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Rochester Rhinos

Rhinos Remain Unbeaten at Home

August 9, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


ROCHESTER, NY - The Rochester Rhinos rebounded from their first loss of the season last time out to maintain their unbeaten record in Sahlen's Stadium, and remain in first place in the USL Eastern Conference. The Rochester Rhinos and Richmond Kickers split the points in Sahlen's Stadium on Sunday, August 9th 2015 after a 1:1 draw. Rochester opened the scoring in the 50th minute when Kenardo Forbes finished an assist from Alex Dixon. However, Richmond scored the equalizer off of an own goal three minutes later to close out the scoring.

The Rochester Rhinos kicked off the match on Sunday evening looking to rebound from their first defeat of the 2015 USL regular season, after Charlotte Independence snapped the Rhinos 19 match unbeaten streak with a 4:2 result on Saturday, August 1st. Rochester head coach Bob Lilley only made one change to the starting line-up as Christian Volesky replaced Stevaan Humberto Fortes dos Santos up top for the home side.

Richmond played in Harrisburg on Saturday night, August 8th, and as a result Richmond Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw rang in the changes to his staring line-up that lost 3:2 to the City Islanders in Skyline Stadium the evening before. Travis Worra made his eighth start of the season in goal in place of Ryan Taylor. Jalen Robinson made his 13th start of the season in place of Luke Mishu. Jared Jeffrey, Michael Callahan, and Yudai Imura provided fresh legs in midfield, and Matthew Delicate started with Jason Yeisley.

Given the Kickers circumstances the match got off to a predictably slow start. Rochester out shot visiting Richmond nine to two in the first 45 minutes, and had four additional opportunities off of corner kicks to only one for the Kickers. Worra made three saves to keep the Rhinos scoreless while Rhinos goalkeeper Brandon Miller made two saves for the home side.

Rochester Rhinos midfielders Kenardo Forbes and Jonny Mendoza were particularly influential on the proceedings in the first 45 minutes. Forbes played a through ball for Mendoza in the 20th minute that the Colombian native was able to take to the end line before playing a cross that Volesky nor Forbes just missed finishing. Six minutes later Rochester center midfielder Michael Garzi found Forbes out wide on the right flank before Forbes ghosted past Kickers left back Uriah Bentick and blasted a shot off of Worra's right post. One minute later Forbes picked out Mendoza in the visitor's penalty area where Mendoza received the ball with his back to goal before spinning, and taking a pot shot that ended up right at Worra. Half an hour into the match Forbes was loose on the right flank again - this time he picked out Volesky six yards out with his service, but the rookie could not keep his effort on target in the face of heavy pressure from the visitors. Mendoza ended the first half by picking up a loose ball 35 yards out from the Richmond goal, and he created a chance by himself when he ran at an unbalanced Kickers back four before seeing his shot from 15 yards trickle just past the far post.

The Rhinos attacking momentum carried into the second half as the home side found the opening goal in the 50th minute. A quick three player combination around midfield between Mendoza, Volesky, and Alex Dixon sprung Forbes down the right flank. Forbes held up play as he dribbled forward to allow Rochester's attack to develop as players got forward. Forbes eventually found the feet of Dixon in the Richmond penalty area. Kickers center back William Yomby stepped and got a tackle in on Dixon that knocked him to the ground, but Forbes was first to the loose ball, rounded Worra, and maintained his composure to finish into an empty net.

Richmond found the equalizer in the 52nd minute. Jared Jeffrey took a corner kick from the right corner that he served into the near post. Dixon looked to make a play on the ball before the ball bounced off of the head of Garzi and nestled into the opposite corner to give the visitors an own goal equalizer.

Lilley made four changes in the second half as he searched for the game winning goal at home. Dos Santos, who had four game winning goals this season entering the match, came on for Volesky, and New England Revs loanee Timi Mulgrew entered the match for Dixon in the 64th minute. Striker Colin Rolfe entered the match for Mendoza and defender Sean Totsch entered for Garzi in the 77th minute.

On the opposite bench Cowlishaw sensed that he had a valuable point in his hands and closed up shop for the last half hour. The Rhinos won the possession battle, played in the Kickers half of the field, got players forward, and looked dangerous in the penalty area, but the Rhinos created only two more shots on goal as the full 90 minutes unfolded.

While the Rhinos spent the last half hour of the match chasing down a game winning goal, it seemed like the visitors were probing Rochester's back four in an effort to try to find a winner of their own on the counter. The Kickers created their final chance of the match in the 88th minute. Richmond right midfielder Yudai Imura picked up a loose ball in the Rhinos half and ran at the home side's unbalanced back four on a counter attack. Rochester was able to shift their defensive shape to slow down the counter, but Imura was able to find the feet of Owusu Sekyere 35 yards out in the middle of the pitch. Sekyere struck a shot at goal that ultimately bounced off of the crossbar to keep the score level.

Head referee Vito Testa, Junior added four minutes of stoppage time to the match after the full 90 minutes had elapsed, and the game became stretched and finally sprung to life. The Rhinos consistent pressure in the second half began to pay off as the home side had chances to take all three points. The first stoppage time chance began when the Kickers cleared the ball out of a packed penalty area only as far as Totsch at the top of the box. Totsch drove a shot on goal from 20 yards out that deflected in traffic before bouncing in front of Mulgrew and dos Santos eight yards out. Both players had a chance to finish, but the ball ultimately popped over the cross bar.

The captain had the last chance of the match for the Rhinos in stoppage time when Tony Walls drove a dangerous free kick into the Kickers penalty area from 16 yards out on the boundary of the right side of the penalty area. The Kickers scrambled the ball away as Testa, Jr. whistled for full time, and the two sides were left to split the points.

The point leaves Rochester six points clear of Louisville City FC at the top of USL Eastern Conference with 44 points from 21 matches. Richmond remains in fourth place with 33 points from 22 matches.

The Rhinos next match is in Rochester against Wilmington Hammerheads on Saturday, August 15th 2015 at 7:05PM in Sahlen's Stadium. Single game tickets to the match are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling (585)454-KICK (5425), online via Ticketmaster, or by visiting the MVP Health Care Box Office at Sahlen's Stadium during business hours.

Rochester Rhinos season tickets, flex packages, and group sales tickets are also currently on sale and can be purchased by calling (585)454-KICK (5425), online via Ticketmaster, or by visiting the MVP Health Care Box Office at Sahlen's Stadium during business hours.

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