Tag Archives: J.C. Banks

Rhinos Players in USL-Pro Team of the Week Throughout the Season

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I kept track of which Rhinos players were named to the Team of the Week on the league’s website.  I then compiled the information and awarded 5 points each time a Rhino was named Player of the Week, 3 points for Team of the Week, and 1 point for an Honorable Mention.

The Rhinos were inactive during Week 1, so no members of the squad were named to the USL-Pro Team of the Week.

Week 2:
GK: Kristian Nicht; “Was sharp in his first game in North America, recording a shutout.”
M: Tyler Rosenlund; “Well-placed header earned Rhinos victory against Los Angeles.”
F: Tam McManus; “Linked up well with midfield, and started move that led to goal.”
Honorable Mention: J.C. Banks (assist), Troy Roberts

Week 3:
F: Andrew Hoxie; “Halftime sub had major impact in Rhinos win against Blues
Honorable Mention: Kristian Nicht (shutout), J.C. Banks (goal)

Week 4:
D: George Kyriazis; “Strong presence at center back as Rhinos took third victory”
F: J.C. Banks ; “Scored only goal, his second of season, to keep Rhinos perfect”
Honorable Mention: Kristian Nicht (shutout)

Week 5:
D: Jack Traynor; “Played both fullback positions dominantly in 1-0 win against Eagles”
M: * Drew Cost; “Played key role in Rhinos’ goal, kept midfield tight throughout”
Honorable Mention: Tam McManus

Week 6:
GK: * Kristian Nicht; “Was outstanding in 10-save shutout to maintain Rhinos’ perfect start”
D: Troy Roberts; “Remarkably consistent, way key player in win against Charlotte”

Week 7:
D: Quavas Kirk; “Goal maintained Rhinos’ undefeated start to the season”
Honorable Mention: J.C. Banks

Week 8:
M: Danny Earls; “Strong work-rate all weekend was rewarded with assist vs. Dayton”
Honorable Mention: Tam McManus

Week 9:
D: George Kyriazis; “Put in strong performance despite Rhinos defeat to Kickers”
M: Danny Earls; “Was consistently threatening, only to be turned away by Pascale”

Week 10:
M: Tyler Rosenlund; “Fine header gave Rhinos lead against Hammerheads in 1-1 draw”
Honorable Mention: Danny Earls

Week 11:
M: Michael Tanke; “Bright spot for Rhinos had goal and assist in two contests”
Honorable Mention: Quavas Kirk

Week 12:
D: Troy Roberts; “Stalwart was consistent as Rhinos took big road victory”
M: J.C. Banks; “Had game-winning goal and assist as Rhinos snapped winless streak
Honorable Mention: Isaac Kissi, Graciano Brito

Week 13:
Honorable Mention: J.C. Banks

Week 14:
D: Danny Earls; “Scored game-winning goal in victory against Dayton.”
F: Kendell McFayden; “Two early goals sparked Rhinos in victory against Antigua”
Honorable Mention: J.C. Banks, Andrew Hoxie

Week 15:
Honorable Mention: Troy Roberts

Week 16:
D: Lucas Fernandez; “Had an assist, and helped set up opener, in Rhinos’ victory”
M: Tyler Rosenlund; “Controlled the midfield as Rhinos regained second place”
Honorable Mention: Andrew Hoxie, J.C. Banks

Week 17:
D: George Kyriazis; “Strong performance as Rhinos shut out Blues in 1-0 win”
M: Danny Earls; “Good possession and distribution in win against Los Angeles”
Honorable Mention: Tam McManus, Chris Estridge

Week 18:
Honorable Mention: Danny Earls

Week 19:
No Rhinos players mentioned because we played our worst game in team history.

Week 20:
D: George Kyriazis; “Played key role as Rhinos shut out Riverhounds to end season”
F: Andrew Hoxie; “Late strike allowed Rhinos to claim No.2 seed in playoffs”
Honorable Mention: Troy Roberts, Tyler Rosenlund

It should really come as any surprise who the top players were by this count.  J.C. Banks was an all-star who, when healthy, was in the very highest echelon of the league.  Danny Earls provided a spark when playing out wide and could play in other positions.  Rochester’s centerback tandem was the best or second best in the league this season.  Troy Roberts was a veteran leader and I don’t think I saw George Kyriazis put a wrong foot in all season.  Kristian Nicht was simply outstanding in his first season in North American soccer.  Aside from the regular season game against Charleston, Nicht consistently made saves that I didn’t think were humanly possible beforehand.

