Rochester Rhinos

Football club infobox
clubname = Rochester Rhinos


fullname = Rochester Rhinos
nickname = Rhinos
founded = 1996
ground = PAETEC Park
capacity = 17,500
chairman = flagicon|USA Rob Clark
manager = flagicon|ENG Darren Tilley
league = USL First Division
season = 2008
position = in progress

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body1=002000
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shorts1=000000
socks1=000000

pattern_la2=
pattern_b2=_blackstripes4
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American = true

Rochester Rhinos is an American professional soccer team, founded in 1996. The team is a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.

They currently play at the PAETEC Park in Rochester, New York. The team is currently coached by Darren Tilley. The team's colors are black, white and green.

The team has a sister organization, the Rochester Rhinos Women, who play in the women's USL W-League.

2008 Roster

"As of September 9, 2008"

History

The team was founded in 1996 as the Rochester Raging Rhinos and played in the now-defunct original A-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 into the newly-completed PAETEC Park, a 13,500-seat soccer-specific stadium, ongoing construction of which will boost the capacity to approximately 20,000 seats.

The Rhinos have prided themselves on upholding a high level of play over their twelve plus 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 US Open Cup in 1999, becoming the only non-Major League Soccer team to win the cup since MLS began play in 1996.

The team was declared insolvent in 2008 after defaulting on their stadium agreement, and PAETEC Park was seized by the city of Rochester. [ [http://www.wysl1040.com/?pg=local&fileID=7092 CITY SAYS IT WILL SEIZE PAETEC PARK, CITING DEFAULT] . WYSL.]

On March 20, 2008, it was announced that Utica businessman Rob Clark was purchasing the team, which would from then on be known as the "Rochester Rhinos," and that the 2008 Rhinos season would commence as scheduled. [ [http://democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/SPORTS05/80320039/1023 Utica businessman buys Rhinos; 2008 season a go] . Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.]

Year-by-year

Team Honors

* USL First Division - Playoffs:
** Appearances (12): 1996-2007
* USL First Division - Commissioner's Cup:
** Winner (3): 1998, 2000, 2001
** Runner-up (3): 1996, 2005, 2006
* U.S. Open Cup:
** Winner (1): 1999
** Runner-up (1): 1996

Coaches

*Pat Ercoli 1996-2003
*Laurie Calloway 2004-2007
*Darren Tilley 2008-present [ [http://democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080325/SPORTS05/80325032/1023 Sources: Rhinos will name Tilley head coach] . Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.]

Average attendance

*1996: 9,991
*1997: 10,677
*1998: 11,499
*1999: 11,551
*2000: 11,600
*2001: 10,789
*2002: 10,008
*2003: 10,169
*2004: 10,200
*2005: 9,791
*2006: 10,110
*2007: 9,705

Overall Average: 11,273

Notable former players

*flagicon|USA Yari Allnutt
*flagicon|Jamaica Onandi Lowe
*flagicon|USA Carlos Mendes
*flagicon|CAN Pat Onstad
*flagicon|Bulgaria Stoian Mladenov
*flagicon|USA Doug Miller
*flagicon|South Africa Lenin Steenkamp
*flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago Mickey Trotman

Home stadiums

*Fauver Stadium (1996)
*Frontier Field (1996-2005)
*PAETEC Park (2006-Present)

upporters

The Rhinos' main supporters group is called the Rochester Stampede. During the 2007 season, the Stampede occupied section 132 at PAETEC Park. Starting in 2008 the group will be in section 101. Tickets are in the general admission category and anyone is free to walk in and cheer with the supporters.

Traditions

It has become a tradition for the Stampede to throw green and yellow streamers onto the field after each Rhinos' goal, as well as during every opposing corner kick in front of their sector.

Andrew Gregor, current Rhinos midfielder and former member of the Portland Timbers at the time, openly expressed his disdain for the streamer throwing during a match on June 1, 2008. Gregor complained to the assistant referee, who was unable to impede on the Stampede's streamer throwing. The Rhinos won the match 2-1, and Gregor was dealt to the Rhinos in a 3-team trade a month later.

References

External links

* [http://www.rhinossoccer.com Official Rochester Rhinos site]
* [http://www.rhinoszone.com RhinosZone Fan Forum]
* [http://www.rochesterstampede.com Rochester Stampede]