Forbes, Bourdeau help Rhinos win USL Title: Tanner, a Rochester Rhinos legend, expressed his joy over his former club winning the USL Championship this season. He was extremely proud of the play both Kenardo Forbes and Nate Bourdeau exhibited with the team, including Forbes winning the Rhino's Offensive Player of the Year. He was happy that he was in attendance for the playoffs games and got to see the club have great success this season.
The State of Soccer in Rochester: I asked Tanner about the whirlwind summer Rochester soccer fans had to go through, which included the fall of the Lancers and the triumph of the Rhinos. He expressed disappointment with the loss of the Lancers, who were the main rival of the Silver Knights and coached by legendary Rhino teammate Doug Miller. Though he remained proud for the Rhinos win, he was unhappy with the attendance the USL club has seen in recent seasons. He could not make heads nor tails of why the team was drawing crowds in the very low thousands compared to the fourteen thousand they would get playing at Frontier Field. However, he thinks Rochester, like Syracuse, is a great soccer town with years of success to come.
Summer Soccer Action: Tanner stated to me that more SIlver Knight players played in summer leagues this off-season than ever before. This included Forbes and Bourdeau in Rochester, Bo Jelovac and Dom Vitale in Binghamton, Anthony Grant in Seacoast United, and Antonio Manfut in Cleveland. I asked him if this would help the team this coming season. He expressed hope that the experience would be a benefit for the Knights in their quest for an MASL title.
Trades and Player Moves: I was quick to bring up the news of a trade which sent Nelson Santana and Slavisa Ubiparipovic to Ontario for a player to be named later. He quickly confirmed that Ubiparipovic, who has been playing for Ottawa in the NASL this summer, is still a member of the Silver Knights and was not officially traded to Ontario. Concerning Santana, the trade was a benefit to him. Being a native to California, it would allow him to remain closer to home without constantly having to travel throughout the year. Tanner also confirmed that he is close to signing former Lancer Jake Schindler and some other players throughout the MASL.
Changes in the MASL: When it comes to new franchises, such as Hartford City FC and Cedar Rapids, Tanner is pleased with their arrival and potential competition for Syracuse. Being new expansion teams, he said they may struggle at first but then grow into strong teams and boost the East Division to the top of the league. He still thinks Baltimore stands as the team to beat in both the division and the league. I asked him about his opinion on their addition of Andrew Hoxie and Jeremy Ortiz from the Lancers and if they will make the Blast even harder to beat. While he confirmed Baltimore remains one of the strongest teams, Tanner told me they had to give up a lot to get the players they have. An example he cited was the retirement of Mike Deasel, who was a major leader for years in the Blast organization. As for rule changes, Tanner is not a fan of the new single point scoring system. He says it takes away from the excitement of the game and takes away competition. Instead of games where a two goal lead could vanish with a two or three point goal, a two goal lead is considered hard to overcome and lessens the chance of exciting late game comebacks. Though he is against the change, the rest of the league wanted it and the change was made.
Support of Syracuse: As he watched over a hundred of fans party and celebrate his team, Tanner expressed his love of Syracuse. He praised the support the team has gotten from the city and its surrounding communities since their start. He also talked about several partnerships he has made with organizations across Central New York, including Jason Smorol and the Syracuse Chiefs, who have continued to partner with the Knights for the past few seasons. In fact, Jason Smorol himself was at the party, interacting with the fans and having a great time. Tanner assured me he and the Knights have big plans this season to once again work with local schools and get further involved with the Syracuse community while gaining more and more support for the team.
Figuring out the War Memorial: The final thing I asked Tanner about was playing in the new rink that was built in the War Memorial this summer. He told me it will be a challenge since it is bigger than the original rink and they have not had a lot of time to play in it yet. He related it to playing in Milwaukee, whose rink was always bigger than most other competition in indoor soccer. However, he believes they will adapt quickly and enjoy playing in the Old Barn.
Overall, it was great to see the Knights have a great turnout at their pre-season party. Tommy Tanner is a great person along with being a top notch coach who I believe will have success in Syracuse for years to come. Like the numerous fans at the party, I am excited for the coming season and to see the Silver Knights in game action. The Silver Knights open the season on the road against Baltimore on November 14 before returning to the Salt City for their home opener against Detroit on November 20.
Thanks/Credits:
Tommy Tanner- Head Coach
syracusesilverknights.com
http://www.ontariofury.com/news/ontario-fury-acquire-two-from