Once again Hershey's playoff run comes to an end at the hand of the Rhinos. This was a highly emotional match, as Hershey coach Bob Lilley predicted that they were going to win, and by the end of the first-half, it looked as if they might. Rochester dominated the play, keeping the ball in Hershey's half of the field and creating numerous chances. However, the crosses into the box were too far, too short, or easily cleared by the Hershey defense.
Hershey's Simmonds would score in the 41st minute, when the Hershey defense cleared the ball, giving their forwards a chance to counterattack. Simmonds ended up all alone in front of Rhinos 'keeper Scott Vallow, and placed the shot nicely into the upper right corner of the net.
In a mirror of the last time these two teams played, Rochester came out in full force in the second-half. Onandi Lowe was sent in to replace midfielder Nate Daligcon, putting Lowe and Dan Stebbins up top and pushing Yari Allnutt back to his usual midfield position. This would be the perfect substitution, as Lowe was constantly drawing two or three defenders, leaving other Rhinos open. The Rhinos evened the match in the 48th minute, when Steenkamp took a long range shot that Mali Walton redirected into the back of the net. Walton couldn't ask for a better time to get his first goal as a Rhino. Steenkamp's opportunity came from a Martin Nash corner kick, which he played short to Carlos Zavala. Zavala crossed the ball into the box, where Stebbins sent a low chest trap out to Steenkamp. In the 52nd minute, Yari "Son of Jarel" Allnutt beat Hershey 'keeper Mike O'Connor and put Rochester in the lead for good. Onandi Lowe would out-finesse the Hershey defense and their goalie in the 78th minute, allowing him to jog in and tap the third goal home. Rochester's final goal of the night came in the 85th minute, when Dan Stebbins to a shot from right post, that O'Connor blocked but sent right back to Stebbins who then chipped the shot home. Hershey would get a cosmetic goal in the 90th minute, when Leonard was one of the Wildcats crowding the box and knocked the cross by Swords past Vallow.
At the final whistle the excitement was not over. Defender Scott Schweitzer was celebrating, and perhaps taunting, Hershey in response to Lilley's earlier comments. In the scuffle that ensued, Lilley grabbed Schweitzer by the chin and gave him a hearty push. When the dust from this settled, Schweitzer, Rhinos Assistant Coach Frank Odoi, and Lilley received post-game red cards. This means nothing to Hershey, as they go home to watch the playoffs, while Rochester faces Charleston in the next round. Even though he may have been provoked, Lilley is a coach and should have exhibited more restraint. All this shows is that Lilley has a severe lack of class and discipline, which undoubtedly rubs off on his team.
Inside Track:
· Rochester will face number 1-seeded Charleston a 2-game series in the second round. The Rhinos host game 1 on Friday, September 15 at 7:35 PM. Catch the action here at www.a-league.com by clicking on the Webcast icon!
Scoring Summary
1 2 Final
HER 1 1 2
ROC 0 4 4
Goals:
41' Simmonds (Swords) HER 1 - ROC 0
48' Walton (Steenkamp) HER 1 - ROC 1
52' Allnutt (Nash) HER 1 - ROC 2
78' Lowe (Steenkamp) HER 1 - ROC 3
85' Stebbins (unassisted) HER 1 - ROC 4
90' Leonard (Swords) HER 2 - ROC 4
Rochester Lineup: GK-Vallow, D-Walton, D-Schweitzer, D-Demmin (Restrepo 89'), D-Zavala (Kirmse 88'), M-Sedgewick, M-Steenkamp, M-Daligcon (Lowe 45'), M-Nash (Hardy 85'), F/M-Allnutt, F-Stebbins
Rating the Rhinos
On a scale of 8 (highest), here's how the Rhinos fared versus Hershey:
| |
|
|
Keith's |
J-P's |
|
| Pos. |
|
Name |
Rating |
Rating |
Comments |
| GK |
 |
Scott Vallow |
7.0 |
7.5 |
Another reason why this guy's the best 'keeper in the A-League. The second goal allowed was inconsequential and in garbage time. |
| D |
 |
Mali Walton |
7.0 |
7.5 |
Scored his first goal as Rhino in the 4 years he's been with the team! The goal couldn't have come at a better time…played solidly on defense, saving an early goal off the line. |
| D |
 |
Scott Schweitzer |
6.5 |
6.0 |
Antics throughout the game and at the final whistle lower his score. Played decently on defense, but needs to tone down the vindictive behavior. |
| D |
 |
Craig Demmin |
7.5 |
7.5 |
Playing in his second game back from injury, he looked like the Craig Demmin of old. A solid anchor in a solid defense. |
| D |
 |
Carlos Zavala |
7.0 |
6.5 |
Nice setups and a good job marking his man. Still would be nice to see a couple of his free kicks hit the mark before it's too late. |
| M |
 |
Bill Sedgewick |
6.5 |
6.5 |
Played a consistent and hard-fought game. Played with a lot of intensity, especially in the second half when it was needed most. |
| M |
 |
Nartin Nash |
7.5 |
7.5 |
Played another great game in the midfield. Setup the goals with perfect crosses and passes. This guy's the real deal. |
| M |
 |
Nate Daligcon |
6.0 |
6.5 |
A surprise starter, play decent in the midfield and seems to be a little more aggressive than in the past. May have been a slight mismatch for the big Hershey defenders. |
| M |
 |
Lenin Steenkamp |
7.0 |
7.0 |
His play looked rather lackluster in the first half, but was key on 2 of the Rhinos' goals with 2 assists. |
| F |
 |
Yari Allnutt |
8.0 |
8.0 |
The "Son of Jarel." He leads the team with 11 goals, and he's always there when needed. Superb performance. |
| F |
 |
Onandi Lowe |
8.0 |
8.0 |
8.0 8.0 Nursing a shoulder injury, he played only a third of the game, in which the Rhinos scored 3 times! Ability to move ball through double- and triple-coverage was very entertaining. Nice breakaway goal in the 78'. |
| F |
Picture Not Available |
Dan Stebbins |
8.0 |
8.0 |
This guy's a workhorse and an all-around great soccer player. Has found his niche with the Rhinos and has made an impact in every start. |
| - |
  |
Coaches |
7.0 |
7.0 |
Tentative, back-of-your-heels game plan in first half bombed…picked up the pace in the second half with key adjustments, making the game entertaining and a quality win. Bring on Charleston! |
