Long Island Rough Riders

The Long Island Rough Riders are an American soccer team based in South Huntington, New York, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.

The team plays its home games at Hofstra University Soccer Stadium. The team's colors are white and blue.

The club also has a women's team, also called the Long Island Rough Riders, who play in USL W League.

History

Early years in the USISL

The Rough Riders played their first season in 1994, fielding a team in the USISL that featured future US national team player Chris Armas, who would lead the team in scoring with eight goals and four assists. Long Island (13–5) won the Northeast Division, finishing seven points ahead of North Jersey Dragons. The Rough Riders were placed in the "Raleigh Group" of the USISL 'Sizzling Nine' Championships, and qualified along with the Minnesota Thunder to face Greensboro Dynamo in the national semifinal; they lost the game 2–1 in overtime as Greensboro went on to take the title.

For their second season in 1995, the Rough Riders added several more players who would go on to excel in Major League Soccer, including US national team goalkeeper Tony Meola, Jim Rooney, and Giovanni Savarese, who would be named the USISL regular season and playoff MVP, and who scored 23 goals during the campaign. The Rough Riders finished the season with a 19–1 record, top of the Coastal Conference for a second year running, and received a bye to the 'Sizzling Nine' Championship tournament. Wins over the Monterey Bay Jaguars and the New Mexico Chiles in group play took them to the national semifinal for a second time. Unlike the year prior, the Rough Riders won their semi 5–2 against the Tampa Bay Cyclones, and then beat Minnesota Thunder 2–1 to win the USISL Championship.