May 30, 2001
Last time out. The Rhinos played back-to-back matches last weekend and came away with a pair of wins. On Saturday, they manhandled D3 side Western Mass at Frontier Field while resting most of their regular starters in the 3-0 US Open Cup qualifying victory. Immediately after the win, the team boarded a bus for Toronto, where it edged the Lynx 1-0 at the decrepit Varsity Stadium on Sunday.
The hero. Lenin Steenkamp, who netted the game-winner against Toronto in the Rhinos’ first road match of the season. In 2000, the team was 0-2-4 when crossing the Canadian border (against Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver), so Steenkamp’s 25-yarder may have exorcised a few demons.
Lake Ontario Derby. The first match of the very first derby was plagued by a torrential downpour and warnings of both hail and tornadoes, but the Stampede (Rhinos supporters) came away with a 6-3 win over the Ultras (Toronto Lynx supporters) on Sunday afternoon at Jesse Ketcham School in Toronto. The return match is set for July 14 --- just before the Rhinos take on the Lynx at Frontier. If you’re interested in helping to make those Frenchies eat turf, check out the message boards on www.rhinossoccer.com.
Next match. The Rhinos (1-1-0, 5th place in Northern Division) continue their three-game road trip with a match this Friday in Hershey (3-1-0, 1st place), and then a 10 a.m. battle against the Wolves in Connecticut (3-1-0, 2nd place) next Wednesday in their sixth (and final) US Open Cup qualifier. You can hear them both on WYSL 1040 AM.
History. Both the Wildcats and Wolves have failed to beat the Rhinos in regular-season play since 1997. Hershey has lost its last three to Rochester, while Connecticut is winless in its last nine meetings against the Rhinos. On the downside, the Wolves are a much stronger side this year, and Rochester is an anemic 5-0-5 when it plays on Wednesdays.
Trotman, Trinidad and Tobago. Forward Mickey Trotman played 80 minutes in the Soca Warriors’ 3-0 win over Haiti in the Copa Caribe. By making it to the finals, Trinidad and Tobago qualify for the 2002 Gold Cup… but don’t worry --- it’s held in February and won’t interfere with the Rhinos’ season. Trotman is likely to miss some action in mid-June when the Socas take on Honduras (6/16) and the United States (6/20) in World Cup qualifying.
Billy’s blues. Atlanta was 3-0-1 and had allowed five goals in four matches before the Rhinos temporarily lent them goalkeeper Billy Andracki. Since he crossed the Georgia border, the Silverbacks are 1-0-3 and have allowed nine goals in those four matches. Y’all hurry back now, y’hear.
US Open Cup. The Rhinos clinched first place in their group and qualified for the Cup with last weekend’s win over Western Mass, but since they had already qualified by virtue of being the defending league champions, what does it all mean? Because of the US Soccer Federation’s cryptic press releases, nobody’s sure. What we do know is that, even though they’ve qualified, the Rhinos need a win against Connecticut to lock up one of the tournament’s four seeds in the East bracket that have been reserved for A-League and D3 sides. Earning a seed means they won’t square off against an MLS team in the second round, which is tentatively slated for June 27.Read the last issue of The Score here.