 The following season was a similar story as the team finished third in the regular season, and were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Riverdogs.Strikers John Wolyniec and Darko Kolic were much more prolific, scoring 15 and seven goals, respectively.Fortunes improved significantly in 2000, as the Rough Riders claimed their first regular-season title at this level, winning the Northeast Division by one point over the Rochester Raging Rhinos with a 16–9–4 record.