Banks: 14 points
Earls: 14 points
Kyriazis: 12 points
Nicht: 10 points
Rosenlund: 10 points
Roberts: 9 points
Hoxie: 8 points
McManus: 6 points
McFayden: 5 points
Cost: 5 points
Kirk: 4 points
Tanke: 3 points
Fernandez: 3 points
Traynor: 3 points
Estridge: 1 point
Kissi: 1 point
Brito: 1 point

Hoxie’s Late Goal Squeaks the Rhinos Past Pittsburgh Riverhounds

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The game wasn’t pretty but at the end of 90 minutes the Rhinos had done enough to claim victory in their regular season finale.  In the 87th minute of the match Andrew Hoxie played a give and go with Tyler Rosenlund at the top of the opposition box before curling a shot to the far post.  While certainly on different levels, Hoxie’s goal reminded a beleaguered Tottenham supporter of Demba Ba’s goal earlier in the day.

Even though the game was scoreless for 86 minutes, doesn’t mean the match was boring.  Kristian Nicht was going nuts all game.  Each time the ball went out of play for a goal kick, Nicht immediately turned to the ball-boys behind the net screaming, “Ball! Now! Ball! C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”  Rochester had one goal kick late in the game after going ahead.  When the ball went out, Nicht pointed at the ball-boys and yelled “No!” so then he could walk over and retrieve the ball himself.

Nicht was as animated as I have ever seen a professional athlete.  He was screaming the entire game; at ball-boys, at linesmen, at the center ref, at his teammates, at the crowd at end of the game… At one point in the game, Nicht yelled the greatest thing I have ever heard hurled at a referee.  When a Rhinos player was clearly fouled but the official decided not to blow his whistle Nicht yelled from half the field away in his thick accent, “What! Do you have eyes?!” Continue reading →

Postgame Thoughts: Rochester Outclassed by Orlando Again

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During the first half, it was hard to believe that the Rhinos were the home team.  Orlando easily passed around and through the center of the field as if the Rochester midfielders never showed up to the game.  Depending on how you count the Rhinos’ 4-4-1-1 formation, the team plays five midfielders; on Friday night it looked like they played two in the midfield.

Danny Earls was playing in center midfield alongside Tyler Rosenlund.  Earls has been highly effective for the Rhinos this year, but only when he plays on the left wing.  Head coach Jesse Myers plays Earls inside because the team lacks a playmaking midfielder.  Myers thinks Earls can better help the team with his passing ability inside rather than providing a consistent threat down the outside.

Tyler Rosenlund’s only consistent characteristics this season have been to misplace simple passes and easy traps.  Having the first touch of a rhinoceros doesn’t necessarily mean Rosenlund should start games for the Rochester Rhinos.  Rosenlund can’t pass, trap, tackle or score.  He offers nothing to the team except as a scapegoat for criticism.  It boggles my mind that the coaching staff hasn’t been able to figure out a winning midfield combination.  In the five months since the players first started playing together for the 2012 season, Jesse Myers hasn’t yet realized that he needs a player who can pass and a player who can tackle in his midfield. Continue reading →

Rhinos Host Orlando, Try to Secure Second Place

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On Friday night, the Rochester Rhinos will have a lot of things swirling through their heads as they walk out against Orlando. Rochester has a 5 point lead on Charleston, but the Battery have played two fewer games. That means that if the Rhinos win they will make it nearly impossible for Charleston to catch up.  A win would also be revenge for the 4-0 massacre the Rhinos suffered last month in Orlando.  If the defense and Kristian Nicht can manage a shutout, it would rank Nicht in third place outright for most clean sheets in a single season for the Rhinos.  Head coach Jesse Myers will be doing what he can to keep his players’ heads clear and focused on the task at hand; performing as well as they have all season.

Looking at the schedule at the beginning of the season, I noticed that the team played its last five games at home and eight of its last ten.  This gave the Rhinos an opportunity to finish the season as strongly as they opened it (6-0-0).  The team is currently riding a four game win streak at home, and since a mid-season slump they have rallied for 17 points from a possible 27 for a record of 5-2-2.  Jesse Myers knows as well as anyone in the league that teams need to be enjoying positive form heading into the postseason.

