September 24, 2015 Toronto FC II--game report Rochester Rhinos vs Toronto FC II (from rhinosoccer.com)
Record Setting Rhinos Top TFCII 2:0 09/24/2015 9:02 PM - The Rochester Rhinos defeated Toronto FC II 2:0 in their regular season finale in Sahlen's Stadium on Thursday, September 24th 2015. Colin Rolfe scored the match-winning goal in the 69th minute off of an assist from Marcos Ugarte and Asani Samuels scored unassisted in the 85th minute for the Rhinos. Rochester goalkeeper Brandon Miller kept the clean sheet for the home side. The Rochester Rhinos finished the season with 61 points from a 17-1-10 record – the second highest point total of any club in USL history behind only Orlando City's 62 point mark last season. It was the highest win total for the Rhinos in the USL era, and the highest win total for Rochester since 2002. With the clean sheet the Rochester Rhinos set the USL record for least goals conceded in a season with 15, surpassing the sixteen goals Orlando City conceded in 2011, and matching the club record of 15 goals conceded in 1998. The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, September 12th 2015, but was rescheduled to Thursday, September 24th 2015 after the Sahlen's Stadium pitch was ruled unplayable due to heavy rains. Before the match the Rochester Rhinos were presented with the 2015 USL Regular Season Trophy after the Rhinos finished with the highest point total of the 24 teams participating in the USL Regular Season this year. As a result, Rochester secured the number one seed and home field advantage throughout the 2015 USL Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Rhinos will enter the post season tournament in the 2015 USL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on Saturday, October 3rd 2015 against the winner of the Quarterfinal match between New York Red Bulls II and Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley's side was reinforced on Thursday night by the return of center back Grant Van de Casteele from injury. Van de Casteele's last start was in Rochester's 4:0 victory over Harrisburg City Islanders in Skyline Stadium on August 22nd, 2015. He has appeared as a substitute in each of the Rhinos last two matches, and looks set to be available for 90 minutes in Rochester's first playoff match next weekend. Van de Casteele officially recorded 65 minutes played in the match. Lilley made four changes to the line-up that defeated New York Red Bulls II on Saturday, September 19th 2015. Lilley's experiment on the back line with attacking midfielder Alex Dixon entered its third match as the University of North Carolina started at right back. Drew Ruggles was a stand-in for Onua Thomas Obasi at left back although Obasi was in the eighteen for the match and he entered as a second half substitute. University of Michigan product Marcos Ugarte replaced New England Revs loanee Timi Mulgrew on the left flank, while second year Rhinos player Colin Rolfe started at striker over both rookie Christian Volesky and Steevan Humberto Fortes dos Santos. The youthful contingent Toronto FC sent south of the border with Toronto FC II was made up of ten Toronto FC Academy products including six in the starting line-up. Only two players in the Toronto FC II eighteen – starting striker Jordan Hamilton and back-up keeper Alex Bono - were on loan from the Toronto FC First Team. To a certain extent the Rochester Rhinos took advantage of the lack of experience in the Toronto FC II eleven for the first forty-five minutes. The Rhinos registered five shots to three for visiting TFC II, and added four more corner kicks to only one for Toronto. Although Rochester created nine opportunities to four for Toronto FC II, the visitors created the best opportunity of the first half. Midfielder Salvador Bernal snuck in behind the Rhinos back four and stormed down the left flank before cutting into the Rochester penalty area. Bernal shot from a tight angle from the left side of the Rhinos box, and tried to bend his shot around Rochester goalkeeper Brandon Miller, but Miller dove to his left to make a fingertip save. The match entered half time in a scoreless draw. Rochester turned in a dominant second half performance in which they created six shots and did not allow visiting Toronto FC II a single opportunity in the second forty-five minutes. The Rochester Rhinos opened the scoring in the 69th minute. Ugarte got loose on the left flank, then cut inside, and started dribbling up the end line. Ugarte kept his composure before picking out Rolfe on the penalty spot. Rolfe settled the ball, picked up his head, placed his shot past TFCII goalkeeper Filippo DiBennardo, and into the lower right corner of the net. The goal was the sixth of the season for Rolfe, who has scored four goals in the last five matches. Rochester doubled their advantage in the 85th minute. Substitute Christian Volesky played the ball into the Toronto FC II box to fellow substitute Asani Samuels from 30 yards out. Samuels received the ball before powering past TFCII center backs Klaidi Cela and Daniel Fabrizi. Samuels took a shot from the top left corner of the six yard box, and finished past DiBennardo at the near post for his second goal of the regular season. The Rochester Rhinos concluded their 2015 USL Regular Season fixture list unbeaten in Sahlen's Stadium for the first time in the USL era, and only the second time in club history (2001). Rochester enters the post season in the 2015 USL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on October 3rd 2015 at 7:05PM in Sahlen's Stadium. The Rhinos will play the winner of the 2015 USL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match between New York Red Bulls II and Pittsburgh Riverhounds in Red Bulls Arena on Saturday, September 26th 2015. Rochester Rhinos playoff tickets and group sales tickets 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.
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