The Rochester Rhinos made a valiant defense of their 2015 championship, finishing in the top four of the Eastern Conference before falling in heartbreaking fashion to the New York Red Bulls II in a penalty shootout in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs. The side continued to be strong defensively, and returns some key figures at the back, but the Rhinos have had to deal with the departure of the club’s two leading scorers this offseason as they look to remain among the league’s elite.

Head Coach: Bob Lilley
Stadium: Capelli Sport Stadium
2016 results: 13-5-12, 51pts
2016 postseason: W 3-1 vs. Charlotte Independence; D 3-3 (4-5 PKs) at New York Red Bulls II

Goalkeeper: The Rhinos brought Tomas Gomez on board last offseason, and the former Georgetown goalkeeper made a strong immediate impression. After spending his first professional season with the San Jose Earthquakes, Gomez outdueled Adam Grinwis for the starting role, and claimed the USL Golden Glove with a 0.69 goals-against average. Dan Lynd returns to the side, while Kyle Morton joined the club this offseason, as backup.

Defense: The Rhinos’ strong work ethic defensively continued to shine through, but above that rose the play of rookie center back Joe Farrell, who earned All-League Second Team honors. Farrell also was a finalist for Rookie of the Year after notching five goals and one assist in addition to his solid work at the back. The Rhinos also return Bradley Kamdem, and added Jordan Dover and former Orange County center back Ryan Felix to mitigate the departure of Sean Totsch (Louisville City FC).

Midfield: The core of the Rhinos’ midfield returns, with Mike Garzi and Ryan James both coming off seasons where they logged more than 2,100 minutes, and the dynamic two-way play of Wal Fall potentially set to produce more in the way of end product this season. Kenardo Forbes’ return is also welcome after the Jamaican had three goals and four assists a season ago. The Rhinos also picked up Stefan Defregger after he recorded four assists for Wilmington a season ago.

Forward: The Rhinos saw both Christian Volesky (Saint Louis FC) and Steevan Dos Santos (Ottawa Fury FC) depart this offseason, with the duo having combined for 18 goals and eight assists a season ago. The Rhinos have added another forward from Cape Verde in Antonio Correia to try and help fill the void, while former Reading United AC and Kitsap Pumas forward Darius Madison also joined the club after competing in the PDL last season. Jalen Brown, a 2017 MLS SuperDraft selection by New York City FC, and another former Reading player in Rayane Boukemia also join the Rhinos to start their pro careers.

Strengths: Rochester has been notoriously tough on defense with Head Coach Bob Lilley at the helm, and that doesn’t figure to change this season. Lilley’s insistence on defensive commitment in all parts of the field have made his side tough to beat over the past two seasons, as six regular-season losses and 40 goals conceded in 58 games will attest.

Weaknesses: With the defense the Rhinos typically possess, they don’t have to score much to be successful, but with the departure of Dos Santos and Volesky the two most reliable sources of finishing over the past two seasons will need to be replaced. The Rhinos have shown some strong signs so far this preseason, however, and if that form carries over into the regular season the side should be a contender for a high finish in the Eastern Conference.

Key number: 85 – The Rhinos conceded a USL-fewest 85 shots on goal in the 2016 season, holding the edge over Sacramento Republic FC (95) and Louisville City FC (97), the only other two sides to record totals less than 100.

Noteworthy matchups: The Rhinos welcome the defending USL Cup champion New York Red Bulls II to Capelli Sport Stadium on April 22 for their home opener in a rematch of their thrilling Eastern Conference Semifinal a season ago. Rochester will then begin a new rivalry with USL expansion side Ottawa Fury FC on home turf on June 17, while two games in late September against Louisville City FC – at Slugger Field on Sept. 20 and Capelli Sport Stadium on Sept. 30 – could be crucial in the race for the USL Cup Playoffs.

Coach’s view: “We’re excited to get the 2017 season underway. The offseason has seen us work hard to recruit a strong squad for the new season, and we look forward to building this team over the next couple of weeks.” – Rochester Rhinos Head Coach Bob Lilley

Current roster (updated: March 21, 2017):
Goalkeepers: Tomas Gomez, Dan Lynd, Kyle Morton
Defenders: Bradley Kamdem, Joe Farrell, Jordan Dover, Ryan Felix
Midfielders: Ryan James, Wal Fall, Brandon Beresford, Kenardo Forbes, Mike Garzi, Sofiane Tergou, Stefan Defregger, Christiano Francois
Forwards: Rayane Boukemia, Jalen Brown, Darius Madison, Antonio Correia