Kickers Remain Unbeaten with 1-1 Draw in Rochester
Published on July 12, 2013 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release
ROCHESTER, NY - A 90th minute equalizer spoiled a late-game lead Friday night when the Richmond Kickers battled the Rochester Rhinos to a 1-1 draw. The Kickers gained the advantage when midfielder Luke Vercollone posted his third goal in two games before conceding a last-gasp tally to Rhinos forward Andrew Hoxie. The draw was enough to keep the Kickers unbeaten through 16 games, snapping the USL PRO record previously held by Orlando City, who they trail by three points with a game in hand at the top of the USL PRO standings.
With little offensive pressure on either side to start the match, the Rhinos saw the first chance of the night on their third consecutive corner inside 20 minutes. Midfielder Danny Earls served an inswinger into the box from the right side, connecting with George Kyiazias in the air but the big defender was denied by the Kickers defense who swept away his effort. Rochester forward JC Banks collected the rebound 20 yards out and delivered it back into the mix but Kickers goalkeeper Ryan Jones rushed off his line to clear it from harm's way once more.
The Kickers retaliated four mintues later when midfielder Nate Robinson sprung Joseph Ngwenya free at the right edge of the box, but the midfielder mistimed his shot and drove a hopeful ball well wide of the right post. Seconds later, midfielder Lance Rozeboom intercepted the ball in Kickers territory and fed it through to Matthew Horth who eluded his mark and curled a distance shot to the left post, forcing Jones to leap to his right to parry it over the endline.
With 10 minutes remaining before the break, the Kickers saw their best chance of the half when Robinson lined up a free kick on the left wing and struck the defensive wall. The rebound fell to Alex Lee, who touched the ball around his defender on the right channel and whipped a cross into the box. The defender found Vercollone in the air but his marksman's header rattled the upright from point blank range.
The home side nearly broke the ice in the 38th minute when a long ball landed in the path of a wide open Earls, who was through to goal, before Kickers defender William Yomby threw his body in the line of fire to redirect the speedy midfielder's shot into side netting.
Following the restart, the defensive battle ensued until the 65th minute when a long ball was played into the penalty area where Kickers forward Jason Yeisley challenged Rhinos goalkeeper Kristian Nicht for control of the ball. As Nicht came off his line to punch the ball out of the box, Vercollone flew onto the rebound and buried a one-time volley just under the crossbar.
Gaining momentum with a 1-0 lead, the Kickers almost struck again in the 71st minute when Robinson slotted a cross from the right side into the box, finding Yeisley stationed at the near post, but Nicht was not to be beaten this time and smothered his effort.
Nicht warded off the duo again in the 85th minute when Robinson laid the ball off to his strike partner at the right edge of the box but the goalkeeper's effortless kick save denied Yeisley's low driven shot.
The Rhinos missed the chance to level the score two minutes later when midfielder Blake Brettschneider beat his mark at the top of the box and carried the ball nearly to the endline on the right side as Kickers defenders gave chase. From a difficult angle, he sliced the ball across the goal mouth, destined for glory but missed the back post by inches.
Persistence paid off for the Rhinos early in stoppage time when midfielder Gabe Latigue served a perfectly placed free kick to the top of the six-yard box where Hoxie muscled off his defender to make just enough contact with his flailing right leg to direct the ball past Jones' outstretched fingertips and into the back of the net.
As the final whistle approached, the Rhinos were deprived of all three points when Latigue powered a free kick from the right channel through the box, finding Troy Roberts at the far post. The Rhinos defender eluded the Kickers' goalkeeper and chested the ball across the crowded goalmouth, only to be denied by Yomby who gallantly cleared the ball off the line to salvage a point on the road.
The Kickers conclude the weekend's back-to-back road swing on Saturday, July 13 when they take on the Harrisburg City Islanders. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm, live from Skyline Sports Complex on USLNation.com.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 12, 2013
- Kickers Remain Unbeaten with 1-1 Draw in Rochester - Richmond Kickers
- Rochester Hosts Unbeaten Richmond Friday - Rochester Rhinos
- Lions Take To The Road, Face Dayton Dutch Lions in Ohio Sunday Night - Orlando City SC
- Dutch Lions FC vs. Orlando City - Match Preview - Dayton Dutch Lions
- Landmark Youth Development Sees Kickers Academy Graduates Join Pro Team - Richmond Kickers
- Wilmington Travels to Charlotte - Wilmington Hammerheads FC
- Orlando City Soccer Foundation Making Strides In Central Florida Community - Orlando City SC
- Ramos Nets the Winner in Stoppage Time - Phoenix FC
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