Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, are an American professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
team based in
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
, United States.
Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos to start the 2008 season. RNY is the only non-MLS team to have won the
U.S. Open Cup since the league's formation.
RNY FC most recently played in the
2017 USL season in the second tier of the
United States soccer league system
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are not linked by the system of prom ...
, followed by a four-year hiatus.
They returned to play on March 25, 2022 in the inaugural game of the third division
MLS Next Pro
MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS clubs ...
league.
History
1996–2017
Rochester Raging Rhinos was founded in 1996 and played in the now-defunct original
A-League until it merged with the
USISL
United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...
for the 1997 season, creating the new
A-League. After reaching the championship game in 1996 they won their first league championship in 1998.
In 1999 the club made it to the final of the
U.S. Open Cup, where they defeated
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
club
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, lat ...
2–0, becoming the first team from outside MLS to win the national cup since MLS's inception. This win was followed by two further A-League titles in 2000 and 2001.
A year after the A-League's renaming to the USL First Division in 2005, the Rhinos moved into the newly completed PAETEC Park, a 13,768-seat
soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada 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 multi- ...
now known as
Marina Auto Stadium
Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium, also called the "downtown soccer stadium", is a soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York within the Rochester Community Sports Complex. It is home to the Flower City Union of the National Indep ...
, and again made the championship game. the Rhinos were considered a candidate to be an expansion team at the
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
level when PAETEC Park 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 club was taken over by
Utica businessman Rob Clark. Clark changed the team's name to the "Rochester Rhinos," and assured that the financial situation of the team was stable and it would be able to play the next year. After two seasons under Clark the club joined the
new NASL for its 2010 season. The
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...
refused the NASL's application for sanctioning, and instead operated its own temporary second-division league for 2010. The Rhinos were part of that temporary
USSF Division 2 Professional League
The USSF Division 2 Professional League (D2 Pro League) was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for the 2010 season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding Un ...
. The Rhinos switched leagues again before the 2011 season to the then third-division
USL Pro
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
league, who considered themselves equally competitive with the second-division NASL.
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 SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American so ...
4–0 in first round of the playoffs and then lost 2–1 at home to the
Harrisburg City Islanders
Penn FC (formerly the Harrisburg City Islanders) was an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2003, the team most recently played in the USL Pro, the second tier of the United States soccer ...
to finish the season. At the end of the season, head coach
Bob Lilley was replaced by
Jesse Myers
Jesse Myers was the head coach of the Rochester Rhinos in the USL Pro until his dismissal following a 1-6-1 start to the 2013 season. He was the assistant coach of the Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer cl ...
, most recently an assistant coach of the
Richmond Kickers.
In January 2013, the Rhinos became the official USL Pro affiliate of the
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
.
On May 19, Following a 1–6–1 start to the 2013 season, Myers was dismissed and
Pat Ercoli
Pat Ercoli (born 30 November 1957) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who currently works as President of the Rochester New York FC.
Career
Ercoli played club football for the Rochester Lancers and the Jacksonville Tea Men in t ...
named head coach. They missed the playoffs for the first time ever, finishing with a 6–10–10 record.
The league revoked the Clark family's ownership of the club in January 2016, citing the revocation of the lease on Rochester Rhinos Stadium by the City of Rochester. The league took over operations of the club until it could be sold to a new ownership group. David and Wendy Dworkin, minority owners of the
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
basketball club, were identified as the Rhinos' new owners later in the month. The Dworkins were officially announced as the new owners on March 10, 2016.
2017–present
On November 30, 2017, the Rhinos announced that they would go on hiatus. After almost a year of silence the team announced that it planned to move to the new third division league
USL League One
USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championshi ...
and return to the field in 2020.
Moreover, the team announced that it had reached a deal with the City to vacate
Marina Auto Stadium
Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium, also called the "downtown soccer stadium", is a soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York within the Rochester Community Sports Complex. It is home to the Flower City Union of the National Indep ...
and stated it would be searching a site to build a new stadium.
Towards the end of the first
USL League One
USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championshi ...
season, the Rhinos' President
Pat Ercoli
Pat Ercoli (born 30 November 1957) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who currently works as President of the Rochester New York FC.
Career
Ercoli played club football for the Rochester Lancers and the Jacksonville Tea Men in t ...
announced on Uncle Sam's Soccer Podcast that due to delays and pacing of the development of the Rhinos' new stadium that the team would likely sit out the 2020 season and relaunch in 2021.
