The Rochester Rhinos’ elimination in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs by eventual champion the New York Red Bulls II meant that the USL would have to wait another year for its first back-to-back champions, but the side put up an excellent defense of its title as the new ownership group led by David and Wendy Dworkin got to work building the club off the field.

The Rhinos remained one of the most difficult sides to beat in the USL thanks to a stingy defense that saw goalkeeper Tomas Gomez earn the USL Golden Glove with a 0.69 goals-against average, while the attacking duo of Christian Volesky and Steevan Dos Santos continued to provide the side with enough attacking punch for a top-four finish.