JUNIOR  RHINOS BOYS U-15 ELITE TEAM CAPTURES 2002 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Germantown, Maryland: July 28, 2002

Hollywood couldn't have scripted a better storyline for the Boys U-15 Championship game of the Snickers Youth Soccer National Tournament held in Germantown Maryland from July 23 to July 28.  After winning all 3 of their round robin round qualifying games, the Jr. Rhinos found themselves pitted against the Aiken Fire from South Carolina  for a second time. The Jr. Rhinos defeated the Fire 6-2 in their previous outing, but the Fire battled back in their remaining games to earn a berth in the championship match.

The Jr. Rhinos  went ahead 1-0 early in the first half when midfielder Jamie Loucks scored the game's only goal on a rebound off the Aiken goalie's hand  from a play set up by Chris Brugger. The Rhinos played aggressively to finish out the first half.

Aiken came out strong the second half, but the Rhinos defenders Steve Ames, Alex Taylor and Mark Limoli, and goalkeeper Dave Cappuccio prevented the Fire from finding the opportunity to equalize the score until the the last minute of  stoppage time. The Fire were awarded a penalty kick after carrying the ball into the box from an intercepted pass at midfield.  Cappuccio dove to his left and blocked the shot wide of the  goalpost and out of bounds to preserve the Rhinos 1-0 lead, and secure the championship.

At the awards ceremony, the Jr. Rhinos received the Championship Cup and individual gold medals. Midfielder Brian Usinger earned the Adidas Golden Boot awarded to the field player who made a significant contribution and scored the most goals. The Adidas Golden Glove Award given to the tournaments outstanding keeper went to Dave Cappuccio for allowing the fewest goals.

The Jr. Rhinos made it to the championship game by defeating all the teams in their bracket during  round robin qualifying play. Aiken Fire fell first to the Rhinos 6-2 on July 24th, the opening day of play. Brian Usinger got the Rhinos off to a flying start with a hat-trick scoring in the 13th, 34th and 1st half stoppage time.   Aaron Acello added the Rhinos fourth goal early in the second half, followed quickly by Loucks to give the Rhinos a 5-0 lead.  Keith Manscuk finished the Rhinos scoring in the 57th minute. Aiken scored twice late in the game. Jack Burgasser who relieved Cappuccio in goal during  the second half, sustained a concussion and broken jaw while making a diving save as an Aiken player charged him in an attempt to score.

The PVSC Raiders from southern California fell 2-1 to the Jr. Rhinos on day 2 of play.  Midfielder Chris Brugger opened the scoring when he drove a deflected ball off a Raider defender into the net.  The Raiders tied the game on a well placed through ball to an advancing striker. Chris Nacca took a pass from striker Tony Tellez and chipped a shot over the Raiders goalie to give the Rhinos a 2-1 lead before the end of the first half. The Rhinos played ball control in the second half.

In a game watched by the US National Coach, Bruce Arena and MLS coach Bob Bradley, the Jr. Rhinos defeated the Chicago Sockers 3-2. Mike Lentine opened the scoring with a shot that deflected off a Soccer defender.  Aaron Acello found the net on a pass from Keith Manscuk, and Manscuk converted a penalty kick when the Sockers fouled Acello in the box to give the Rhinos a 3-0 lead.  The Sockers scored once in the first half on a ball that took a strange bounce after Cappuccio deflected the shot into the crossbar. Chicago added another goal in the second half, but the Rhinos held on to complete the 3-0 sweep in the qualifying round.

In what could only be described as a complete team effort, striker Joe Mancarella, midfielders Jamarr Miller, Steve Fantuzzo, Matt Robinson, and defender Mike Tempesta also contributed in every game. The Rhinos are the first team in the history of the New York State West Soccer Association to to attend or win a national championship.

Chris Apple and his assistant Sike Dardaganis began coaching the team in the fall of 2001. They lead the group to championships in the Jefferson Cup, FC Delco Player's Cup, and  Region 1 Tournament. James Mort, Bill Heine, and Howard Allen, all previous coaches of the team attended the championship match in support of their previous players.