Speaking of postseason, the Rhinos playoff picture depends on whether or not they can end the regular season in second place.  A second place finish would earn Rochester a first round playoff bye and the Rhinos’ main rival for that spot are the Charleston Battery.  Wilmington Hammerheads and Harrisburg City Islanders are both sitting on 30 points after 20 games and could factor as a threat for second place if they win out their remaining matches.  Charleston has two games against Wilmington and one against a surging Harrisburg before traveling up to Rochester Saturday the 11th. Continue reading →

Rhinos Win Against Pittsburgh; Doherty Soccer Man of the Match

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The Rochester [formerly Raging] Rhinos were fully expected to get three points at home against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.  Not only was Pittsburgh sitting in 10th place out of 11 teams, was coming off a five game losing streak, has only managed 1 win and 6 goals away from home all season, but the team was also struggling from a demoralizing home loss Friday night before traveling to Rochester through the night.  All signs pointed to a Rochester win and J.C. Banks did his part to ensure the victory early.

In front of an announced attendance of 7,221 fans, J.C. Banks nodded home a ball at the far post that was crossed in by right back Lucas Fernández and flicked on by forward Isaac Kissi in the 10th minute.  Banks told me after the game that he felt a tweak in his knee during the scoring play and you can see him jogging back gingerly after his shoe polish goal celebration with Kissi.  After hobbling around the field and taking an injury break, the tenacious winger called it quits on the night’s proceedings. Scoring a goal is not bad for 10 minutes worth of work and 9 minutes of playing with an injury.  There are more important games coming up in the team’s schedule so Jesse Myers didn’t want to risk needlessly aggravating the slight knock. Continue reading →

2012 USL-Pro Mid-Season Best XI

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Halfway through the 2012 USL-PRO season we have seen some great players ply their trade in the American third division.  Here is my best starting XI from the first half of the season.

Forwards:
Dennis Chin has 8 goals from 24 shots in 17 games this season, which earns him joint-top place in the goal-scoring charts at this point in the season.  The Orlando City hitman has the size to be a target at 6’3″ but also the quickness to turn defenders or run in behind.

On loan from the New York Red Bulls, Corey Hertzog has taking the league by storm scoring 7 goals and adding 2 assists in 9 games so far for Wilmington Hammerheads.  That makes for an average of 1 point every 46.75 minutes, just about one half of play.  His speed makes him viable in several set ups but his passing prowess and creativity means I want him to have the ball at his foot more as a deep-lying forward.

Midfielders:
J.C. Banks has been making the case for league MVP and was a big part of stopping Rochester Rhinos‘ 8 game skid in the beginning of the summer.  Banks has scored 4 goals while notching up a league high 8 assists.  He’ll line up on the right side of midfield but could switch to the left with the same effectiveness.

Kevin Molino has played across the midfield in his career but always with an attacking mindset.  Against Sporting Kansas City, Molino excelled and even managed to score a header in the hard-fought U.S. Open Cup loss.  In league play, the Trinidadian has 6 assists, 3 goals, and 18 shots for Orlando City.

Jason Pelletier is a USL veteran currently playing in his fifth season with the Harrisburg City Islanders.  Pelletier has 4 assists and 14 shots from midfield so far this year and can give you 90 solid minutes every game.

If you’re looking for a hard-nosed defensive midfielder who’s not afraid of a tackle, it’s hard to look past Shintaro Harada of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.  Harada’s workrate through the first 15 games of the season has been unparalleled and in the games I’ve seen him play over the years, not once has the 31 year old Japan-native ever given up on a play.

Defenders:
You can call it a hometown bias, but my first selection has to be central defender Troy Roberts.  Roberts leads the lead in minutes played and is the backbone of a Rochester Rhinos‘ defense that has only conceded 14 goals so far this season.  The former L.A. Galaxy player has been a force in this league earning Second Team honors in 2011 and Best XI honors in 2010.

Dayton Dutch Lions‘ Mettin Copier is a prototypical central defender.  At 6’3″ the Dutchman has the size to compete in the air, evidenced by his two headed goals this season.  Also at just 23 years of age Copier has shown improvement so far this year despite his team’s poor record.

Colin Falvey has found success wherever he goes in U.S. soccer.  He won titles with Wilmington in 2009 and Charleston in 2010.  The Ireland-native can play in the middle or on the right and has seen 1350 minutes of action this season for Charleston Battery.

