Rochester Raging Rhinos
Encyclopedia
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
, having self-relegated from the USSF D2 Pro League at the end of the 2010 season.
The team plays its home games at Sahlen's Stadium, formerly known as PAETEC Park, where they have played since 2006. The team's colors are black, white and green. The team is coached by first time head coach Jesse Myers
Jesse Myers
Jesse Myers is currently the head coach of the Rochester Rhinos in the USL Pro. He was the assistant coach of the Richmond Kickers for 14 years....
.
For most of the club's history, it has been known as the Rochester Raging Rhinos.
History
The team was founded in 1996 and played in the now-defunct original A-LeagueAmerican Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
until it merged with the USISL for the 1997 season, creating the new A-League. The A-League was renamed the USL First Division in 2005. In 2006 the Rhinos moved into the newly-completed PAETEC Park
PAETEC Park
Sahlen's Stadium, formerly PAETEC Park and Marina Auto Stadium, is a soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York, USA. It is home to the Rochester Rhinos soccer team of the USL Pro league and the Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer. It is also home of the Major League Lacrosse ...
, a 13,768-seat soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
. Construction at the stadium is ongoing and will, once completed, boost the capacity to approximately 20,000 seats.
The Rhinos have prided themselves on upholding a high level of play over their twelve plus year history. The team has never missed the playoffs, reaching the championship game six times (1996, 1998–2001, 2006). The Rhinos have been league champions three times (1998, 2000, 2001). They also won the 1999 U.S. Open Cup
1999 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Eight D3 Pro, four PDL, and four USASA teams start.-----Second round:Eight A-League enter....
, becoming the only non-Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team to win the cup since MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
began play in 1996.
The Rhinos were considered a candidate to be an expansion team at the MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
level when PAETEC Park
PAETEC Park
Sahlen's Stadium, formerly PAETEC Park and Marina Auto Stadium, is a soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York, USA. It is home to the Rochester Rhinos soccer team of the USL Pro league and the Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer. It is also home of the Major League Lacrosse ...
was in the planning stages.
The team was declared insolvent in 2008 after defaulting on their stadium agreement, and PAETEC Park was seized by the city of Rochester.
After a brief search for a new owner and investor who could improve the team's financial outlook, in March, 2008, the Rhinos official website announced that the Rhinos had found both in Utica businessman Rob Clark. The new owner then announced that the team will now be known as the "Rochester Rhinos," and that the financial situation of the team no longer put them in any danger of not being able to afford the upcoming season.
After two seasons under owner Rob Clark, on November 30, 2009, the club announced they would be joining the new NASL
North American Soccer League (2010)
The North American Soccer League is a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico which began league play on April 9, 2011. It has been provisionally sanctioned as the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer in the...
for its 2010 season. The United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
refused the NASL's application for sanctioning, and will instead operate its own temporary second-division league for 2010. The Rhinos will be part of that temporary USSF Second Division league. The Rhinos switched leagues again before the 2011 season to the third-division USL Pro
USL Pro
The USL Professional Division, commonly known as USL Pro , is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011....
league, who consider themselves equally competitive with the second-division NASL
NASL
- Soccer :* North American Soccer League, a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.* North American Soccer League , a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico which began play in 2011.- Starcraft II...
.
The 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons saw many players come & go from the Rhinos roster, which is a change from their earler history during the 1990s and early 2000s when players such as Lenin Steenkamp
Lenin Steenkamp
Lenin Steenkamp is a retired South African football player who spent his entire career in the United States.-College:...
(9 years) and Doug Miller
Doug Miller
Doug Miller is a U.S. soccer forward and a youth soccer coach. He spent one season in Major Indoor Soccer League and nine in the National Professional Soccer League, winning two championships and leading the league in scoring in 1998-1999. Miller also played ten seasons of outdoor soccer in the...
(8 years) stayed for many years. Nathaniel Short
Nathaniel Short
Nathaniel "Nano" Short is a retired English footballer who last played for Rochester Rhinos in the USSF Division 2 Professional League.-Early Life and College:...
, Ryan Heins
Ryan Heins
Ryan Heins is an American soccer player who currently plays for Richmond Kickers in the USL Professional Division.-College and Amateur:...
