USL Feature
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
It’s the last go-around for Richmond Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale, and the man who has been a fixture between the sticks since becoming the club’s starter in 2002 is going to make sure he has as much fun as possible.
But the man who is now also Coach Leigh Cowlishaw’s assistant coach after the departure of Jesse Myers to Rochester is also going to make sure he continues to approach the game the way he always has.
“Honestly, I’m not approaching it much differently than I’ve approached every other season,” Pascale said this week. “I have the title of assistant coach, but I don’t think my role is really changing that much. I think just because I’ve been with the Kickers for so long that I’ve always had that leadership role, and I think of a goalkeeper as a coach on the field anyway, so for me it’s kind of doing what I always did.
“On the retirement side of it, I’m going into every game, and I think I’m appreciating every game and every practice a little bit more. I’m making sure I enjoy myself this season, making sure I enjoy the road trips, I’m really going to enjoy the trip down to Charleston, I love playing down there, I love the fans and the stadium, and I think as I go into each game I’m going to take a step back and appreciate it for what it is.”
The Kickers have certainly appreciated what Pascale has meant to the side since first coming to Richmond in 2000. A three-time Goalkeeper of the Year winner, and two-time championship winner in his time with the Kickers, the former Furman standout has become a major part of the team both on and off the field. While that’s not uncommon for many players who become part of the Kickers organization, it does still surprise Pascale that he has effectively played almost his entire career with the club.
“I never thought I’d be with one team for this long, and honestly it wasn’t until everything about the 20th anniversary came to light that I was able to step back a little bit and realize how long I’ve actually been here and been part of the Kickers’ history,” Pascale said. “The Kickers are a phenomenal organization, I really think they’re one of the best organizations in sports, from top to bottom, and every year we set out the goal that we want to compete for a championship, not only in the league but in the Open Cup. We’ve been fortunate that Leigh has always been able to put together a very competitive squad, and this year we’re hoping we can do the same kind of thing.”
And yet for all of his goalkeeping exploits over the years, Cowlishaw’s favorite memory of Pascale comes not from a save, but from a goal.
“It’s always going to come back to when he scored the game-winning penalty against Rochester,” Cowlishaw said. In the 2002 USL A-League Eastern Conference Finals, the Kickers earned a 1-1 draw at home, and then a 0-0 draw on the road against the Rhinos, setting up a deciding penalty shootout. With the Kickers running out of shooters in sudden death, Pascale scored in the ninth round to give the Kickers a 9-8 victory.
“At the time Rochester were considered unbeatable, and especially unbeatable in their home stadium, so when we went up there we knew it was going to be a remarkable achievement to make that happen,” Cowlishaw said. “For Ronnie to step up and put it in showed the character that he has.”
Now, after a year where the club reached both the semifinals of the USL PRO Playoffs and the U.S. Open Cup and returns a strong squad for the new season, Pascale is hopeful of capping his playing career with one more title.
“It would be unbelievable,” Pascale said. “Not many players have the opportunity to play for a championship, or the opportunity to win championships, and I’ve been very fortunate to compete in five or six championship games and win two championships with the Kickers, so I’d love to go out on that high note.”