaneers are unbeaten so far this spring as they seek the ASL championship, to be determined July 4th weekend.
Young Talent
The team provides an opportunity for young American players to play at the professional level. Many are “late bloomers,” who may not have been recognized as teenagers but have excelled in college or club play. It’s a high level of play, allowing the athletes to make an easy transition to the major leagues.
"The average age of our players is 23. We currently have 7 players on our roster who have played at Providence College and two players who have played at URI. One from RIC and several other from various colleges and Junior Colleges from around the United States. We also have players of numerous nationalities including the United States, Cape Verde, Portugal, Columbia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, England, Cote D'Ivoire and Nigeria,” noted Borts.
The Oceaneers are coached by N.E. Revolution Assistant Coach Jasir Charris, who wears many hats with the Revs including Assistant Goalkeeper Coach with the main squad. Columbian born Charris is also a liaison for Spanish Speaking players on the team. Other team officials are involved in the New England Revolution Academy, a training program that works to identify regional talent.
In their debut season, the team currently has a commendable record of 6-3-3 and is presently in third place in the league. The team has gelled together nicely and they haven’t lost a game since returning from the winter break. They're coming off a 1-0 win last weekend against the Philadelphia Fury, with a goal from Braima Samati and great goaltending from keeper Chris Moura, a former Rhode Island College standout.
Growing Fan Base
The Oceaneers are slowly building a fan base and GM Borts is bullish on the team’s future.
“We’re averaging a couple of hundred people a game and we now have a home venue (which) will result in better promotion and improved attendance. We are also in the process of negotiating with two local youth programs to develop partnerships.”
As enthusiasm continues to build, the ASL expects to see significant growth in the future. The league will be adding four new teams for the 2015-2016 season - from Connecticut, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Long Island, NY. The league is also planning expansion into the Southeast in 2016.
With three more home games scheduled through June, the local squad is chasing the League Championship, with games scheduled for July 4th weekend.
The Oceaneers next regular season game is Saturday May 9 at Tucker Field in Cumberland. Tickets are $9 - with free admission for kids and youth soccer players. Click here for more information.
Remaining Home Games:
May 9 vs. Mass United FC
June 13 vs. Icon FC
June 20 vs. AC Crusaders
All games start at 7:00 PM at Tucker Field in Cumberland.
14 Biggest Sports Stories of 2014
14. Patriots Win 6th Straight AFC East Title
The New England Patriots are AFC East Champions for the sixth straight season and for the 12th time in the Belichick/Brady era.
The Pats have also locked up their 12th straight season of ten wins or more, continuing to prove year in and year out to be an incredible model of consistency.
13. E.C. Matthews
2014 saw the emergence of URI guard E.C. Matthews as one of the superstars in Rhode Island College basketball.
At the end of the 2013-14 season, Matthews was named A10 Co- Rookie of the year, averaging 14 points per game.
Prior to the 2014 -15 season, Matthews was named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list, flagging him as one of the best guards in the country.
E.C. Matthews has averaged 17 points per game so far this season to lead URI.
12. RI College Basketball Coaching in good shape
2014 has seen the rise of college basketball in Rhode Island because of the great coaching.
Led by Ed Cooley, the Providence Friars won the Big East Championship, Brown University, under head coach Mike Martin found it's way back into the post season, qualifying for the Collegeinsider.com tournament.
Meanwhile, Dan Hurley and Tim O'Shea have URI and Bryant on the rise in their respective conferences.
It's been a good year to be a Rhode Island basketball fan.
11. CVS Classic Donates $1.4 Million to Local Charities
In 2014, the CVS Classic raised a record $1.4 Million and donated it to 80 charities across southern New England. The classic has raised $18 million in total since it started in 1999.
This years field included players such as Matt Kuchar, PGA Champion Jason Dufner, Steve Stricker and Masters Champ Zach Johnson.
The 2015 CVS Classic will be held from June 28 to June 30 at Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington.
10. Bryce Cotton
The Friars 2013-14 season will never be forgotten, thanks in very large part to Big East Tournament MVP, Bryce Cotton.
Cotton led the Friars the entire season, playing just about every minute of every game and in some cases willing the Friars to a win.
Bryce Cotton averaged 21 points and six assists per game including a 36 point performance against North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
Cotton did not get drafted but did end up signing a contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
He is currently playing in the NBA D-League with the Austin Spurs.
9. 25 Greatest Olympic Athletes from RI
Rhode Island may be small, but it has produced its fare share of Olympic athletes. Rhode Island has been home to some of the world’s greatest athletes representing a variety of sports – including rowing, track & field, swimming, hockey, gymnastics, and ice skating.
8. National Felony League- Patriots
2014 saw former Ravens running back Ray Rice get suspened indefinitly from the NFL for hitting his then Fiance, now wife. Then just a short time after that, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson got suspended indefinitly for beating his child.
With all the crimes piling up on NFL players, GoLocal took a look at the crimes committed by New England Patriots while on the team since 2000 - the so called Golden Era. Here is the full list.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was first published September 11th at 2:30 am.
7. FIFA World Cup
The U.S.A. men's national team captivated the country in the summer of 2014 with their run in the FIFA Wold Cup. They nearly beat Portugal in pool play, ending it in a 2-2 tie.
Team U.S.A. advanced out of pool play and into the elimination round but lost to Belgium, despite 16 saves from Tim Howard.
The success of the U.S. continues to help grow the game not only hear in New England, but nationally as well.
6. Revolution Make it to MLS Cup Final
The New England Revolution advanced to the MLS Cup Final for the fifth time in franchise history after defeating the New York Red Bulls 4-3 on aggregate.
The Revs faced the LA Galaxy in the final and lost a heartbreaker, 2-1 in OT.
The Revs run to the finals captivated all of New England and has greatly helped grow the game of soccer.
5. Friar Legend Marvin Barnes Passes Away
"We just learned that we've lost one of our all-time Friar greats, Marvin Barnes '74, a PC Hall of Famer and an NBA and ABA Legend" read the Providence College Facebook page.
Marvin Barnes died at the age of 62 in early September.
PC retired Barnes jersey in 2008 and he still co-holds the single game scoring record with 52 points.
4. Providence Sky Chiefs
In 2014, Providence saw the arrival of it's first professional basketball team in nearly three decades, the Providence Sky Chiefs.
The Sky Chiefs are an expansion team to the American Basketball Association (ABA) are owned by Giovanni Feroce, the CEO of BENRUS.
The Chiefs played, and won their inaugural home opener in early November.
For more information on the Sky Chiefs, or to get tickets, click here.
3.
3. Cumberland Little League World Series, Dave Belisle Speech
Cumberland Little League made a great run into the Little League World Series and were part of some memorable games in the process.
After they were eliminated, head coach Dave Belisle gave one of the most memorable speeches of all time to his team.
The speech went all over the country and helped get Belisle nominated for the 2014 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.
2. Revs Coming to Prov?
Providence is a city in need of a big idea. It needs an innovative initiative that plays on all of the city’s strengths, builds the economy and aligns Providence’s diversity.
The solution for Providence is to create a new energy for the Capital City -- and the perfect opportunity is to relocate the New England Revolution professional soccer team right in the middle of downtown Providence.
1. Providence Friars Win Big East Championship
The top story of 2014 is the Providence Friars men's basketball team winning the Big East Championship for the first time in 20 years, beating Creighton 65-58 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Bryce Cotton led the Friars in the game with 23 points and was awarded the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the tournament MVP.
The Friars went to the NCAA tournament but lost a heartbreaker, 79-77, to North Carolina.
It was a memorable run nonetheless for the Friars and one that will not soon be forgotten.
