ROCHESTER RIVER DOGZ FC REBRANDS AS ROCHESTER LANCERS

Rochester River Dogz FC has announced a rebranding initiative that will bring a new name, logo, social media channels, and website to Rochester, New York’s NPSL team.

The team will now be led by Owner/General Manager Marc Mandell, Owner/Business Director Nick Mojsovski, Owner/Head Coach Doug Miller, and Owner/Head of Marketing Salvatore “SoccerSam” Fantauzzo.

Mandell served in the U.S. Air Force as a military policeman during Operation Enduring Freedom and has over 25 years of experience playing and coaching soccer.  Mojsovski earned his MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a concentration in international business in addition to playing and coaching soccer for over 30 years.

“We are looking to be competitive on the field and provide an unforgettable game day experience for our fans,” Mandell added. “We will make Rochester a place fans and away teams look forward to visiting.”

Miller is a well-known professional indoor and outdoor soccer player. He has won over five professional championships and was the coach of the MASL Lancers in 2014. He currently operates the Doug Miller Soccer Academy.  Fantauzzo has been involved with professional indoor and outdoor soccer since 1994. Most recently he was the owner of the indoor Rochester Lancers in the MASL. He is CEO/Founder of Salvatore’s Pizzeria with 30 locations in the Rochester area.

The original Lancers joined the American Soccer League (ASL) in 1967 and helped form the original North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1970, winning the championship that same year. From 1970-1980 the Lancers played at Aquinas Stadium, a facility that was renamed Holleder Memorial Stadium in 1974.

Some of the greatest players in the history of soccer played with and against the Lancers, including Pelé in 1980, setting the current record crowd for a soccer game in Rochester with over 20,000 fans. The Lancers would go on to play the Cosmos in front of 77,000 on national television at Giants Stadium. The team folded after the 1980 season.

Fantauzzo purchased the Lancers name and logo in the early 90’s as part of his soccer collection. In 2011 he introduced the indoor MISL Lancers and the team led the league with attendance and sponsorship over its four seasons.

“The Lancers brand and logo hits home with generations of fans that fell in love with our game,” Mandell concluded. “The original Lancers fans brought their children and grandchildren to the indoor Lancers games and the story continues this May with the NPSL Lancers. As the original Lancers in 1967, kids under 10 are always free to fall in love with our sport!”

The Lancers will play home matches at the Wegmans Sports Complex, which is located the Aquinas Institute in Rochester.  The facility features an artificial playing surface and loads of amenities including a sound system, lighting, restrooms, concessions, press box, digital scoreboard, and locker rooms. There is seating for 3,000 and plenty of on-site parking available.

More information about the club can be found at www.rochesterlancers.com or www.rlancers.com.  Fans and supporters can follow the club on Facebook (@rlancers), Twitter (@rlancers), Instagram (@rlancers), and YouTube (@lancersindoor).