Rochester Lancers (1967–1980)
![]() | |||
Full name | Rochester Lancers | ||
---|---|---|---|
Founded | 1967 | ||
Dissolved | 1980 | ||
Stadium | Holleder Memorial Stadium | ||
Owner | Charlie Schiano (majority) | ||
Chairman | Charlie Schiano | ||
League | ASL (1967–69) NASL (1970–80) | ||
|
The Rochester Lancers were a soccer team based in Rochester, New York that played in the American Soccer League from 1967 until 1969 and the North American Soccer League from 1970 to 1980 at Aquinas Stadium (renamed Holleder Memorial Stadium in 1974). They were owned by Charlie Schiano (majority stake), Pat DiNolfo, Nuri Sabuncu and Tony Pullano.[1]
History[]
After three years competing in the ASL, the club jumped to the newer NASL and won the league championship in their first season. They followed that up with a division title the next season and a second consecutive MVP award for forward Carlos Metidieri. During the 1971 NASL playoffs, the Lancers won the longest game in NASL history, 2–1. Game 1 of the best-of-three semifinal against the Dallas Tornado was mercifully ended by league scoring champion Metidieri late in the 6th overtime period, in the 176th minute, less than four minutes shy of playing two complete games in one day! A week later Rochester lost the deciding Game 3 in the 148th minute of a 4 OT battle.[2]
They were the only NASL club in history to participate in an international tournament, in the 1971 CONCACAF Champions' Cup where they finished in fourth-place.
The Lancers could not sustain their early success through the rest of the decade. Posting only a couple of winning records and a few playoff appearances, the team folded after the 1980 season. However, starting in 1978 most of the Lancer lineup competed in the NASL's off-season as the New York Arrows of the Major Indoor Soccer League; under that name the squad lasted until 1984 and won several championships in the other league.
A new team named after the Lancers began play in November 2011 in the third Major Indoor Soccer League.
Year-by-year[]
Year | Record (W-L-D) | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs | Avg. Attend. |
---|---|---|---|---|
American Soccer League | ||||
1967–68 | 6–7–2 | 4th, First Division, ASL | Did Not Qualify | |
1968 | 6–5–1 | 2nd, First Division, ASL | Runners-up | |
1969 | 12–3–5 | 1st (tie), Northern Division, ASL | Northern Division Playoff | |
North American Soccer League | ||||
1970 | 9–9–6 | 1st, Northern Division | NASL Champions | 4,506 |
1971 | 13–5–6 | 1st, Northern Division | Semifinals | 5,871 |
1972 | 6–5–3 | 2nd, Northern Division | Semifinals | 5,505 |
1973 | 4–9–6 | 3rd, Northern Division | Did Not Qualify | 4,069 |
1974 | 8–10–2 | 3rd, Northern Division | Did Not Qualify | 5,908 |
1975 | 6–16 | 4th, Northern Division | Did Not Qualify | 5,333 |
1976 | 13–11 | 3rd, Northern Division, Atlantic Conference | First Round | 5,159 |
1977 | 11–15 | 3rd, Northern Division, Atlantic Conference | Division Championships | 6,065 |
1978 | 14–16 | 4th, Eastern Division, National Conference | Did Not Qualify | 6,758 |
1979 | 15–15 | 4th, Eastern Division, National Conference | Did Not Qualify | 8,680 |
1980 | 12–20 | 4th, Eastern Division, National Conference | Did Not Qualify | 7,757 |
NASL Indoor Soccer[]
March 19, 1971 the league staged its first ever indoor event, a four-team Hoc-Soc tournament at the St. Louis Arena. Rochester won its first match, 3–1, before falling to the Dallas Tornado, 3–0, in the Final.[3] In the winter of 1975, the NASL ran a two-tiered, 16 team indoor tournament with four regional winners meeting in a "final-four" style championship. Despite hosting their region at the Rochester War Memorial Arena, the Lancers did not progress out of the group. In March they played an additional match, losing to Toronto Metros-Croatia, 10–7, at home.[4] In 1976 the Lancers advanced all the way to the finals before being beaten, 6–4, by the host Tampa Bay Rowdies at the Bayfront Center. The NASL would not sanction a full indoor season until 1979–80, but the Lancers did not participate.[5]
Year | Record | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | 1–1 | Hoc-soc tournament | Runners-up |
1975 | 1–2 | (two-tiered, 16 team tournament) | group stage |
1976 | 3–1 | (two-tiered, 12 team tournament) | Runners-up |
Honors[]
NASL Championships (1)
NASL Regular Season Titles (1) NASL Championships indoor
ASL Championships
NASL Governor's Cup
CONCACAF Champions Cup
Division Titles NASL Most Valuable Player
NASL Scoring Champion
NASL Goal Scoring Champion
|
All-Star First Team Selections
All-Star Second Team Selections
All-Star Honorable Mentions
Indoor All-Stars[7]
Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame
Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame[8]
|
Other achievements[]
- Participations in CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 1971
Head coaches[]
- Alex Perolli 1970, 1980
- 1970
- Sal DeRosa 1970–1971, 1973
- Adolfo Gori 1972
- 1974
- 1974
- Ted Dumitru 1974–1975
- Dragan Popovic 1976–1979
- Ray Klivecka 1980
Team executives[]
- Charlie Schiano: Majority Owner and Chairman of the Board
- Pat DiNolfo: President and Co-owner
- Nuri Sabuncu: Executive Vice President and Co-owner
- Tony Pullano: Treasurer and Co-owner
- Harold Tausch: Co-owner
References[]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1972.html
- ^ Flachsbart, Harold (March 20, 1971). "Fans Get A Kick Out Of Hoc-Soc". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 6. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
- ^ Lewis, Micheal (March 30, 1975). "Lancers bow to Toronto's surge". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. p. 2D. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
- ^ "History of Indoor Soccer in the USA".
- ^ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2206&dat=19711216&id=07slAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R_MFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4257,2148965
- ^ "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ "Hall of Famers". indoorsoccerhall.com. September 1, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
External links[]
- The Rochester Sports Project, by Douglas Brei
- American Soccer History Archives
- Lancers 1980 card set
- Lancers Returning
- Rochester Lancers
- Association football clubs established in 1967
- Association football clubs disestablished in 1980
- Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States
- Defunct soccer clubs in New York (state)
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) teams
- Sports in Rochester, New York
- Men's soccer clubs in New York (state)
- American Soccer League (1933–1983) teams
- U.S. clubs in CONCACAF Champions' Cup
- 1967 establishments in New York (state)
- 1980 disestablishments in New York (state)