USL-1 Rochester Rhinos

Rhinos re-sign Perry, sign Diallo

Published on February 21, 2007 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Raging Rhinos announced today that they have re-signed defender Jason Perry to a one-year deal with an option for a second year, and they have signed forward Hamed Diallo to a two-year deal.

"I'm glad to have Jason back," Rhinos Head Coach Laurie Calloway said. "He has been a solid defender for me, both in Syracuse and here in Rochester. Unfortunately, he was hampered by injuries during that time, however, he now appears to be fully recovered, and I expect big things from him this season."

Perry returns for his third season in Rochester in 2007. He played 554 minutes and appeared in 11 games in 2006 after playing 1,395 minutes during the Rhinos' 2005 campaign. Prior to landing in Rochester, Perry spent 2004 with the Syracuse Salty Dogs, where he collected one assist in 853 minutes. The 2006 Lacovangelo Community Service Player of the Year is a graduate of Oakland University, where he was an All-American and Mid-Continent Conference Defender of the Year in his senior season.

"I'm glad to be back with one of the premier teams in the USL," said Perry. "I didn't explore too many options in the offseason, and I kept Rochester right at the top of my list. It's a great place to play soccer. Hopefully, we'll have another good season and win the championship."

Diallo, a native of Ivory Coast, comes to Rochester after playing more than a decade in Europe. Diallo, a native of Ivory Coast, won France's Division 2 Best Striker honors in 1999 with Laval after scoring 20 goals. He won the award again in 2002 with Amiens SC, this time with 18 goals. The 5'9" attacker has spent the better part of his career in France, but also played briefly in Italy, Qatar and most recently Belgium. He also has international playing experience as part of the Ivory Coast National Team.

"Hamed will bring offensive threats with his pace and ability to score goals," Calloway said. "He has proven himself for many years in Europe, a goal scorer at the highest level, and we are looking forward to having him join us as soon as possible."

From 1997 to 2001, Diallo spent time at both Le Havre and Laval of the French leagues. He then landed in Amiens for two seasons before spending the end of 2003 playing for Al Rayyan in Qatar. He went back to France for the spring of 2004 where he joined SCO Angers. After playing with Angers for six months, he spent the next two years in Italy where he played for Frutis and Torredelgreco. Diallo then briefly joined Royal Excelsior in Belgium before signing with Rochester.

The Rhinos open their 2007 season on the road against the Virginia Beach Mariners on Saturday, April 21st at 7:00 p.m. The home opener is on Friday, May 4th at 8:00 p.m., as the Rhinos host the Vancouver Whitecaps at PAETEC Park in a rematch of last year's championship game.

The W-League Rochester Raging Rhinos and PAETEC Park will host the 2007 W-League Final Four Championship on Friday, August 3rd and Sunday, August 5th. The women's soccer club plays in the tough Northern Division. As the host team, Rochester receives an automatic berth to the semifinal. The remaining teams will be determined by the W-League playoffs. The Rochester Rhinos Women begin play on Friday, May 25th with a 7:35 p.m. match against the Toronto Lady Lynx at PAETEC Park.

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USL First Division Stories from February 21, 2007


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