AARAN LINES
HEAD COACH
Lines is no stranger to the Flash, leading the club to its decisive W-League Championship in 2010 prior to the club joining the WPS.
Lines moved to Germany at the age of 16 to join SV Werder Bremen Youth team of the German Bundesliga, following his appearance in the U-17 World Cup in Japan. Lines played 80 games with the Werder Bremen youth team, 60 games with the reserve team eventually worked his way up to the First team. In 1997, Lines moved to Vfl Osnabruck where he appeared in over 80 matches in the first and second Bundesliga. At the start of the new century, the New Zealand native headed back home to play in the newly launched A-League for the Auckland Football Kingz (now the Wellington Phoenix). Following his stint in the A-League, Lines returned to Europe where he played for Dresdener SC of the German second Bundesliga, and Ruch Chorzow and Arka Gdynia of the Polish first division. Lines then headed to America to play for the Portland Timbers of the USL, and in 2006 made the move to Rochester, NY to play for the Rhinos. Lines appeared in over 50 matches for the Rhinos in the last two years of his career, including the 2006 USL Championship match.
An addition to his professional career, Lines is an experienced international that has 41 appearances for his New Zealand full national team, 9 with the U-23 squad, 8 with the U-20 and 10 with U-17’s. He has participated in the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Confederations cup with the NZ National Team and has played full competitive international games against 5-time world champion Brazil, as well as Germany, France, and the USA.
Lines earned his UEFA B Coaching license in Germany and has helped build Buffalo's only professional soccer franchise to a national powerhouse the last 3 years. In 2009, he was hired as the USL W-League Buffalo Flash's head coach where he led the squad to an impressive 10-3-3 record and a trip to the second round of the playoffs. In only his second year of the league, he led the squad to an undefeated season and a W-League Championship defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in Santa Clarita, CA. Lines was named the Fieldturf 2010 Coach of the Year after the clubs outstanding season. The WNY Flash joined Women’s Professional Soccer as an expansion club in September of 2010, and Lines was hired again to guide the club in their quest for back to back Championships.
SCOTT VALLOW
ASSISTANT COACH
One of Rochester's most popular athletes is back-on the other side of the white line.
Vallow, a Naperville , Ill. native closed out his career as the Rhinos’ all-time leader in wins (83) and shutouts (34). During his 8½ year tenure, he helped the Rhinos win an A-League championship in 2000 and 2001 and reach the 2006 title match. He was the only player on the squad who also was on the 2001 team, the last Rhinos’ club to win a crown.Vallow played 12 pro seasons, including in 2002-04 in MLS for the Colorado Rapids and was named the A-League Goalkeeper of the Year in 2000, all-league selection in 2000 and 2006 and Rhinos Team MVP in 2006. Most recently, Vallow was
named one of the top 10 players of the decade in the USL.The storied goalkeeper and Flash head coach Aaran Lines were teammates with the Rhinos in 2006 and ’07.
In addition to his professional playing career, the former Rhinos captain holds a USSF "B" Coaching license and is the Director of Coaching and player devlopment for Cobras FC (Rochester, NY) which has over 550 players. Vallow also has coaching experience at the Division 1 Collegiate Level, as he was the goalkeeper coach for Niagara University Women's Soccer team for two years.
Vallow graduated from Bowling Green, starting in every match the team played in his four year tenure. He amassed a .70 GAA and helped lead his team to two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances while obtaining a bachelors degree in Sales/Marketing. Scott resides in Rochester with his wife Lindsay and two sons Brayden (5), and Mason (2).
DEMERIS JOHNSON
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH