.jpg)
|
|
|
|
100 Odyssey Members Attend Rochester Rhinos Match Saturday, June 11th, 100 Odyssey members traveled west to Rochester to take in the Rhinos match against rival Harrisburg City Islanders in USL action. The home team did not disappoint, winning a tense 1-0 victory. The three-time A-League champs, and USL D-2 conference champs (the new version of the A-League) in 2010 showed their very young team has great potential. OSSC players were able to see excellent players from great seats, and for a great price ($13 per person...$5 for parking). Arriving early to enjoy fine tailgate dining served up by chefs Dion Roman and Paul Stinson, the crowd got into a festive mood immediately. Sahlen’s Stadium, the soccer-specific home of the Rhinos set the perfect backdrop for a great social event, and a chance for all the boy’s teams and their families to spend some time together without the pressure of needing to dash to the next family activity! Laid back was the order of the day. 20 Odyssey players were given the amazing opportunity to serve as ball boys, happily forgoing seats at midfield for being right on the field. Being able to be so close to the professionals on the field, and seeing how fast the game is played, how intense the competition is, and hearing the volume of information being communicated between the players opened more than a few eyes among the Odyssey boys. Tyler Denton said of his time on the sideline, “I didn’t realize how fast these guys are!” Travis Regner noted how physical, indeed dirty at times, the play was, with the intensity of the match manifested in clashes between players throughout the 90 minutes. Due to age restrictions, only the U19s and U14s were able to ball boy, but it was clear that the U12s are looking forward to being old enough in a year or two for their chance to get close to the action. The soccer-specific Sahlen’s Stadium, seating about 13,000, offered great seats for the spectators. While small by stadium standards, the jumbo-tron showed instant replays, and the whole facility is extremely family-friendly, laid out to be easily navigated. Many Rhinos jerseys adorned the back of OSSC players by the end of the day, some even customized on the spot! Sure to become an annual, if not more frequent, event, the value of having top class professional soccer 2 hours from most OSSC member’s home towns is clear. |
|
Send mail to
Webmaster with
questions or comments about this web site. |