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USL-1 Rochester Rhinos

Rhinos to begin U.S. Open Cup play next month

June 21, 2005 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


Rhinos will host Third Round match at Frontier Field July 13th

(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Raging Rhinos have announced that the team's first Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup tournament match will be on Wednesday, July 13th. The Rhinos will play the winner of the Richmond Kickers Futures (PDL) vs. the Virginia Beach Mariners (First Division) game. That contest is scheduled for Wednesday, June 29th.

The Rhinos, who were awarded a bye until the third round of Open Cup play, will compete for the 10th time in the tournament. Last season, the Rhinos lost to the Charleston Battery 1-0 in the quarterfinal round after defeating the Chicago Fire Reserves (1-0) and the New England Revolution (1-1, 3-1 PK's).

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation's National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team which advances deepest in the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels.

The Rhinos are 14-8-1 all-time in the Open Cup. Rochester has appeared in two finals matches, capturing the 1999 Cup with a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. During the Rhinos inaugural season, Rochester lost 3-0 to D.C. United in the Cup Finals in 1996. Since the inception of Major League Soccer in 1996, the Rhinos are the only non-MLS team to reach the finals. The Rhinos are 8-5-1 against MLS opponents in the tournament.

Individual tickets are now available for $12.00, $15.00, $16.00, $17.00 and $20.00. To purchase game tickets, stop by the Frontier Field box office or go online to Rhinossoccer.com

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