USL News Release
Thursday, October 29, 2009
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced that former Rochester Rhinos defender Scott Schweitzer will be inducted as one of two new members of the Player category during the USL Hall of Fame ceremony at the USL Annual General Meeting this November.
Schweitzer will be joined by the previously announced Charleston striker Paul Conway. Leigh Cowlishaw of the Richmond Kickers is being inducted as a Coach and the Charlotte Lady Eagles, Ottawa Fury and Thunder Bay Chill will also be recognized 10+ Clubs for completing 10 years of competition.
One of the most honored defenders in the history of the USL First Division, Schweitzer is one of only six players in any position to receive All-League honors six times during his career, earning five consecutive nods from 1997-01 and the final honor in 2003.
He is also one of two players ever to win the Defender of the Year honor twice, winning the award en route to the Rhinos first USL First Division title in 1998. He helped guide the team to a season in which the defense allowed only 15 goals, a mark that still remains the league low although it has been equaled by Montreal. He won his second honor the following year as he helped lead the team to a second consecutive regular season championship and a runners-up finish in the 1999 playoffs.
The 1999 season also proved memorable due to the club’s infamous US Open Cup run. The Rhinos knocked off four consecutive Major League Soccer teams to win the championship, downing the Chicago Fire 1-0 in the Third Round and FC Dallas 2-1 in overtime of the Quarterfinals. The Rhinos run continued with a 3-2 upset over the Columbus Crew and came to a conclusion with a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the Final.
The Rhinos continued their amazing championship run with back-to-back league championships in 2000 and 2001, giving them four championships in consecutive years. In 2000, they downed the Minnesota Thunder, whom they faced for the third straight year, for the crown. And in 2001, the Rhinos defeated the Hershey Wildcats.
Schweitzer began his career with the USL-1 Atlanta Ruckus in 1995, but moved to the Carolina Dynamo in 1996. And after leading the Dynamo to the regular season championship with the league’s lowest goals allowed total, he joined the Rochester Rhinos the following year.
He became an immediate staple in the back line, helping lead the Rhinos to four USL-1 Finals, capturing championships three times in addition to two regular season titles. In 2004 Schweitzer moved onto Syracuse for a season before coming back to the Rhinos for his final campaign in 2005.
"I am very honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” said Schweitzer. “I never played the game for personal accolades so I would have to thank all of my teammates over my career because without them I couldn’t have achieved anything in the game! Thank you!"
Following his retirement, Schweitzer has gone on to coaching, serving as the head coach of Carolina RailHawks in the USL First Division for two seasons (2007-08). He is now among the coaching staff of Next Level Academy, which operated the Cary Clarets and Lady Clarets of the Premier Development League and W-League.
Schweitzer joins fellow Rhinos Pat Ercoli, who was inducted as a Coach in the inaugural 2002 USL Hall of Fame ceremony, and Pat Onstad, who was honored a year ago.
Schweitzer and Conway will join 19 previous Players inducted into the USL Hall of Fame, joining Chris Armas (inducted 2002), Mark Baena (2003), Marcelo Balboa (2006), Mike Cook (2006), Steve Famiglietta (2006), Julie Foudy (2006), Charmaine Hooper (2002), Saeed Kadkhodaian (2006), Manny Lagos (2006), Amos Magee (2008), Brian McBride (2002), Chris Melton (2006), Greg Nichols (2006), Pat Onstad (2008), Tony Sanneh (2002), Giovanni Savarese (2007), David Swissler (2006), Rob Ukrop (2007) and Kim Wyant (2003).
