Sports stats

USL Rochester Rhinos

Rochester Hosts Harrisburg Saturday Night

August 21, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


ROCHESTER, NY - The first place Rochester Rhinos host seventh place Harrisburg City Islanders in Sahlen's Stadium on Saturday, August 22nd 2015 at 7:05PM in Sahlen's Stadium.

The Rhinos will kick off the match five points clear of second place Louisville City FC, but the title race will take another step towards resolution on Saturday night as City hosts third place Charleston Battery at Slugger Stadium. Last Saturday night a similar situation played out as Rochester hosted Wilmington, and Louisville visited Tulsa Roughnecks FC. The Rhinos were three points clear when they kicked off in Sahlen's Stadium at 7:05PM, and picked up two points when they defeated the Hammerheads 2:1 as City drew 2:2.

"It's a title race to see who wins the regular season championship." Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley said. "There's going to be ups and downs, wins and losses, tension and urgency - it's what makes this time of year fun and competitive. This year the league is so close - the teams are so similar - every match and every weekend could provide a decisive moment, and I do not think that this weekend is going to play out any differently."

The Rochester Rhinos enter the weekend's fixtures with the best defensive record in USL. Rochester has surrendered 12 goals in 22 matches this season. For comparison, Charleston Battery have the second best defensive record in the league with 23 goals conceded. The Rhinos lead the league in clean sheets with 13, but their team oriented defense is reflected in the fact that Rochester goalkeepers rank 23rd in the 24 team league with 53 saves. Goalkeeper Brandon Miller is the statistical beneficiary of the Rhinos stifling defensive play, and he leads USL with a 10-1-6 record, 0.55 goals-against average, and ten clean sheets.

The Rhinos are statistically in the middle of the pack in the 24 team USL in attacking statistics as Rochester has scored 28 goals in 22 matches while taking 234 shots. However the brilliance of the Rhinos 2015 season, and at times there form has been just that - brilliant - is most accurate reflected in the differentials. Rochester has taken 234 shots to only 132 for their opponents, put 103 shots on target while allowing only 64 for the opposition, and taken 100 corner kicks to the 59 that they have allowed. Lilley is optimistic about his team's chances to produce more goals during the stretch run to this regular season.

"It's not really a secret around the league that we've been good defensively as a team this season. What I do think would surprise people who do not watch us on a regular basis is how many quality chances we are creating each game. Scoring goals is a by-product of creating chances. We get a lot of credit for our defensive play, but I think people are underestimating just how many quality chances we are creating right now." Lilley said.

The Rochester Rhinos opponent on Saturday night will be Harrisburg City Islanders. This weekend's fixture will be the 11th all-time meeting between the clubs, and the Rhinos enter the match with a 2-6-2 record against the City Islanders in the all-time series. It was difficult to even call the series a rivalry in the beginning as Harrisburg won six of the first seven matches outright, but since Lilley's return in 2014 Rochester has a three match unbeaten run (1-0-2) against the City Islanders. The two clubs have met in three elimination matches since 2011 with the Rhinos eliminating the City Islanders from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2011 and 2015, while Harrisburg dumped Rochester out of the 2011 USL playoffs in Sahlen's Stadium.

The City Islanders and Rhinos have met twice already this season. The first match was in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup where the Rhinos used a brace from Asani Samuels in the second half of added extra time to eliminate Harrisburg 3:1 in Skyline Stadium. Rochester got the result despite the fact that the City Islanders held a man advantage for over 80 minutes in the match after Rhinos front runner Steevan Humberto Fortes dos Santos was sent off in the 38th minute for his second bookable offense os the first half. The second meeting was also in Skyline Stadium where the City Islanders threatened the Rhinos unbeaten streak in taking a 44th minute lead through their leading scorer Jason Plumhoff before Christian Volesky finished Tony Walls 87th minute assist to rescue a point and run the Rhinos unbeaten streak to 13.

City Islanders head coach Bill Becher will enter the match with his team in seventh place in the USL table with 31 points from 21 matches played. Harrisburg will enter the weekend trailing sixth place Pittsburgh by one point for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but the City Islanders have a match in hand over the Riverhounds. Harrisburg has won two of their last four road matches outright including a 2:0 victory over Toronto FC II on Wednesday night to draw them within a point of the playoffs.

The Rhinos next match is in Rochester against Harrisburg City Islanders on Saturday, August 22nd 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.



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 21, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Rochester Rhinos Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central