Scott Vallow

2009 Second Round: Rhinos avoid another PK shootout with OT winner vs. Cleveland

June 16, 2009 by

Marina Auto Stadium – Rochester, N.Y. | 7 p.m.

Match Reports: Democrat & Chronicle | Match Statistics

	2	AET	1
Ryan Heins (Gregor) 82’ Kenney Bertz (Ambersley) 113’				59’ Ryan Stewart (PK)

Two matches in the US Open Cup this year, and two exciting games for the Rochester Rhinos.

A week after needing penalty kicks to advance past the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Second Division in the First Round, the host Rhinos got the tying goal from Ryan Heins in the 82nd minute and the winner from Kenney Bertz in the 113th to outlast the Cleveland City Stars 2-1 at Marina Auto Stadium.

Just four minutes after entering the match, Heins took a pass from Andrew Gregor on the left side and ripped a shot past City Stars goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap from 20 yards out for his first goal of the season.

Heins’ strike offset a 59th minute penalty kick by Cleveland’s Ryan Stewart, who converted after being taken down by Rochester’s Darren Kenton in the box.

Despite having little of the ball in the final 20 minutes, the City Stars — coming off a stunning 3-0 league win over the Rhinos on Saturday in Cleveland — had a golden opportunity in second half stoppage time. A quick counter attack turned into a 3-on-2, but Ricardo Pierre-Louis shot high and wide.

Late in the first 15 minute period of extra time, Bertz headed in a corner kick by Mike Ambersley for his first goal of the season, and Rochester held on to advance to the Third Round of the US Open Cup for the eighth consecutive season.

Rhinos keeper Scott Vallow was called upon to make just two saves, though one was a fine, diving stop on a drive by City Stars forward Joshua Boateng in the opening minutes of the second half. In the other net, Hunter Gilstrap made five saves of his own in the losing effort.

Lineups

ROCHESTER: GK Scott Vallow, D John Ball, D Kenny Bertz, D Nathaniel Short, D Darren Kenton (Kwame Sarkodie 73), M Chris Nurse (Ze Roberto 112), M Andrew Gregor, M Mike Ambersley, M Danny Earls (Ryan Heins 78), F Johnny Menyongar, F Mauricio Salles.

CLEVELAND: GK Hunter Gilstrap, D Gordon Kljestan, D Troy Roberts, D Ibrahim Kante (Julian Valentin 71), D Stephane Guillaume, M Warren Kanu, M Pato Aguilera, M Godfrey Tenoff, M Ryan Stewart, F Leo Gibson (Ricardo Pierre-Louis 54), F Joshua Boateng.

Yellow cards: C Kljestan (25), R Vallow (59), C Stewart (66), R Nurse (70), R Salles (77), R Gregor (89), C Aguilera (101), R Heins (101). Att. — 2,788.

2009 First Round: Rhinos need PKs to put away shorthanded Riverhounds

June 9, 2009 by

Marina Auto Stadium – Rochester, N.Y.
Match reports: Democrat & Chronicle

	1	AET	1
Tai Atieno (Ambersley) 90’+ Tai Atieno (PK miss) 118’				22’ Tenywa Bonseu (Evans) 72’ Tenywa Bonseu (RED CARD)
Rochester advance on penalties, 4-2 Penalty Summary
Tai Atieno MISS – Crossbar Kenny Bertz – GOAL Andrew Gregor – GOAL Mauricio Salas – GOAL Tiger Fitzpatrick -GOAL				GOAL – Ed Hayden SAVED – Nathan Salsi SAVED – Justin Evans GOAL – Alan Brown

Chances are, Tai Atieno will have nightmares of penalty kicks tonight.

The Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division survived the upset bid of the Pittsburgh Riverhouds, the last place team in the USL Second Division, by escaping with a penalty kick victory after a 1-1 draw after extra time.

It was the third all-time Open Cup meeting between these two clubs and the second year in a row. Rochester beat Pittsburgh 2-1 back in 2000 when the Riverhounds were an A-League (USL First Division) team, and last year, the Rhinos were victorious by a score of 3-0. This year, it was a much more competitive match.

The Riverhounds struck first in the 22nd minute when former Rhino defender Tenywa Bonseu scored for the visitors. However, he ended up helping out his old club when he was sent off in the 72nd minute after fouling Tiger Fitzpatrick.

The Rhinos eventually took advantage of their extra man in second half stoppage time. Atieno was the hero temporarily as he scored from a Mike Ambersley corner kick moments before the final whistle.

It was in extra time that Atieno had his difficulties. In the 119th minute, Atieno stepped up to take a penalty kick that surly would give the Rhinos the win, only to see it hit the crossbar and the game went to a shootout to decide who would move on to the next round. This would be the first time in franchise history that an opening round opponent has taken the Rhinos to penalties.

Atieno was the first of Rochester’s penalty takers in the shootout, and once again failed to convert. However, his teammate Scott Vallow came to the rescue, saving two Riverhounds spot kicks to allow the Rhinos to advance to the Second Round.

The shootout win keeps Rochester’s streak of eight consecutive opening round victories. The club’s only opening round exit was in 2001 when they fell 1-0 to the Hershey Wildcats. Aside from that blemish on their record, they have qualified for every tournament since the franchise began in 1996 and have won the first game of each of those competitions 13 of 14 times.

LINEUPS

Pittsburgh: Danny Waltman; Nathan Salsi, Ed Hayden, Cody Bragg, Tenywa Bonseu; Niko Katic, Justin Evans, Tony Labudovski (Allen Brown 79), Jason Kutney (Chris Riley 112); Tommy Gray, Randolph Jerome (Joe Zewe 87)

Rochester: Scott Vallow; Kenney Bertz, Brent Sancho (Andrew Gregor 79), John Ball, Darren Kenton; Andrew Lorei, Johnny Menyongar (Tiger Fitzpatrick 45), Ze Roberto (Tai Atieno 45), Chris Nurse, Mike Ambersley; Mauricio Salles

Shots: PIT 7, ROC 24
Fouls: PIT 28, ROC 24
Corners: PIT 5, ROC 11
Saves: PIT 6, ROC 6
Offsides: PIT 1, ROC 2

Cautions

PIT: Bonseu 1, 72, Gray 29, Evans 36, Katic 48, Salsi 90, Riley 118
ROC: Bertz 57, Salles 67, Nurse 70

Ejections

PIT: Bonseu 72

Referees: Jason Krnac, Michael Farmer, Brian Miller, Bill Engel

2008 First Round: Rhinos survive extra time with USASA’s RWB Adria

June 10, 2008 by

The Rochester Rhinos escaped the clutches of the upset-minded RWB Adria, needing an extra time goal from Hamed Diallo to overcome the Chicago-based USASA club 2-1. The match marked the first time that the Rhinos, competing in their 13th US Open Cup competition, had faced a club from the USASA.

The teams played to a scoreless tie for 73 minutes, when Diallo was brought down in the penalty area. Tiger Fitzpatrick stepped up and converted the spot kick for a 1-0 lead. Just as Rochester seemed ready to book their Second Round ticket, RWB Adria proved why the game is 90 minutes long. Joey Carver found a wide-open Awadallah Morad, who buried the ball into an open net with just four minutes remaining.

The Rhinos took the lead back for good six minutes into the first extra period, when Diallo received a header from Matthew Delicate, dribbled past RWB Adria defender Justin Dugena and scored. Scott Vallow preserved the Rhinos’ win with a kick save on a wide-open shot by Carver with just five minutes remaining.