USL PRO Game Report
Saturday, July 19, 2014
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Wilmington Hammerheads took a 1-0 victory against the Rochester Rhinos at Sahlen's Stadium on Saturday night. Wilmington's Jordan Hamilton, a loanee from the Hammerheads' MLS affiliate Toronto FC, scored the only goal of the match in the 77th minute, while Hammerheads goalkeeper Quillan Roberts kept the clean sheet for the visitors.
The Hammerheads had been threatening Rochester with long balls over the top of the Rhinos' back four throughout the second half and finally capitalized with 13 minutes to go. Hamilton made a run that split Rhinos center backs Babacar Diallo and Kyle Hoffer at the halfway line to get on the end of a long ball. Hamilton used his pace to get into the penalty area on a breakaway, but Rochester goalkeeper Luis Soffner came smartly off his line to block Hamilton's shot. Hamilton was first to the loose rebound, however, and tapped it into an empty net to give the visitors the lead. The goal was the fifth of the season for Hamilton.
Rochester had its best chance of the match in the 51st minute when New England Revolution loanee Donnie Smith dribbled across the halfway line on a Rhinos counter-attack down the left flank, and centered the ball to Rhinos' attacking midfielder JC Banks, who played a through-ball to attacking midfielder Jonny Mendoza that put him in behind the Hammerheads back four. Mendoza dribbled into the Wilmington penalty area, took the ball to his left around Wilmington's onrushing goalkeeper Roberts, and then put a shot on goal, but he could not finish from an acute angle as the ball ended up in the side netting and the match remained scoreless.
Three chance unfolded during end-to-end action in the 68th minute. After Banks was waved back on to the field by head referee Vito Testa Jr. after an injury, he immediately jumped in on a Rhinos counter attack. Mendoza had possession on the right flank in front of the Rhinos bench when Banks came back on the field, and played a through-ball to him down the right flank. Banks dribbled the ball to the endline before cutting the ball back to take on Hammerheads right back Albert Edward. Banks' cut unbalanced Edward and he fell to the turf, giving Banks a clear chance to cross. Banks whipped the ball into the penalty area where it bounced off the shoulder of Wilmington center back Christian Davidson.
Wilmington cleared the ball to midfielder Paul Nicholson at the halfway line, and he flicked the ball on to substitute Samuel Ochoa with his first touch. Ochoa, the Hammerheads' leading scorer, went in behind the Rhinos back four, but Hoffer had the angle and chased Ochoa down from 60 yards before his tackle played the ball back to Soffner's feet eight yards out from his goal. Soffner sparked an immediate counter attack back down to the other end that ended that saw Smith cut into the Wilmington penalty area from the left flank and take a shot that Roberts had to dive to his left to parry away. On the ensuing corner kick a Diallo header ended up in Roberts hands ending the most open sequence in the match with chances but no goal.
Roberts came to the rescue for Wilmington again in the 76th minute when Rhinos substitute Michael Garzi won a loose ball near midfield and played a pass back to Diallo at the midfield stripe. Diallo took a touch before switching fields with a diagonal ball to Smith down the right flank. Smith got on the end of Diallo's pass, cut into the Wilmington penalty area on his left foot, and then blistered a shot bound for the upper left corner with his left foot. Roberts flew to his right to parry the ball away for a corner kick.
Roberts ended the match with four saves for his fifth shutout of the season.
The victory moves Wilmington up to sixth place in the USL PRO table with 25 points from 15 matches after the Hammerheads took four points from their back-to-back trip north this weekend. The Rhinos remain in fifth place with 27 points from 20 matches.
The Rochester Rhinos next home match is Sunday, July 27th at 4:05PM in Sahlen's Stadium against top of the table Orlando City SC. Tickets for any match on the Rhinos home schedule will be available by by calling (585)454-KICK (5425), by visiting the MVP Health Care Box Office at Sahlen's Stadium, or by visiting ticketmaster.com. Rochester Rhinos season tickets, flex packages and group ticket sales are also currently available.