March 28, 2006
The Rhinos have a lot of new faces running around SAS Soccer Park with Training Camp 2006 kicking off yesterday.
The key returnees from last year's squad are Goalkeeper Scott Vallow, Defenders Jason Perry, Frankie SanFilippo, Scott Palguta, and Tenywa "T-Bone" Bonseu (Bonseu is expected in camp later this week), Midfielders Jonathon Bolanos, Juninho DaSilva, Rey "Boom Boom" Martinez, and three players currently playing indoor in Greg Howes, John Ball, and Jonny Steele. Also returning are Forward Mychal Turpin and Defender Kevin Taylor who were late season additions from the Michigan Bucks.
Four veteran USL new comers are taking part in their first Rhinos training camp in Midfielders Johnny Menyongar (Minnesota Thunder) and Aaran Lines (Portland Timbers) along with Forwards Matthew Delicate (Richmond Kickers) and Charles Gbeke (Toronto Lynx and Montreal Impact).
The Rhinos have 6 rookie camp invitees in Defender Kenney Bertz (University of Maryland at College Park), Midfielders Jordan Chirico (Livonia HS and Indiana University), Josh Bolton (Penfield HS and Williams College), and Danny Kramer (Duke University), Forwards Jason Sousa (Plattsburgh State) and Chad Severs (Penn State and USL 2nd Division's Harrisburg City Islanders), and Goalkeeper Adam Bartlett (Newcastle, England) who is expected in camp later in the week.
The Rhinos also have kept on a fair number of combine participants, at least for the beginning of camp. The combine survivors include Goalkeepers Patrick Hannigan (Temple University and a 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft pick of the MetroStars) and Charlie Sales (Lehigh University), Defender Patrick Gallagher (Syracuse University), Midfielders Eric Martinez (Sacramento State), Milton Blanco (Fresno Pacific and Chivas USA in 2005), Gediminas Butrimavicius (Lithuania), Tony Donatelli (Temple University), Neil Dombrowski (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), and Dede Lleshi (formerly of the Baltimore Blast of the MISL), and Forwards Jevon Francis (Youth International for St. Kitts & Nevis), Mike Ambersley (Indiana University), Connally Edozian (Nigerian who has played for the Cincinnati Riverhawks in the A-League and been in camp with the NE Revolution), and Uchechukwu Chinyere (Nigerian who played college soccer at the University of the District of Columbia and then went on to play for Waterhouse in Jamaica)
There will be a lot of new faces wearing Rhino uniforms when the team returns to Rochester in a couple of weeks.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.
