History
In 1995, Soccer Sam purchased the Rochester Lancers name and logo as part of his soccer memorabilia collection. In 2010, Soccer Sam started negotiating with the Chris Economides of the USL to be part of the new indoor I-League. The USL struggled to attract teams to the newly formed I-League. At the 2010/2011 MISL Championship game in Baltimore, SoccerSam convinced MISL commissioner David Grimaldi to meet with the USL and bring current teams. 2011/2012 the new MISL under the USL banner was launched with 4 existing MISL teams and 3 new I-League teams. Soccer Sam decided to use his beloved Rochester Lancers name and logo for this new indoor MISL team.
Soccer Sam convinced longtime friends to join him in this new professional indoor soccer venture. John Coraggioso, Luis Ribeiro, Steve Stokes, Dom Vieira and Christopher Wilmot joined the group as minority owners. Rich Randall was hired as team GM and VP of Operations. SoccerSam and Rich worked together with the Rochester Rhinos in 2008 and 2009. Together they created the best office staff in the history of American soccer. The staff included Patty Powers, Lyndsay DiMeo, Donna Waasdorp, Kayla Klark Kent and Ashley Maria King. The group led the MISL/MASL in attendance in their existence. They also helped write the most successful soccer book sold at garage sales throughout the country called 'Saving Soccer'.
The Rochester Rhinos are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, the team formerly played in the United Soccer League in the second tier of the United States soccer league system, and is currently on hiatus. They changed their name to Rochester Rhinos to start the 2008 season. The club is the only non-MLS team to have won the U.S. Open Cup since the league's formation.
Following a merger of the I-League and the third Major Indoor Soccer League, the Lancers played their first game in Syracuse on November 4, 2011, against the Syracuse Silver Knights. Led by team captain and former Rochester Rhinos forward Doug Miller, the first game in the team's history ended in a 16–15 loss and the top scorer was Lubo Kocic who scored 4 goals for the Lancers. The Lancers finished 2nd in the Eastern Division in 2011, qualifying for the playoffs. [2] During the 2011–12 season they, offered a surprise contract to former 76ers player Allen Iverson. [3]
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, and Yonkers.
Doug Miller is an American youth soccer coach and retired soccer player. He spent one season in Major Indoor Soccer League and nine in the National Professional Soccer League as a soccer forward, winning two championships and leading the league in scoring in 1998–99. Miller also played ten seasons of outdoor soccer in the USISL and A-League. He was the 1996 and 1997 USISL A-League leading scorer and 1997 league MVP. He also won one U.S. Open Cup.
The Philadelphia 76ers are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division and play at Wells Fargo Center. Founded in 1946 and originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA, and one of only eight to survive the league's first decade.
In 2012 assistant coach, Jim Hesch replaced Billy Andracki and became the Head Coach. Former Cuban International, Rochester Rhino and Rochester Lancers player, Rey 'Boom Boom' Martinez became the Assistant Coach. The team finished in 5th place in the MISL with a 10-16 record and did not make the playoffs.
The Lancers announced new head coach Josh Rife on September 13, 2013. [4] [5] Josh Rife's assistant coach was Billy Ginther. The team finished in 5th place in the league with a 6-14 record and did not make the playoffs.
Josh Rife is a retired American soccer player who currently coaches for the Ball State Cardinals women's soccer team. He was announced as the head coach of the Cardinals in July 2019.
After the 2013–2014 season, the team announced that it was leaving the MISL along with five other teams and join the PASL, later renamed the MASL. [6] Soccer Sam worked with Ed Hale of the Baltimore Blast and PASL Founder, Kevin Milliken to create the new league called the Major Arena Soccer League. Soccer Sam with Tommy Tanner negotiated hard to keep multi point scoring in the game of indoor soccer. The MASL became a one point goal system without 2 & 3 point goals.
On August 2, 2014, team founder and CEO Salvatore Fantauzzo announced that the Lancers would not be playing in the 2014–15 season. [7] Team captain (and Rochester Rhinos legend) Doug Miller intervened and offered to take over management of the team in order to permit the team to preserve its season. Miller later was named coach of the team, though he would continue to play. The team finished in 3rd place in the Eastern Division with a record of 10-10. The team made the playoffs but lost in the division finals to the Baltimore Blast. After the 2014/15 season the team went on a hiatus to hopefully resolve the NYS insurance issues.
The Baltimore Blast is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The team is a part of the Major Arena Soccer League.
In 2016, Soccer Sam was hired as the Commissioner of the Indoor Pro League (iPL). The league was owned by Ed Hale of the Baltimore Blast. Less than 30 days after Soccer Sam was hired as Commissioner the league folded and Sam had the shortest reign in the history of pro sports as a commissioner. Seriously, Soccer Sam helped negotiate the merger of the iPL teams and the MASL teams to join under Joshua Schaub, the new commissioner of the MASL.
In 2017, Soccer Sam licensed his Lancers name & logo to the Rochester River Dogz of the (NPSL). The new Rochester Lancers ownership group included Head Coach Doug Miller, GM Marc Mandell, Asst GM Nick Mojsovski and CEO Salvatore 'Soccer Sam' Fantauzzo. Weeks later Soccer Sam joined the United Women's Soccer (UWS) and the Lady Lancers were born. Sal Galvano and Loren Inglese from Monroe Community College (MCC) handled the team side. Ashley Maria King from the original Lancers handled the business side year one. In 2018, Kayla Klark Kent also from the original Lancers returned to help with the business side. Sal Galvano continued with the team in 2018 as the head coach with Brooke Barbuto as his player/assistant coach.
The Lancers relaunched the indoor team for the 2018-19 season, playing in the Eastern Division of the M2 development league with home games in the The Dome Center. The Lancers returned to Division 1 play as they re-joined the MASL for the 2019-20 season.
