Rochester defeated the Independence, 3-1, in the 2016 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Rhinos will face the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night at 6:05 pm at Capelli Sport Stadium in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Last season, Rochester and Charlotte finished separated by only 1 point, earning the Eastern Conference’s 4th and 5th seeds, respectively. Both clubs currently sit at 1-1-2 (5 pts).
The Rhinos finished their home-opener in spectacular fashion last Saturday, earning a 2-2 draw over the New York Red Bulls 2 on a last-second equalizer from Joe Farrell. Charlotte won their first match of the season last Saturday, earning a 2-1 win on the road in St. Louis.
Mike Garzi and Darius Madison both lead the Rhinos in points, with a goal and an assist each. Enzo Martinez paces the way for the Independence, scoring 2 of the team’s 4 goals, despite only playing in 101 of a possible 360 minutes.
Kenardo Forbes (10) and Garzi (6) have created the most chances for Rochester, while Lewis Hilton (7) has done the playmaking for Charlotte.
In the middle of the field, Wal Fall has lived up to his namesake, winning 35 duels and 12 tackles. For Charlotte, Alex Martinez has made all the plays, making 15 tackles (triple his next closest teammate) and winning 31 duels (nearly double his next closest teammate).
In goal, Tomas Gomez has made 7 saves in 3 matches and holds a 1.33 GAA with a clean sheet. Charlotte’s keeper Cody Mizell has made 9 saves in 4 matches and holds a 1.25 GAA and has yet to record a clean sheet.
The Rhinos lead the series all time (including playoffs) 2-1-2.
This season marks the 3rd season of the Independence playing in the USL. Charlotte was the only team to defeat the Rhinos in the 2015 season.
2015: 10-8-10; 7th in East (missed playoffs)
2016: 14-8-8; 5th in the East (lost to Rochester 3-1 in Eastern Conference quarterfinals)
It’s College Night at Capelli Sport Stadium. College students ALWAYS get $8 general admission tickets with student ID. Gates open an hour prior to each game, where fans can enjoy $2 Genesee happy hour drafts until 15 minutes before kickoff.