USL Rochester Rhinos

Rhinos Rescue Unbeaten Streak with Point in PA

June 19, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


HARRISBURG, PA - Rookie striker Christian Volesky's 87th minute goal off of an assist from captain Tony Walls rescued a point for the visiting Rochester Rhinos in their 1:1 draw with Harrisburg City Islanders in Skyline Stadium on Friday, June 19th 2015. Jason Plumhoff opened the scoring for the home side with a 43rd minute goal off of an assist from Enric Valles. The point away from home left Rochester unbeaten with an 8-0-5 record from their first 13 matches of the 2015 season.

Rochester and Harrisburg were meeting for the first time in USL league play on Friday night, but previously met at Skyline Stadium in the Third Round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 27th. The visiting Rhinos won the cup tie 3:1 in added extra time, but the scoreline was anything but indicative of the way the match unfolded. Rochester star striker Steevan Humberto Fortes dos Santos was dismissed from the Open Cup match for receiving his second caution in the 38th minute, and the visiting Rhinos were left to play the last 82 minutes of the match a man down. The City Islanders compounded the Rhinos trouble by opening the scoring in the 106th minute off of a goal by Brett Jankouskas. However, Kenardo Forbes finished an assist from Asani Samuels one minute later, and Samuels went on to score a brace in the last ten minutes of the match to send the Rhinos through to the Fourth Round of the U.S. Open Cup.

The Rochester Rhinos entered Friday night playing their third match in seven days after being eliminated their Fourth Round Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tie with Philadelphia Union on Tuesday night on penalty kicks. To compound the visitors issues with fatigue, the natural grass playing surface at Skyline Stadium was soaked with heavy rainfall during the day. The result was a heavy pitch that slowed the tempo of play, and gave the top of the table Rhinos their stiffest test of the 2015 campaign to date.

Harrisburg City Islanders opened the scoring in the 43rd minute. FC Barcelona product Enric Valles found the time and space to pick up his head just inside the home side's half of the pitch, and the Spanish native found a sight seldom seen this season - a disorganized Rochester Rhinos back four. Valles played a perfectly weighted ball over the top of the visitors' defensive line where he found the run of Jason Plumhoff. Plumhoff took his first touch into the Rhinos penalty area before coolly finishing under onrushing Rochester goalkeeper Adam Grinwis.

It was only the fifth goal that the Rhinos conceded, and only the second time that Rochester trailed in USL play this season.

The Rochester Rhinos scored the equalizer in the 87th minute. Captain Tony Walls, a nearly ever-present figure for Rochester in central midfield this season, shook of the lingering effects of exhaustion as he was logging his 207th minute of play in the past 72 hours to find rookie substitute Christian Volesky in the City Islanders penalty area. Volesky received the ball on the left side of the Harrisburg box, took a touch inside onto his favored right foot, and finished a shot past City Islanders goalkeeper Nick Noble and into the bottom right corner of the net. The goal was Volesky's team leading fifth tally of the season.

The Rochester Rhinos have now opened the 2015 with a 13 match unbeaten streak - tied for the longest streak in club history with the 1998 Rhinos who won 13 consecutive matches before losing in a shootout in match 14 in a different era to open the 1998 season.

Ironically, the 2015 version of the Rhinos will be trying to surpass the 1998 streak on Saturday, June 27th 2015 in Sahlen's Stadium against Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Hall of Fame Night during the Rhinos 20th anniversary celebration. Goalkeeper Billy Andracki, defender Craig Demmin, midfielder Lenin Steenkamp, and striker Darren Tilley will be among the members of the 1998 team on hand in Sahlen's Stadium on June 27th to play a Legends Match before having the opportunity to watch the 2015 Rhinos try to top their 14 match unbeaten run to open the season.

The Rhinos return to Rochester in their next USL match on Saturday, June 27 th 2015 in Sahlen's Stadium at 7:05PM against Pittsburgh Riverhounds. 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.



United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 19, 2015


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