Though he has played in midfield before, Luke Boden plays as a left back for Orlando City this season.  The 23 year old Englishman was part of the club’s Championship winning team in 2011 and has featured in every minute of the season for Orlando in 2012.

Goalkeeper:
Both Rochester’s German goalkeeper Kristian Nicht and Charleston’s Andrew Dykstra are tremendous players.  However only one of them can be named to the mid-season starting XI.  Let’s compare the stats, then… On goals against, Dykstra beats out Nicht (7 GA in 13 games to Nicht’s 11 GA in 15 games).  They are tied for shutouts at 7 a piece.  Nicht has made 20 more saves than Dykstra (62 to 42).  Nicht edges Dykstra in wins, 9 to 8 (although he’s played two more games) but Dykstra prevails in Goals Against Average 0.538 to 0.733.

It is with a heavy heart that I have to award the mid-season starting goalkeeper spot to Andrew Dykstra of Charleston Battery.

Reserves: First and foremost, Kristian Nicht would make quite the formidable back-up goalkeeper.  The German shot-stopper hit the ground running by collecting 6 straight shut-outs to start the 2012 USL-Pro season.

22 year old center back Shane Johnson has performed above expectations in his rookie year with Richmond Kickers.  The Virginia native played every minute of Richmond first 8 games of the season and has even picked up a goal so far this season.

Rochester’s Danny Earls has the ability to play as a left back, central midfielder, and right midfielder but his natural position is on the left wing.  Earls has 2 goals, 3 assists, and 19 shots in 2012 since re-joining the Rhinos from MLS side Colorado Rapids

Charleston Battery has a tremendous midfield duo in Jose Cuevas and Nicholas Patterson.  This tandem has been a big reason for Charleston’s success in 2012.  Cuevas  has registered 8 goals and 3 assists while Patterson has amassed 8 goals and 2 assists.

Bright Dike has impressive numbers too, 6 goals in 9 games for L.A. Blues on loan from Portland, and can hold up the ball well as a target forward.

Antigua’s Peter Byers has proven his ability in recent months.  Byers has notched 3 goals and 3 assists in league play for Antigua Barracuda FC but also scored a goal against the United States in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying in June.

Do you disagree with any of these picks?  Who would you select in their place?  Sound off in the comments.

Rhinos Run Rampant in Much Needed Win

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The formula was simple, put a pacey forward up top and send him in behind the defense.  For the Rhinos on Wednesday night, this formula worked not once but twice in the opening twenty minutes of the game.  In fact, I was still making my way to the stands when 23 year old Kendell McFayden got on the end of a pass by Tam McManus and finished with the composure of a player who’s been in the league three years, not three matches.  Rhinos head coach Jesse Myers gave McFayden his first start since joining the team two weeks ago and the Williamsville native quickly repaid that trust by scoring in the third minute.

McFayden wasn’t satisfied with just one goal, though.  J.C. Banks recovered the ball from Antigua in a promising position and played a pass over the top for McFayden to run on to.  The speedy forward coolly finished past advancing goalkeeper Molvin James to double Rochester’s lead in the 18th minute.

The first half hour of the game was really open and it seemed goals would tumble out of it. Antigua relies on the speed of their attackers, spearheaded by Peter Byers, who also looked to probe and stretch Rochester’s back line.  On the other end of the field, Kendell McFayden looked likely to score on every attack.  The back and forth, all-out attack nature of the game was really fun to watch. Continue reading →

Rhinos Were Flat in 2-1 Home Loss to Harrisburg

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Disclaimer: I wrote this piece when I got home from the match Saturday night while I was still angry so it’s pretty critical of a lot of people.

Rochester Rhinos didn’t show up for the first half of Saturday’s game.  Kristian Nicht definitely earned his paycheck by coming up huge when the game opened up in the second half.  Looking at the tactical decisions, it seemed head coach Jesse Myers was managing the game from his armchair at home.  Meanwhile Lucky Mkosana stole the show scoring his second goal against Rochester in as many games and setting up the winner for Drew Yates.

Rhinos lined up in a 4-5-1 formation with a few headscratchers.  Because Drew Cost is still injured, Myers tried to use Earls in that playmaking midfield role.  You may remember Earls dropping deep in the center to receive the ball in the match against Philadelphia.  On paper this made a bit of sense but more importantly it allowed Michael Tanke to operate as a ball winner.  Tanke was constantly closing down opponents and putting his body on the line to make hard tackles.  This midfield tandem also freed up Tyler Rosenlund to push forward.

