from Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Rhinos tinker with lineup in preseason win

Delicate, Severs cash in for goals to help Rochester in victory over Toronto

Jeff DiVeronica
Staff writer

(April 16, 2006) — The last time area soccer fans saw Matthew Delicate, the lanky forward was playing for the Richmond Kickers last year and slamming the door on Rochester's first-round playoff exit.

That's why it had to be a pleasant sight on Saturday at Aquinas Institute to see the 24-year-old scoring again, but this time wearing a Rhinos uniform.

Delicate's right-footed volley from 12 yards off Frankie Sanfilippo's cross broke the ice in the 38th minute and Rochester went on to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Lynx to improve its preseason record to 2-1-1. It plays again at 7p.m. Monday vs. Hartwick College at Roberts Wesleyan College. Admission is free.

"When you get service that good it makes it easy to finish," said Delicate, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of England who scored three goals in two USL First Division playoff wins over the Rhinos last September.

"Frankie made a great run, whipped in an awesome ball and Johnny (Menyongar) kind of dummied it. The ball came right to my foot."

Coach Laurie Calloway's squad, which features mostly young players new to Rochester, started a little sluggish going against a stiff wind in front of about 1,000 fans. But then Sanfilippo's overlapping run into the right corner set up Delicate and midfielder Chad Severs made it 2-0 by burying a loose ball from about 10 yards in the 45th minute. It came on a rebound of Delicate's quick turn-and-shoot just right of goal.

"We're a young team with a lot of veterans gone, so there are spots to fill. It's anybody's job to get in the starting 11," said Severs, who played on the same club soccer team in New Jersey (Mercer United) with second-year Rhinos defender Scott Palguta as a youngster.

"Every day it's competitive in practice and that's a good thing."

Severs, last year's USL Second Division Rookie of the Year with Harrisburg (Pa.), started at right midfield with Juninho DaSilva on the left and Aaran Lines and Jonathan Bolanos in the middle. Delicate and Menyongar were up top with Palguta, Sanfilippo and newcomers Kenney Bertz and Nate Craft across the back in front of fourth-year Rhinos goalie Scott Vallow.

Calloway used an entirely different lineup in the second half and the pace actually quickened with better ball movement and more scoring chances.

Newcomer Charles Gbeke, a 27-year-old Ivory Coast native who like Delicate gives Rochester another sizable forward (6-2, 198 pounds), looked as good as he has all preseason. But he missed on a 26-yard blast in the 55th minute and Toronto goalie Chris Baker made a nice kick save on his 10-yard redirect in front off Mychal Turpin's pass in the 83rd.

"This early it's real important to create chances," said Gbeke (pronounced BECK-ee).

Second-year Cuban midfielder Rey Martinez, 24, had a great look from 18 yards in the 73rd minute after Penfield native Josh Bolton, 21, did well to keep the ball in the offensive third of the field. But Martinez missed high.

"We played a little disjointed at first, then started to get together," said Calloway, whose club opens the season May 5 at Miami, the first of seven road games before the June 3 opener at PAETEC Park.

"Some of the young kids did well in the second half, made some points for themselves. There wasn't really any difference in play (from half to half). It didn't drop off much. I was just disappointed in the finishing in the second half because we had more chances by far."

The only one the Rhinos cashed in on came in the 63rd minute off the foot of 5-8 forward Danny Kramer, a rookie from Duke University. Toronto added a late penalty kick for the final margin. Kramer did well to stop his momentum and one-time a 10-yard shot after Jefferson Dargout set him up. Dargout, 25, the former Franklin High and Nazareth College standout who is trying out for the team again after being released last April, played well.

Delicate, Gbeke and the husky, 5-11, 190-pound Dargout, if he makes the team, give the Rhinos the type of size up front they lacked last year. Defenders Palguta and Bertz, an All-ACC pick last year for NCAA champion Maryland, are also 6-2 and could help in the air finishing restarts.

Couple that with the speed and setup ability of Menyongar, the former Minnesota Thunder star who is only 5-4 but holds the ball and passes well, and the attack could be dangerous.

"The way he takes people on he can make it easy for (teammates). He'll do all the hard work and I'll be the guy tapping in the goals, which is fine with me," Delicate said, smiling. "I'm looking forward to it."

JDIVERON@DemocratandChronicle.com

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