The Western New York “Flash” is gone to North Carolina, but a famous name in Rochester soccer is returning this season: the Rochester Lancers.
“Soccer Sam” Fantuozzo of Salvatore’s Pizza fame, who last used the “Lancers” name for his former indoor soccer league team, said on his “Kick This” radio show (Fox Sports 1280) that Rochester will field both men’s and women’s soccer teams this year under the Lancers name. Both will play at Aquinas Institute, the women inside the Wegmans Athletic Complex and the men’s team outdoors at Aquinas field in Rochester.
Rochester Soccer Legend Doug Miller is coaching the men’s team and Matt Mandell is GM of the new Lancers. He says it’s a reorganization of last year’s Rochester RiverDogs team. The Lancers will play in the NPSL, the National Premier Soccer League, which has more than 100 teams nationwide and five in New York.
The Lady Lancers are playing in the United Women’s Soccer league, which is also putting a new team in Buffalo to continue the “Buffalo Flash” name. Fantuozzo and Lady Lancers GM Loren Inglese say they literally put the team together in five weeks and have signed MCC All-American Catie Broderick as their first player. The team has strong connections with the MCC Soccer program through coach Sal Galvano, who’s also the MCC women’s soccer coach.
Both of the new Lancers’ teams are for high-end college age players interested in continuing their soccer careers.
Together with the Rochester Rhinos, that will give Rochester three pro soccer teams. Sam Fantuozzo says that makes Rochester “Soccer City USA” again.