Rhinos Down Whitecaps, 2-1

(Vancouver, BC)…  The Rochester Rhinos coming off a 2-1 loss at Portland on Thursday night continued their western road swing in Vancouver on Saturday night.  5,288 fans watched as Rochester earned a hard fought 2-1 win at Swanguard stadium.  Rhinos goalkeeper Scott Vallow played his best game of the season, making 11 saves en route to his third win of the season.

Vancouver began the game strong, generating several scoring chances in the early going.  Former Rhino Charles Gbeke labeled a shot high from in close in the first minute while Ansu Toure found himself eight yards out but mishit his shot sending it just wide in the seventh minute.

With Vancouver pressing so much early on, the Rhinos were content to sit back and play through the counter-attack. After defender Darren Kenton bursted for a run out of the back and was fouled, the Rhinos gained one of their first good offensive chances. With the ensuing free kick cleared out for a corner kick, forward Johnny Menyongar stepped up. Playing a near-perfect ball, defender Chris Nurse found the end of it and headed it into the back of the net, beating ‘Caps ‘keeper Jay Nolly. With the goal in the 17th minute, the Rhinos opened up a 1-0 lead.

Vancouver continued to apply pressure but Rochester was able to resist.  In the 31st minute Wes Clark crossed a ball into the box that landed at the feet of Toure.  Toure wasted no time in blasting a shot that Scott Vallow tipped over the crossbar with a diving save.

Rochester’s reigning Most Valuable Player Menyongar struck again adding to their lead.  Tai Atieno headed the ball to Menyongar whose right-footed volley beat Nolly near post in the 37’. 

Vallow denied Gebke again from point blank range in stoppage time of the first half diving to his left on a shot that carried him into the side netting.    

The second half was all Whitecaps who pressured the Rhinos right from the start, taking 24 shots on net.  Vallow however was unstoppable in goal, denying Toure, and Gbeke in back-to-back chances.  The best chance of the night came when Rhinos defender Kenney Bertz was whistled for a foul against Marcus Haber in the box.  Facing his second PK in as many nights Vallow denied Toure easily keeping the score 2-0.  Toure had another chance one v. one but Vallow was once again in place to make the save.

Rochester nearly added a third goal in the 84’ when Tiger Fitzpatrick sent Atieno alone on goal however Wes Charles was able to catch the Rhino striker deflecting the ball out for a throw in. 

The Whitecaps were finally able to solve Vallow in the 90’ when Toure drove the ball near the endline cutting it back into the box to Dever Orgill who drove a low shot through traffic to the right of Vallow.

The win improves the Rhinos to 4-2-1 and places them in a first place tie with the Carolina Railhawks (4-2-1) with 13 points.  The Rhinos will close out their eight game road swing to start the season next Saturday at Charleston from Blackbaud Stadium.   

Scoring Summary:
17’ – ROC – Chris Nurse (Johnny Menyongar)
37’ – ROC – Johnny Menyongar (Atieno Taiwo)
90’ – VAN – Dever Orgill (Ansu Toure)

Match Stats:
Shots: Rochester 4 - Vancouver 23
Saves: Rochester 11 – Vancouver 2
Fouls: Rochester 10 – Vancouver 11
Offsides: Rochester 7 – Vancouver 3
Corners: Rochester 2 – Vancouver 15

Cautions:
50’ – VAN – Vicente Arze
62’ – ROC – Danny Earls
64’ – ROC – John Ball
67’ – ROC – Kenney Bertz

Rochester Rhinos
24.Scott Vallow, 4.Kenny Bertz, 5.Brent Sancho, 16.Danny Earls (21.Mike Ambersley 65’), 22.Darren Kenton (13.John Ball 46’); 2.Kwame Sarkodie (11.Ryan Heins 46’), 6.Tiger Fitzpatrick, 10.Johnny Menyongar (8.Mauricio Salles 88’), 17.Chris Nurse; 7.Andrew Lorei (12.Andrew Gregor 46’), 29.Taiwo Atieno

Subs: 1.Tim Melia, 15.Ze Roberto

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Jay Nolly; 6.Wesley Charles, 8.Wes Knight, 22.Takashi Hirano (4.Justin Thompson 81’), 27.Jeff Parke; 7.Martin Nash, 16.Ansu Toure, 20.Ethan Gage (25.Tyrell Burgess 70’), 23.Vicente Arze (19.Justin Moose 69’); 14.Marcus Haber (11.Dever Orgill 76’), 98.Charles Gbeke

Subs: 99.Diego, 3.Luca Bellisomo, 18.Mason Trafford