On November 30, 2017, the team announced that they would not play in 2018 while additional funding was sought.
On August 22, 2018, it was announced that the club would pursue a new stadium location and attempt to join
USL League One
USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championshi ...
.
On June 15, 2021,
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Richard Vardy (''né'' Gill; born 11 January 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Leicester City. Regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, Vardy is known for his prolific goalscoring aided ...
was announced as co-owner of the franchise and intends to field a team for the 2022 season. Lee Tucker, who was the project leader at Vardy’s successful
V9 Academy – which gave opportunities to
non-league
Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to d ...
players in England seeking to break into the professional game, will be appointed Sporting Director.
On September 1, 2021, it was announced that the club had gone through an extensive makeover as part of the club’s rebirth, the Rhinos had a complete rebrand to Rochester New York FC or RNYFC for short, and had a new logo introduced. The new club badge features an abstract rendering of Rochester's
High Falls waterfall.
The club has announced its return to play in 2022, and will be the first independent club in the new
MLS Next Pro
MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS clubs ...
league.
Stadium
![MCC DiMarco Field](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/MCC_DiMarco_Field.JPG)
*
Fauver Stadium;
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
(1996)
*
Frontier Field
Innovative Field (originally known as Frontier Field) is a baseball stadium located at One Morrie Silver Way in downtown Rochester, New York. It has been the home of the Rochester Red Wings of the International League since 1997. The park opened ...
; Rochester, New York (1996–2005)
*
Marina Auto Stadium
Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium, also called the "downtown soccer stadium", is a soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York within the Rochester Community Sports Complex. It is home to the Flower City Union of the National Indep ...
; Rochester, New York (2006–2017)
*
John L. DiMarco Field;
Brighton, New York (2022–present)
The Raging Rhinos first began play in 1996 at Fauver Stadium, a soccer venue at the
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees.
The University of Roc ...
. They then played at
Frontier Field
Innovative Field (originally known as Frontier Field) is a baseball stadium located at One Morrie Silver Way in downtown Rochester, New York. It has been the home of the Rochester Red Wings of the International League since 1997. The park opened ...
, a
Minor League Baseball park, from 1996 to 2005.
Starting in 2006, the team played in
Marina Auto Stadium
Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium, also called the "downtown soccer stadium", is a soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York within the Rochester Community Sports Complex. It is home to the Flower City Union of the National Indep ...
, a
soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada 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 multi- ...
built for their use. When the Rhinos went on hiatus at the end of 2017, they originally sought to remain at the stadium, scheduling neutral-site USL matches during the 2018 season to meet the terms of their lease. However, in August 2018 the team announced they would be seeking a new venue.
In June 2021, when the team announced a new co-owner ahead of a planned return to play in 2022, they indicated they would play at Empire United Soccer Complex in
Henrietta, New York
Henrietta is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States and a suburb of Rochester. The population of Henrietta is 47,096, according to the 2020 United States Census. Henrietta is home to the Rochester Institute of Technology and to one of t ...
. However, Empire United's field had no stands, concessions, or other amenities, and would have required upgrades for professional soccer use. In order to be ready for a March 2022 kickoff in
MLS Next Pro
MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS clubs ...
, the team announced in December 2021 that they would instead play at John L. DiMarco Field, a 1,500-capacity soccer and lacrosse venue at
Monroe Community College
Monroe Community College is a public community college in Monroe County, New York. It is part of the State University of New York. The college has two campuses; the main campus in the town of Brighton, and the Downtown Campus in the City of Ro ...
in
Brighton, New York.
Club culture
Supporters
Rochester New York FC has two major
supporters' groups. Founded in 2011, the Oak Street Brigade once occupied section 101 at
Capelli Sport Stadium, the former home of the Rochester Rhinos. The other major supporters' group is the North Star Ultras, which formed during the club's hiatus and operates alongside the Oak Street Brigade in a united supporters section. Both supporters groups currently occupy section “A” at John L. DiMarco Field at MCC Brighton Campus.
Players and staff
Roster
Notable former players
*''See also
All-time Rochester Rhinos roster''
Rochester Rhinos Hall of Fame
*2011:
Lenin Steenkamp
Lenin Steenkamp (born 9 September 1969 in Durban, South Africa) is a retired South African football player who spent his entire career in the United States.