, and Isaac Kissi
Isaac Kissi
Isaac Kissi is a Ghanaian footballer currently playing for Rochester Rhinos in the American third division USL Pro.-College and Amateur:...
were with the team in 2009 and 2010, but of the three only Isaac Kissi
Isaac Kissi
Isaac Kissi is a Ghanaian footballer currently playing for Rochester Rhinos in the American third division USL Pro.-College and Amateur:...
was back in 2011.
The 2011 season ended with the Rhinos first in their division followed by a playoff season that lasted 2 games. The Rhinos saw off the Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1999, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
4-0 in first round of the playoffs and then lost 2-1 at home to the Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders is an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
to finish the season.
On September 15, 2011, the official Rhinos website announced that head coach Bob Lilley
Bob Lilley
Robert "Bob" Lilley is an American former soccer player and head coach. He has managed the Hershey Wildcats, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps, Detroit Ignition, and Rochester Rhinos....
would not be returning for the 2012 season. On October 12 Jess Myers, most recently an assistant coach of the Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers
The Richmond Kickers are an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
, was named as the new head coach of the Rhinos.
Stadium
- Fauver Stadium at the University of RochesterUniversity of RochesterThe University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
; Rochester, New YorkRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
(1996) - Frontier FieldFrontier FieldFrontier Field is a baseball stadium located at One Morrie Silver Way in downtown Rochester, New York. The park opened in 1996, replacing Silver Stadium in northern Rochester, which had been home to professional baseball in Rochester since 1929...
; Rochester, New YorkRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
(1996-2005) - PAETEC Park/Rochester Rhinos Stadium/Marina Auto Stadium/Sahlen's Stadium; Rochester, New YorkRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
(2006-present)
Supporters
The Rhinos main supporters groups have been the Safari and the Stampede.During the 2011 season, the Oak Street Brigade was founded by members of the Rochester chapter of the American Outlaws (U.S. National Team supporters club) and they have been the most visible supporters club in Section 101.
Media
The Rhinos have been covered in the Rochester based Democrat and ChronicleDemocrat and Chronicle
The Democrat and Chronicle is the most widely circulated daily newspaper in the greater Rochester, New York area. Located at 55 Exchange Boulevard in downtown Rochester, the Democrat and Chronicle operates under the ownership of Gannett. The paper's production facility is located in the town of...
newspaper since their founding by reporter Jeff Diveronica. A weekly radio show hosted by Diveronica and "Soccer Sam" Fantauzzo called Kick This is on WHTK 1280AM every Saturday morning at 11:05AM and features discussion about the Rochester Rhinos and Western New York Flash.
Broadcasting
All home matches and some away matches are broadcasted on http://www.usllive.comCurrent roster
as of November 28, 2011Staff
Jesse MyersJesse Myers
Jesse Myers is currently the head coach of the Rochester Rhinos in the USL Pro. He was the assistant coach of the Richmond Kickers for 14 years....
- Head Coach Bill Sedgewick
Bill Sedgewick
William "Bill" Sedgewick is an retired American professional soccer player who played both indoors and outdoors.-College:...
- Assistant Coach Billy Andracki - Assistant Coach Dave DiPasquale - Head Athletic Trainer
Notable former players
- See also All-time Rochester Rhinos rosterAll-time Rochester Rhinos rosterThis list comprises all players who have participated in at least one league match for Rochester Rhinos since the USL began keeping archived records in 2003...
Yari Allnutt
Yari Allnutt
Yari Allnutt is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in Mexico and the United States, including the American Professional Soccer League and Major League Soccer...
Mauro Biello
Mauro Biello
Mauro Biello is now an assistant coach for the MLS-bound Montreal Impact and is best known for having been professional soccer player on the same team....
Craig Demmin
Craig Demmin
Craig Demmin is a soccer defender currently playing for Mississippi Brilla in the USL Premier Development League.Demmin represented the Trinidad and Tobago national team from 1995 to 2003. He played for East Fife F.C. before playing in Major League Soccer for the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001...
Jimmy Glenn
Jimmy Glenn
Jimmy Glenn is a retired U.S. soccer forward who played two seasons in Major League Soccer as well as in the National Professional Soccer League, USISL and USL A-League.-Youth:...
Mike Kirmse Carlos Mendes
Carlos Mendes
Carlos Mendes is an American soccer player who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...
Doug Miller
Doug Miller
Doug Miller is a U.S. soccer forward and a youth soccer coach. He spent one season in Major Indoor Soccer League and nine in the National Professional Soccer League, winning two championships and leading the league in scoring in 1998-1999. Miller also played ten seasons of outdoor soccer in the...
