Coach Toro reflects on unprecedented season of firsts in 2022 for CCRI men’s soccer
November 22, 2022
Fresh off a regional title and the school’s first appearance in the NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer National Tournament, Community College of Rhode Island head coach Gabe Toro is still basking in the glow of a historic season that could lead to even greener pastures next spring.
After a slow start in 2022, the Knights picked up the pace in October, capturing their first Region XXI title in 21 years to punch their ticket to the NJCAAs. As one of eight teams to qualify for nationals, CCRI faced a tall order in the quarterfinal round against overall No. 1 seed and four-time defending national champion Dallas College Richland, but the learning experience from competing among the nation’s elite figures to pay dividends as they welcome back a strong group of sophomores next season.
“The exposure has been unbelievable,” said Toro, who also won the Northeast District Coach of the year Award in his 13th season at CCRI. “We have alumni and parents reaching out to us more than ever asking us how their kids can get on the team next year. This is unprecedented.
“Winning always breeds winning, so I suspect we will be back in the mix next year.”
Last season, the Knights surprised many in the northeast with a 10-5 finish and a trip to the Region XXI championship, where they lost to Bunker Hill. Afterward, Toro promised Bulldogs head coach Estive Sosa that the Knights would see them again in the 2022 regional finals. He was only off by one game; CCRI instead got its rematch in this year’s semifinals and beat Bunker Hill 1-0 to set up its eventual championship win over Holyoke Community College the following day.
“We had our eye on the trophy for sure. Anything else would have been a failure to us this year,” Toro said. “If many of our freshman return and we add some additional quality players, we will have a solid foundation to keep building on. We get a good number of students that come out to tryout every August. This past year, we had more than 50 students sign up for tryouts. I suspect we will see even more next year with the success of this year. I am looking forward to it.”
CCRI’s trip to the nationals in Batavia, NY, capped a historic season of firsts. The outcome wasn’t what Toro had hoped for as the Knights lost in both the quarterfinal and consolation rounds, but the experience was unforgettable. The team returned to Rhode Island proud of its performance and cognizant of all it accomplished despite a 4-6-1 start that would’ve left most teams on the outside looking in – an ironic twist after last year’s team started strong before fizzling down the stretch.
“We had many freshmen last year and they came in hungry this season ready to go after the COVID year when they did not play. This year, the same freshman came back a little complacent, and maybe a bit too confident looking back on it,” Toro said. “That overconfidence hurt us in the beginning and caused some stress among the players, which made it difficult to establish that chemistry. The coaching staff was frustrated because we knew they were capable. They had the tools and the toolkit, but were not willing to put in the hard work at first.”
Toro knew at the midway point that things had to change if the Knights were going to fulfill their potential in 2022.
“I put up a sign in the locker room that read, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.’ This started the change in our mentality and started to spread in a good way,” he said. “Toward the end of the season, they realized they would be going home if they did not kick it into gear. This helped their sense of urgency.
“Once this was in front of them, they executed our game plan and were super focused. This made the difference at the end of the season, and we want on a role at the perfect time.”
The Region XXI championship game, which the Knights played at home in Lincoln when No. 1 seed Roxbury lost in the quarterfinals, was CCRI’s best performance of the season, according to Toro. The passing, the ball movement – everything was on point as the Knights punched their ticket to the NJCAAs with a 5-1 win.
Toro credits his captains, freshman Christian Munoz (Pawtucket, RI) and sophomores Wilson Penafiel (Providence, RI) and Pablo Puac (Pawtucket, RI), with leading by example and helping the team come together at the right time prior to the start of their run through the Region XXI Tournament. Now, with the season behind them, the Knights can look back at an unprecedented 2022 and apply the lessons they learned at the nationals when they return to the field in 2023.
“My players felt like professionals with their own locker rooms and credentials they had to wear around the stadium. They also experienced a level of play that was next level – a spectacular learning experience for them,” Toro said. “The Genesee team had players from England, Brazil, Northern Ireland, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Scotland. The Dallas team we played in the first round also had several international players that were excellent.
“My players learned a lot from this experience and now they know what other levels are out there in this global sport. I am hoping it inspires them to keep working hard and to keep improving to get closer to the new level they witnessed in person.”