Rhinos' forward optimistic about upcoming season

By Jared Smith
STAFF WRITER

If one thing is for certain, the recent off-season for the Rochester Raging Rhinos has been quite a show. Most sports franchises prefer their demonstration to take place on the field showcasing a quality team. Unfortunately, this off-season hasn’t been like any other for the Flower City’s hometown team.

With Rhino fans worrying about an impending season cancellation, the Adirondack Sports Club, led by owner Rob Clark, ended everyone’s fears with a promise of a new age of Rhinos soccer. For Rochester resident and star forward Matthew Delicate, the announcement of a new era of Rhinos soccer couldn’t have sounded sweeter.

“I think all the players, fans and staff are excited that soccer in Rochester is going to continue with the Rhinos’ name,” Delicate said about the off-season changes. “There was a lot of doubt about the season and the future of the team, but now with a new owner we can try and make our own history.”

From 1998 to 2002, the Rhinos won three postseason and regular season United Soccer League titles. Fans still remember players such as Doug Miller and Lenin Steenkamp turning Rochester into a soccer city.

However, since their last regular-season title in 2002, the Rhinos have struggled to make a name for themselves. In the past five years, the Rhinos have not captured a division title and have made only one trip to the USL finals. Delicate would like this recent trend to change … and quickly.

“It will take a lot of hard work,” Delicate said about trying to position this new period of Rhinos soccer among the historic ones. “It will take a lot as an individual and as a team. We’re going to have to pull together as a team and play some exciting soccer.”

Scoring eight goals and three assists in 2006, Delicate showed Rhino fans that he has the ability to become an elite player and is ready to make his own history as a Rhino.

“There has been a lot of pressure from the fans who expect and demand good soccer and championships,” Delicate said about a city that historically averages more than 11,000 fans per game. “When you’re playing in front of thousands of people you need to perform.”

Last season, Delicate had a tough time performing as he missed more than a month with a broken jaw. His return in late August sparked a strong individual finish as he tallied 13 points. Unfortunately, Delicate’s personal success was not enough to keep the Rhinos from bowing out in the USL playoff quarterfinals. The Rhinos’ third-leading scorer has been determined to return to the postseason to change the teams’ recent struggles.

“A big goal of mine is to score goals in the regular season, but that doesn’t mean a lot if you can’t score in the playoffs,” insists Delicate. “I would trade a lot of those goals for a couple goals in the playoffs.”

Training hard in the offseason with a personal trainer, the former Academic All-American for Virginia Commonwealth, said he has aspiration to score between 15-20 goals this year. If he reaches that mark, he will have plenty of postseason points to pass around.

“I’ve stayed very active,” said Delicate, who has produced 18 and 20-point seasons when healthy. “But with no competitive soccer for me to play, it will be great to get back out on the field and start getting match fit again.”
Luckily for Delicate, Rhinos practice starts soon. But even he knows this season isn’t going to be like his previous three spent in Rochester.

“It’s nice to have everything behind us,” said Delicate, who moved his family from Richmond, Va. to Rochester a few years ago. “I look forward to playing at PAETEC Park, and hopefully we can get fans packed into the stadium and play some good soccer.”

So, no more worries Rochester soccer supporters, you can feel at ease. The hoopla is over, soccer is here to stay and when No. 7 jogs onto PAETEC Park’s green grass May 5, the real show begins.

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