Because Earls moved into the center of the field, Quavas Kirk pushed up from defense to play right midfield.  Argentine defender Lucas Fernandez stepped into the backline with Tyler Bellamy, Troy Roberts, and Jack Traynor.  J.C. Banks was solid playing on the left side but Traynor’s fragility forced him to defend more than he was used to.  Tam McManus started the game as a lone forward but didn’t get any service and was forced to drop deep to receive the ball in midfield.

Saturday night’s match was very disappointing.  Rhinos were outplayed at home and didn’t do much to deserve anything from the match.  Were it not for a handful of highlight reel saves by Kristian Nicht, Rochester would have suffered a much more embarrassing scoreline.  Driving home with my girlfriend and two buddies, no one said much of anything.  Someone remarked that none of us had seen the Rhinos win a league game this season because we were all still at our respective colleges when the team beat Charlotte in early May.  In case it’s not apparent yet, this is unacceptable given how much talent this team has. Continue reading →

In-Depth Match Report of the Rhinos U.S. Open Cup Victory

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Since their first round U.S. Open Cup victory away to Portland Phoenix, Brooklyn Italians managed to earn another three points in the league.  Their win against New York Athletic Club moved the Italians to 12 points from four games in the National Premier Soccer League Northeast Atlantic Conference (but some might lead you to believe that the Italians somehow managed a 10-1-1 record out of four games; who knew that was possible).  In their weekend action, the Rhinos drew Dayton Dutch Lions at home 1-1.  A late header from Quavas Kirk salvaged a point from their match on Friday after giving up their first goal in league play this season.

After a flurry of chances for the Rhinos in the first few minutes of the game, the pace of the match slowed down.  It appeared that Rochester was lured down to the Italians level of physical long ball play trying to find their target forward.  There wasn’t much possession or creativity out of the midfield from other side for twenty minutes.

The Rhinos lined up in a 4-4-1-1 in front of Kristian Nicht. Jack Traynor and Troy Roberts (captain) partnered in the center of defense, Mike Zaher played left back and Quavas Kirk played on the right.  In the midfield, Conor Chinn started wide left which pushed Danny Earls into the middle with Tyler Rosenlund.  J.C. Banks played his normal right wing and Tam McManus once again excelled at his role playing behind a target forward, this time Andrew Hoxie.

Because of McManus’ position between the midfield and lone forward, Rochester’s wingers had the freedom to push forward.  That meant that if Hoxie pulled over to one side of the field to combine with a wide player, McManus occupied the center of the box while the far side winger could make a run to far post or to the space at the near post that Hoxie and McManus opened up for him.  This consistently happened allowing Conor Chinn several clear chances at goal throughout the game. Continue reading →

Rhinos Squeak by Dayton to Finish Their Road Trip A Perfect 3-0

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The Rhinos took advantage of a defensive blunder by the Dayton Dutch Lions to steal three points in a drab and dreary USL-Pro match on Saturday night.  Neither team really deserved to win this match, but J.C. Banks was on hand to capitalize on a truly dreadful back pass debacle.

The Rhinos started Kristian Nicht in goal; Quavas Kirk, George Kyriazis, Troy Roberts, and Jack Traynor in the back; Danny Earls on the right, J.C. Banks out left, Drew Cost and Tyler Rosenlund in the middle; with Tam McManus playing behind Graciano Brito.

The Dayton Dutch Lions ran out the same lineup they used in their previous two league matches. Matthew Williams; Gregory Preciado, Nixon Dias, Mettin Copier, and Shane Smith; Joel DeLass, Mikael McNamara, and Kyle Knotek; Gibson Bardsley, Gerrit-Jan Bartels, and Akeem Priestley.

In the first half, the Rhinos seemed to struggle with the advanced wing-play from Dayton’s wide forwards Gibson Bardsley and Akeem Priestley.  Rochester seemed content to sit back, soak up pressure and exploit counter attacks.  However, no counter attacks were forthcoming and the Dutch Lions could not put together a final ball.  In fact, both teams were spraying sloppy passes and slicing shots well wide of the goal in the first 45 minutes.  The referee’s whistle came as a relief for the spectators much more so than for the players of either side. Continue reading →