Last time out.The Score won an autographed ball in the
Perinton Youth Hockey raffle during Friday’s 3-2 home overtime loss against
Montreal, but that trinket wasn’t enough to dissuade us from seriously
considering a leap off the Court Street Bridge on the way home. The Rhinos
watched a 2-0 lead evaporate with 10 minutes left in regulation, and just like
this year’s home opener against Atlanta and 2002’s US Open Cup debacle against
Kansas City, the offending goals came very late in the match after a string of
questionable substitutions.
Poor Craig Demmin had what must have
been his most frustrating match as a Rhino, whiffing on two clearances and
earning a red card for a professional last-man takedown in the box (it was the
right decision — get off his back). Maybe this stat will make him feel
better: Rochester has allowed six goals in the 129 minutes Demmin hasn’t graced
the pitch so far in 2003 (that’s an average of 4.18 goals/match over 90
minutes).
On Sunday, Demmin notched the game’s
only goal… into the wrong net as Rochester scored on itself for the second
straight match. After neatly dispatching Minnesota and Milwaukee the previous
weekend, this Rhinos team has suddenly turned into the frigging Syracuse Salty
Dogs.
Actually, The Score doesn’t have too much of a problem with either result
from the weekend (aside from how Friday’s mess played out). Montreal is a great
team, and it sure has Rochester’s number. The Impact has beaten Rochester in
four straight league matches and enjoys an impressive 8-1-2 record over the
last 11. The team’s coach, Bob Lilley, knows how to get his players up for big
games .
But that’s of little consequence to
fans in Rochester, who are used to going years without losing at home yet have
seen their team beaten by their oldest (Montreal) and newest (Syracuse)
archrivals in the span of one month. The Rhinos have lost two in a row for the
first time since August 2001 and plunged to third place in the Can-Am Cup
table. Yet, curiously, The Score is
alone on the Court Street Bridge.
Next up. More
Montreal, and more Eduardo Sebrango, who has five goals against Rochester since
being run out of town back in 2000. The two sides battle again this Saturday
night at Frontier, only this time the Impact will feature a healthy Martin Nash
and Gabe Gervais. Another loss would be devastating, and may find others
staring into the Genesee from The Score‘s
favorite bridge. We haven’t climbed over the railing yet, so we’re calling for
a 1-0 Rhinos win. (The Score predicted
a 1-0 home win and 1-0 road loss last weekend. Being half-right ain’t too bad.)
Where have you
gone, Andy Restrepo? Ex-Rhino fossil Rene Rivas finally suited up for Syracuse
in its two weekend matches, but his presence did little to alter the outcomes
(a loss and a draw, during which the team averaged 6,963 fans). John Ball had
the game-winning goal for Milwaukee’s 1-0 win over El Paso.
MLS update. John Wolyniec
earned a yellow card in his first match back after a league-mandated two-game
suspension. Ante Razov and Rhinos 2003 draft pick Damiani Ralph have both
scored in each of the Chicago Fire’s last three games, and in four of the last
five. Pittsford’s Jamil Walker saved Pat Onstad’s Canadian bacon by getting the
game-winning goal in San Jose’s win over Columbus.
Around the
A-League. Doug Miller is leading the A-League in points (20) and goals (9), which is more
than any Rhino had in all of 2002. His closest competitors — Pittsburgh’s
Thiago Martins and Syracuse’s Gabe Valencia — have each missed their last
couple of matches due to injury.
—
Jon Popick
For
The Score‘s detailed weekly updates
on the Rhinos and the A-League, visit Jon’s site, Planet Sick-Boy, at
www.sick-boy.com.
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2003.
