The Spring 1 session of intramural sports recently concluded, crowning five new championship-winning teams. The IM sports session features men’s/co-rec 5v5 basketball, men’s/co-rec futsal, and volleyball. Championship week began on Monday, the 9th, with the futsal championships. The 5v5 basketball championships and volleyball championship followed on Tuesday night, concluding the championship contests. 

Co-Rec Futsal Championship

The co-rec futsal championship featured an unlikely matchup between eight-seed Fattie FC and three-seed ;))))), referred to as Team Smiley. Team Smiley wasted no time taking control, as Andan Fry opened the scoring with a skillful nutmeg finish before adding another goal from nearly forty feet out. Fry continued his dominant start, completing a hat trick within the first few minutes of the match. After a brief scoring lull, he added two more goals—including a half-court strike—to give Smiley a commanding lead. Goalkeeper Zao Paolantonio also contributed to the attack, delivering a perfectly placed full-court pass that led to another Smiley goal. Angel Bencosme eventually put Fattie FC on the board with a powerful strike, but Smiley still held a comfortable 6–1 lead at halftime. Fattie FC opened the second half with a goal to trim the deficit, but Smiley quickly responded to make it 7–2. Fry later recorded his sixth goal of the match to extend the lead to 8–2. Fattie FC added one more goal late, but Ethan Grossman sealed the game with the final score, giving Team Smiley a decisive 9–3 victory to claim the co-rec futsal championship.

Men’s Futsal Championship 

The men’s futsal championship featured a matchup between top-seeded ZBT and second-seeded Net Flicks. Net Flicks captain Raymond Owusu-Ansah opened the scoring with an early strike, setting the tone for the match. A corner kick connection from Owusu-Ansah to Ashraf Alashwai quickly made it 2–0, and Owusu-Ansah added another goal later in the half to extend the lead to 3–0. ZBT responded when a strong passing set up a goal from Corey Vasko to get them on the board. However, Net Flicks answered with a fast-break goal from Aidan Williams after a steal, pushing the lead to 4–1. Excellent full-court ball movement led to another Net Flicks goal before halftime, giving them a 5–1 advantage. In the second half, Owusu-Ansah completed his hat trick with a smooth give-and-go finish to make it 6–1. ZBT fought back with a top-corner strike from Luke Reinier and a one-timer from Brant Lionetti off a corner pass to cut the deficit to three. Alessandro Sanchez halted the momentum with a goal for Net Flicks, and the team went on to secure a 9–4 victory after several late scores. With the win, Net Flicks claimed their second consecutive men’s futsal intramural championship.

Co-Rec Basketball Championship 

The Co-Rec basketball championship featured four-seed Team Jordyn against two-seed State of Greenland. Team Jordyn jumped out to an early 7–0 lead, but State of Greenland battled back behind strong play from Nick Giardini and Riley Quinn to tie the game 20–20 at halftime. Greenland carried the momentum into the second half, winning the third quarter to take a four-point lead into the fourth. Team Jordyn increased its defensive pressure and tied the game at 29, with Benjamin Roden leading the late push. After Roden tied the game again at 36 with a layup, State of Greenland responded with two free throws before Giardini knocked down a clutch step-back three with under two minutes remaining. The shot proved to be the dagger, as State of Greenland held on for the championship win. Evan Houle was named MVP for his performance.

Men’s Basketball Championship 

Five-seed Bron Julio faced the 19-seed SAE in the men’s intramural basketball championship. Bron Julio emerged victorious, 36–33, in a tightly contested game, ending SAE’s dominant Cinderella playoff run.

Volleyball Championship

 The volleyball championship featured a matchup between the four-seed 6 Feet Under and the six-seed Phi Psi. Phi Psi came out strong in the opening set, scoring four straight points and maintaining control throughout to win 25–17. 6 Feet Under responded in the second set, jumping out to a 10–3 lead and never looking back on the way to a 25–15 victory to even the match. The decisive third set was tightly contested early, with the teams tied at five before Phi Psi went on a five-point run to take control. A powerful spike from Austin Ashby helped extend the lead, and despite a late push from 6 Feet Under, Phi Psi held on to win the final set 15–13 and secure the championship. Ashby was named MVP for his performance.

Where to Watch

Missed the action or want to relive the biggest moments? All Intramural Championship games are live-streamed from Keaney Gym on the URI Campus Rec YouTube Channel.

By John Almy
Class of 2026
Journalism Major