Rhinos Extend Winning Streak to Three Games

(Rochester, NY)…The Rhinos returned to USL-1 action at home on Sunday for the first of an 11-game stretch at Marina Auto Stadium. They hosted the Austin Aztex, defeating the visitors by a score of 4-1 in front of 6,894 fans on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The win improves the Rhinos’ mark in USL-1 play to 7-5-2 (23 points), while Austin drops to 3-7-6 (15 points).

Rochester’s first chance came 16 minutes in when midfielder Tiger Fitzpatrick was played down the left flank and played a cross through to the box. His ball found the feet of midfielder Andrew Lorei, who laid a pass off to defender John Ball but his shot sailed over the goal.

Fitzpatrick found another opening eight minutes later after rushing through the Austin defensive half. He played a one-two with forward Warren Ukah into the penalty area but his attempted shot was blocked by an Aztex defender. Ukah was given another chance in the 27th minute by midfielder Chris Nurse when Nurse played him a through-ball into the box but his shot was saved by Austin goalkeeper Sam Reynolds. Ukah continued to generate opportunities, this one coming three minutes later after midfielder Danny Earls put a cross into the middle. Ukah rose up and tried a bicycle-kick but the shot was put just over the goal.

Earls beat his defender down the left side again in the 36th minute and played another perfect cross to the middle, this time getting to the feet of Johnny Menyongar. The Rhinos leading scorer took a touch but the shot was blocked again by an Austin defender teams went into the half-time break scoreless, Unable to find any other quality chances, the two teams went into the half scoreless. 

Six minutes into the second half, the Rhinos would find their first goal of the afternoon. Defender Darren Kenton played a free-kick into the box which found the head of defender Kenney Bertz, who placed the header across the box. Menyongar took the initial shot that missed which Ukah found inside the box.  His header hit the crossbar, but Menyongar tapped the ball in to put Rochester up 1-0 and give him his fifth goal of the season.

Just a few minutes later, the Aztex were awarded a penalty kick when Rhinos goalkeeper Tim Melia came off his line and was called for a foul. But Melia was up to the challenge, diving to save the spot-kick to his right.

In the 58th minute, Rochester would double its advantage after Earls found Ukah with a short pass in the box. Ukah, was able to capitalize this time, turning on his defender and blasting the ball into the back of the net, giving him his first goal as a Rhino and increasing their lead to 2-0. Eight minutes later, Ball beat his defender at the end-line and was pulled down for a free-kick. Fitzpatrick played the kick right into the front of the Aztex goal where midfielder Nano Short headed the ball home to give Rochester a three-goal lead. Short’s goal is his first of the year.

Midfielder Ryan Heins helped the Rhinos go 4-0 up after Ball was put free again and got another cross in. Heins tackled and won the ball from his defender, then placed his shot into the side netting. The goal is his first scored in league play to go along with one in U.S. Open Cup Play.

Austin got a goal back through forward Eddie Johnson in the 84th minute. Johnson beat a couple of Rhinos defenders and placed a shot past Melia into the back post.

Rochester will host the Wilmington Hammerheads of USL-2 in a U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal game Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Marina Auto Stadium.