Kickers to host Rochester; benefit for Japan Earthquake Relief this Friday

courtesy of The Richmond Kickers
The Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium this Friday, April 15 to host the Rochester Rhinos at 7 p.m. The University of Richmond Taiko Ensemble, River City Taiko, a traditional Japanese drum ensemble, will perform during the game and the Red Cross will be on site to collect donations for the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund. Tickets are on sale now at RichmondKickers.com. Friday’s match will be broadcast live at USLLive.com.

“The Rochester game will provide a true benchmark on how far we have progressed during our first month working together,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Head Coach and Director of Soccer. “Rochester are the reigning D2 regular season champions while Coach Lilley is a shrewd tactician whose teams always win many more games than they lose. We will be at a slight tactical disadvantage as we have not seen them play this season but we are looking forward to testing ourselves against one of the best teams in USL PRO.”

The Kickers opened the USL PRO season with a pair of wins at City Stadium, most recently having defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 2-1. A scoreless first half gave way to an exciting conclusion as the Kickers took the lead when midfielder Gerson dos Santos registered in the 68th minute. The Kickers conceded a goal four minutes later but the USL PRO Player of the Week, Matthew Delicâte, pulled the lead back in the 86th minute. The 2010 regular season champions Rochester Rhinos open their 2011 season in Richmond Friday.

Overall, the Rhinos hold a record of 5-7-6 over the Kickers, with a rivalry dating back to 1999 when the two clubs competed in the A-League. The Kickers and the Rhinos have a habit of meeting in high-stakes matches, having last met in the USL First Division Semifinals in 2005. The six-seeded Kickers ousted the second-seeded Rhinos in the two-leg aggregate score series, 4-2. Delicâte tallied three of the Kickers four goals on the weekend. Rochester narrowly avoided two shutouts, receiving an own goal in the first leg and converting a 90+ minute penalty kick in the second. The pair met under similar circumstances in 2002 when Richmond ejected Rochester from postseason play during that season’s league semifinals in dramatic fashion after nine rounds of penalties.

One of the most successful franchises in USL history, Rochester claimed the regular season championship in 2010 as members of the USSF Division II, under the guidance of Coach of the Year, Bob Lilley. The Rhinos recently concluded their preseason preparations with a scoreless draw against the Harrisburg City Islanders last weekend.

Players to Watch
Kickers: Goal scoring sensation Matthew Delicâte (#7) earned USL PRO Player of the Week honors this week, following his heroic tally to boost the Kickers to a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh. Delicâte’s goal was his second in as many games, having scored against Orlando one week earlier. Midfielder/defender Luke Vercollone (#4) joins Delicâte on this week’s Team of the Week, following his solid defensive efforts to stifle the Riverhounds attack, holding them to just three shots. Newcomer Nozomi Hiroyama (#9) made his Kickers debut in last week’s contest after arriving in Richmond just days prior. The Japanese international brings a wealth of experience to the Kickers front line having played on four continents during his career and earning a pair of caps with the full Japanese National Team.

Rhinos: Defender Quavas Kirk (#13) joins the Rochester roster in 2011 following a three-year career in Major League Soccer with L.A. Galaxy and D.C. United. A standout with the U-17 U.S. Men’s National Team, Kirk scored 22 goals in 53 matches for his country. Forward Andrew Hoxie (#23) concluded his rookie campaign tied for second in scoring with 11 points for the Rhinos. The William & Mary graduate was named 2009 CAA Player of the Year before being drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Veteran Tony Donatelli (#21) anchors the midfield, signing with the Rhinos after a successful career with Vancouver and Montreal. He made 38 appearances with Montreal’s USSF Division II side last season, notching seven goals and four assists.

Tickets
General admission tickets for regular season home games will remain $12/adults and $7/youth ages 3-17 for the fifth consecutive season. Avoid lines at the gate and click and print your tickets in advance via RichmondKickers.com. Alleviate the hassle of individual tickets and enjoy all of the Kickers Pro regular season home games for the best possible pricing with a 2011 Family Pass ($119), All-Access Pass ($90) or Adult Pro Pass ($55).