History
The stadium opened in 1949 for the Aquinas Institute and was renamed in 1974 for Major Don Holleder. The Rochester Lancers played there from 1967 to 1980, and the first match of the 1970 NASL Final was held there. On August 21, 1977, the Cosmos beat the Lancers 2–1 in a playoff match before 20,005.
The stadium was demolished in 1985 and the land became Holleder Technology Park.
Why it matters: Home of the Rochester Lancers, the 1970 NASL champions.
Timeline
- 1949Opened[1]
Aquinas Memorial Stadium opened.
- August 13, 1960Bills' first win[1]
The Buffalo Bills beat the Denver Broncos in an AFL exhibition game, their first win in the league.
- 1970NASL Final[1]
The first match of the 1970 NASL Final was played at the stadium.
- 1974Renamed for Don Holleder[1]
The stadium was renamed after Major Don Holleder.
- August 21, 1977Cosmos visit[1]
Pelé's Cosmos beat the Lancers 2–1 in the first round of the NASL playoffs before 20,005, the largest Lancers crowd at the stadium.
- 1985Demolished[1]
The stadium was demolished and the site became an industrial park.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Holleder Technology Park, an industrial park[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Aquinas Institute | 1949–1985 |
|---|---|
| Rochester Lancers | ASL/NASL · 1967–1980 |
| Rochester Flash | ASL/USL · 1981–1984 1981–82 and 1984 |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Aquinas Memorial Stadium (1949–1974) |
|---|---|
| Location | Rochester, New York |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Soccer, Football |
| Level | NASL, High school |
| Opened | 1949[1] |
| Last used for sports | 1985[1] |
| Demolished | 1985[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 20,000[1] |
Documented details
Sources
- Holleder Memorial Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.