Rhinos confident despite deficit

Rochester must win tonight or its season will be finished

Game night What: The fourth-seeded Rhinos (16-7-4) play No. 12 Pittsburgh (13-12-4) in the second and final game of the A-League quarterfinals. When/where: 7:35 tonight at Frontier Field. Radio: WYSL-AM (1040), WBER-FM (90.5). Tickets: Still available. Call 423-9464. Format: Most goals after two games advances. The edge: Pittsburgh. It won 2-1 on Wednesday. Series: Rhinos lead 7-4-1 (5-0-1 at Frontier). This season: Tied 2-2-1, including a 2-1 Rhinos win and 2-2 tie at Frontier.

By Jeff DiVeronica
Democrat and Chronicle

(Saturday, September 29, 2001) -- Think of Rochester's two-game playoff series with Pittsburgh as one 180-minute match.

The 12th-seeded River-hounds won the opener 2-1 Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Tonight, the fourth-seeded Rhinos have 90 minutes to come back, 90 minutes to save their season or become the second upset victim of the 'Hounds, who defeated No. 5 Charleston in the first round.

If the Rhinos bow out in the quarterfinals, it will be the second time in their six years that they failed to reach the A-League final. Rochester won in 1998 and last year and was runner-up in 1996 and '99.

"I don't know if Pittsburgh will sit back or play with us," said Rochester defender Scott Schweitzer. "But either way they're in a bad spot."

Huh?

That's not what you expect to hear from the team that trails, even if it comes home down by just one goal.

Then again, the Rhinos have been the league's most dominant home side the past two years. They are supremely confident at Frontier Field, where they are unbeaten in league play this season (11-0-3) and 28-0-3 over the past two.

Rochester, however, has lost at home once in that time frame. On July 2, it lost 1-0 to Hershey in a U.S. Open Cup match -- only the second time in two years the Rhinos have been shut out at home.

Past Rhinos teams have been backed into a corner like this before and come out swinging, but the 2001 version has yet to show it has the goods in a do-or-die situation.

Tonight is its chance.

"This team has been down before, a couple times versus me," said forward Jamel Mitchell, referring to past seasons when he played for Hershey. "We'll find a way to win."

Pittsburgh is winless (0-5-1, outscored 15-6) at Frontier, but has won five straight overall and five in a row on the road.

Welton, the Brazilian forward, has found his stride. He has four goals in the past five games and is one of a handful of former Major League Soccer players who play for Pittsburgh. Midfielders Henry Gutierrez, an ex-Rhino, and Paul Dougherty are others.

Rochester and Pittsburgh are 2-2-1 this season, but the Riverhounds have won two straight -- both in Pennsylvania.

At Frontier this year, the Rhinos won 2-1 on June 8, then on July 27 needed Stoian Mladenov's free-kick goal in the 81st minute to salvage a 2-2 tie.

Pittsburgh clearly doesn't fear these Rhinos like opponents did in 1998-99, but the always brash Schweitzer likes Rochester's chances. In fact, after Game 1, he guaranteed a victory tonight.

"We've been here before," he said. "All we have to do is win and the momentum is on our side."

ochester's two-game playoff series with Pittsburgh as one 180-minute match.

The 12th-seeded River-hounds won the opener 2-1 Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Tonight, the fourth-seeded Rhinos have 90 minutes to come back, 90 minutes to save their season or become the second upset victim of the 'Hounds, who defeated No. 5 Charleston in the first round.

If the Rhinos bow out in the quarterfinals, it will be the second time in their six years that they failed to reach the A-League final. Rochester won in 1998 and last year and was runner-up in 1996 and '99.

"I don't know if Pittsburgh will sit back or play with us," said Rochester defender Scott Schweitzer. "But either way they're in a bad spot."

Huh?

That's not what you expect to hear from the team that trails, even if it comes home down by just one goal.

Then again, the Rhinos have been the league's most dominant home side the past two years. They are supremely confident at Frontier Field, where they are unbeaten in league play this season (11-0-3) and 28-0-3 over the past two.

Rochester, however, has lost at home once in that time frame. On July 2, it lost 1-0 to Hershey in a U.S. Open Cup match -- only the second time in two years the Rhinos have been shut out at home.

Past Rhinos teams have been backed into a corner like this before and come out swinging, but the 2001 version has yet to show it has the goods in a do-or-die situation.

Tonight is its chance.

"This team has been down before, a couple times versus me," said forward Jamel Mitchell, referring to past seasons when he played for Hershey. "We'll find a way to win."

Pittsburgh is winless (0-5-1, outscored 15-6) at Frontier, but has won five straight overall and five in a row on the road.

Welton, the Brazilian forward, has found his stride. He has four goals in the past five games and is one of a handful of former Major League Soccer players who play for Pittsburgh. Midfielders Henry Gutierrez, an ex-Rhino, and Paul Dougherty are others.

Rochester and Pittsburgh are 2-2-1 this season, but the Riverhounds have won two straight -- both in Pennsylvania.

At Frontier this year, the Rhinos won 2-1 on June 8, then on July 27 needed Stoian Mladenov's free-kick goal in the 81st minute to salvage a 2-2 tie.

Pittsburgh clearly doesn't fear these Rhinos like opponents did in 1998-99, but the always brash Schweitzer likes Rochester's chances. In fact, after Game 1, he guaranteed a victory tonight.

"We've been here before," he said. "All we have to do is win and the momentum is on our side."