Martin Nash Pat Onstad
Pat Onstad
Patrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
Scott Palguta
Scott Palguta
Scott Palguta is an American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
Scott Schweitzer
Scott Schweitzer
Scott Schweitzer is an American soccer coach and former professional soccer player. He spent two years as the head coach of Carolina RailHawks FC.-College soccer:...
Lenin Steenkamp
Lenin Steenkamp
Lenin Steenkamp is a retired South African football player who spent his entire career in the United States.-College:...
Tommy Tanner
Tommy Tanner
Thomas “Tommy” Tanner is a retired American soccer midfielder who played professionally in the USL A-League, Major Indoor Soccer League and National Professional Soccer Leaguey...
Darren Tilley
Darren Tilley
Darren Tilley is an English football coach for USL-1 club Rochester Rhinos.-Playing career:Tilley played for York City F.C. in the English Third Division from 1991-1993. In 1997, Tilley began the season with the Toronto Lynx before being traded to the Montreal Impact...
Head coaches
Pat ErcoliPat Ercoli
Pat Ercoli is a retired Canadian soccer player who currently works as General Manager of Rochester Rhinos.-Career:...
(1996-2003) Laurie Calloway
Laurie Calloway
Laurence John "Laurie" Calloway is a retired English-U.S. soccer defender who spent thirteen years in the English leagues and six years in the North American Soccer League....
(2004-2007) Darren Tilley
Darren Tilley
Darren Tilley is an English football coach for USL-1 club Rochester Rhinos.-Playing career:Tilley played for York City F.C. in the English Third Division from 1991-1993. In 1997, Tilley began the season with the Toronto Lynx before being traded to the Montreal Impact...
(2008-2009) Bob Lilley
Bob Lilley
Robert "Bob" Lilley is an American former soccer player and head coach. He has managed the Hershey Wildcats, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps, Detroit Ignition, and Rochester Rhinos....
(2010-2011) Jesse Myers
Jesse Myers
Jesse Myers is currently the head coach of the Rochester Rhinos in the USL Pro. He was the assistant coach of the Richmond Kickers for 14 years....
(2012-present)
Achievements
- USSF Division 2 Professional LeagueUSSF Division 2 Professional LeagueUSSF Division 2 Professional League was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League...
- Regular Season Champions (1): 2010
- Champions, USL Conference (1): 2010
- USL A-League
- Winners (3): 1998, 2000, 2001
- Northeast Division Champions (3): 1998, 1999, 2002
- U.S. Open CupLamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
- Winners (1): 1999
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Cup | Avg. Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 | A-League | 4th | Final | Final | 9,991 |
| 1997 | 2 | USISL A-League | 2nd, Northeast | Division Semifinals | Round of 16 | 10,677 |
| 1998 | 2 | USISL A-League | 1st, Northeast | Champion | 3rd Round | 11,499 |
| 1999 | 2 | USL A-League | 1st, Northeast | Final | Champion | 11,551 |
| 2000 | 2 | USL A-League | 2nd, Northeast | Champion | 3rd Round | 11,628 |
| 2001 | 2 | USL A-League | 2nd, Northern | Champion | 2nd Round | 10,789 |
| 2002 | 2 | USL A-League | 1st, Northeast | Conference Finals | 3rd Round | 10,008 |
| 2003 | 2 | USL A-League | 2nd, Northeast | Conference Finals | 4th Round | 10,169 |
| 2004 | 2 | USL A-League | 4th, Eastern | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | 10,200 |
| 2005 | 2 | USL First Division | 2nd | Semifinals | Quarterfinals | 9,791 |
| 2006 | 2 | USL First Division | 2nd | Final | 4th Round | 10,110 |
| 2007 | 2 | USL First Division | 5th | Quarterfinals | 3rd Round | 9,705 |
| 2008 | 2 | USL First Division | 4th | Semifinals | 3rd Round | 8,243 |
| 2009 | 2 | USL First Division | 6th | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | 6,888 |
| 2010 | 2 | USSF D-2 Pro League | 1st, USL (1st) | Quarterfinals | 3rd Round | 6,464 |
| 2011 | 3 | USL Pro | 1st, National | Division Finals | 3rd Round | 4,339 |