College
In 1989, Steenkamp entered the College of Boca Raton on a soccer scholarship. ...
*2012:
Craig Demmin
Craig Demmin (born May 21, 1971) is a retired Trinidad soccer defender who played professionally in Major League Soccer and the USL First Division.
Player
College
Demmin attended Belhaven University, playing on the men's soccer team from 1990 ...
,
Doug Miller,
Pat Onstad
Patrick Stewart Onstad (born January 13, 1968) is a Canadian former professional soccer goalkeeper who serves as the General Manager of the Houston Dynamo. During his career, Onstad played with a variety of clubs in Canada and the United State ...
*2013:
1999 U.S. Open Cup
The 1999 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June to October 1999, open to all soccer teams in the United States. It was the first Open Cup tournament to be named after Lamar Hunt. The Rochester Raging Rhinos of the A-League (1995–2004), A-League ...
Team
*2014:
Yari Allnutt
Yari Allnutt (born February 17, 1970) is an American retired soccer player who played professionally in Mexico and the United States, including the American Professional Soccer League and Major League Soccer. He earned five caps with the United ...
,
Scott Vallow
Scott Vallow (born June 8, 1977 in Modesto, California) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper, most famously for playing with the Rochester Rhinos, 2005-2010. Scott was the assistant coach of the North Carolina Courage soccer team, having follo ...
*2015:
Darren Tilley
Darren Tilley (born 15 March 1967) is an English association football, football coach and former player. He has coached USL First Division, USL-1 club Rochester Rhinos.
Playing career
York City
Tilley was born in Keynsham, Somerset. He play ...
,
Mali Walton
Retired numbers
* 14 –
Mickey Trotman
* 19 –
Doug Miller
Head coaches
*
Pat Ercoli
Pat Ercoli (born 30 November 1957) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who currently works as President of the Rochester New York FC.
Career
Ercoli played club football for the Rochester Lancers and the Jacksonville Tea Men in t ...
(1996–2004)
*
Laurie Calloway (2005–2007)
*
Darren Tilley
Darren Tilley (born 15 March 1967) is an English association football, football coach and former player. He has coached USL First Division, USL-1 club Rochester Rhinos.
Playing career
York City
Tilley was born in Keynsham, Somerset. He play ...
(2008–2009)
*
Bob Lilley (2010–2011)
*
Jesse Myers
Jesse Myers was the head coach of the Rochester Rhinos in the USL Pro until his dismissal following a 1-6-1 start to the 2013 season. He was the assistant coach of the Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer cl ...
(2012–2013)
*
Pat Ercoli
Pat Ercoli (born 30 November 1957) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who currently works as President of the Rochester New York FC.
Career
Ercoli played club football for the Rochester Lancers and the Jacksonville Tea Men in t ...
(interim, 2013)
*
Bob Lilley (2014–2017)
*
Bruno Baltazar
Bruno Miguel Nunes Baltazar (born 6 July 1977) is a Portuguese retired Association football, footballer who played as a central defender, currently Manager (association football), manager of Rochester New York FC in MLS Next Pro.
Playing career ...
(2021–)
Honours
League
*
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
**Champions (1):
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
**Winners (Playoffs):
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
**Winners (Regular Season):
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
*
USSF Division 2 Professional League
The USSF Division 2 Professional League (D2 Pro League) was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for the 2010 season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding Un ...
** Regular Season Champions (1):
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
** USL Conference Champions (1):
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
*
USL A-League
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
** Winners (3):
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
,
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
,
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
** Northeast Division Champions (3):
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
,
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
,
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
Cups
*
U.S. Open Cup
** Winners (1):
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
** runners-up (1):
1996
Record
Year-by-year
1. Avg. Attendance include statistics from league matches only.
2. Top Goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league play, playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, and other competitive matches.
3. Points and PPG have been adjusted from non-traditional to traditional scoring systems for seasons prior to 2003 to more effectively compare historical team performance across seasons.
4. Pts in 2008 excludes one deducted point for fielding an ineligible player.
References
External links
*
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{{United Soccer Leagues
{{American Professional Soccer League seasons
{{USOC winners
{{Rochester Sports
{{Upstate New York Sports
Association football clubs established in 1996
Men's soccer clubs in New York (state)
Former USL Championship teams
MLS Next Pro teams
American Professional Soccer League teams
USL First Division teams
A-League (1995–2004) teams
1996 establishments in New York (state)
U.S. Open Cup winners