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Tulsa's Dynamic Duo Help Nationally-Ranked Hurricane
9/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 24, 2003
When a hurricane moves onto land, the storm surge is very dangerous, thus the major reason why evacuation is important during a hurricane warning. This statement is in reference to the fierce natural disaster, but it can also be applied to the 2003 University of Tulsa men's soccer program, currently ranked 20th in the nation.
Already many of TU's competitors may have wished they had heeded the storm warnings as the Golden Hurricane jumped to an outstanding 5-1 start by defeating Drury, UMKC, Ohio State, No. 24 New Mexico and Oral Roberts. Tulsa's only loss was to Big Ten Conference member and 14th-ranked Penn State, which came with 0:10 remaining in double overtime. This start, which is the third best in TU's history, can be largely attributed to Tulsa's consummate team play. Two of the steady mainstays of this team are forwards: Kyle Brown and Ryan Pore.
Tom McIntosh, who is in his ninth season as TU's head coach, says Brown and Pore are one of the best forward combinations he has ever seen. While he attributes much of Tulsa's scoring success to the duo, he is also just as quick to point out a common misconception.
"Our offense is not based on just getting the ball to Kyle and Ryan,'" McIntosh said "We are a solid, well-balanced team that can incorporate our midfielders as well as our forwards in an effective offensive attack."
Brown was the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2001. In addition, the two-year letterwinner and starter, became the school's first ever back-to-back all-MVC first team performer last season. By his play so far this season, he is already proving that he is not content to rest on his past accomplishments. Since the 2003 season began, Brown has already scored a game winner (against Ohio State) and is second in goals and scoring with two and eight, respectively.
Brown attributes some of his success to the proximity of his support base: his family.
"A lot of my family lives here and I think it's great that they are able to come see me play," Brown said "I think having some of my family close by helps me be successful."
And successful he has been. While a solid scorer (second only to Pore), Brown is first on the team in assists. His play illustrates his great unselfishness and his ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates.
"I feel one of my strengths is the ability to involve my teammates and feed others the ball," Brown said.
One of those teammates Brown is speaking of is Pore. As a senior at Mansfield (OH) High School, Pore was featured in Sport's Illustrated "Faces in the Crowd" after scoring an Ohio state record 62 goals in a single season. Pore has continued his success in college. As a freshman, Pore, who started 17 of 19 games, was selected to the all-MVC second team as well as the league's all-newcomer squad. He began his college career in the same manner of a the tropical storm for which his school is nickname: forceful and demanding respect. Pore currently has amassed the most points for TU this season with six goals and two assists for 14 points. His skilled diversity is also shown by his ability to pass the ball as well as score. He is currently tied with Brown for first in assists.
"I just think I have a knack for knowing where the goal is and putting the ball in the net," Pore said "But, I still feel there are a lot of areas of my game that need polish, and I'll continue to work on those areas as the season progresses."
In spite of his sophomore classification, Pore acknowledges that he is a team leader by virtue of his position and performance record. Not much on words, Pore prefers his actions to do his talking.
"If I go out there and play as hard as I can and play my game, I can lead by example. I can show my teammates what it takes to win games," Pore says.
McIntosh echoed many of Brown and Pore's sentiments and then summed up their pairing by offering up a challenge, "someone would have to prove to me that there is a better forward combination in the nation...they're that good!"
How good are they? The facts speak for themselves: -The duo helped Tulsa win 12 games last season and already has five victories this year. -Last season, Brown and Pore combined to score 15 of Tulsa's 26 goals and 36 of the team's 79 total points. -In Tulsa's 3-1 win over top-ranked Stanford in 2002, Pore tallied two goals, while Brown posted the third goal. -In just under two seasons, the tandem has combined for 23 goals and 12 assists for 58 points. -With Brown and Pore in the lineup, Tulsa appeared among the nation's top-25 ranked teams four different weeks a year ago, and debuted in this season's national rankings two weeks ago.
While the facts make it clear that much of the Golden Hurricane's offense this season will be fueled by Brown and Pore, McIntosh ends with a note of caution for opponents: "We are a much more balanced team, in terms of our attack, than we were a year ago. To stop us from scoring, teams are going to have to stop a lot more than just Ryan and Kyle."
Opposing teams may try and stop the talented tandem of Pore and Brown, but opponents will have more to contend with from the Hurricane with all the balance in the lineup. Tulsa would like nothing more than to be an unpredictable team and fulfill its preseason goals, which includes winning a conference title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. However, Brown and Pore stress that TU's most immediate goal has a bit more of a myopic element: "take one game at a time." Their combined success and statistics are a testament that that they and their teammates are living that statement.
