Originally posted to Voyageurs Soccer Talk message board.

Toronto Sun: Lynx Travel to Rochester Equal
by Winnipeg Fury



Lynx travel to Rochester on equal terms

By MIKE KOREEN -- Toronto Sun

  When the Toronto Lynx had a chance to put the nail in the Rochester Raging Rhinos'
coffin last night at Varsity Stadium, Scott Vallow saved the visitors.

 Seconds after Francisco Dos Santos scored a highlight-reel goal during the 63rd minute
to put the Lynx ahead 1-0 in Game 1 of their A-League Eastern Conference final against
the Rhinos, Juan Arango's blast from the penalty area was stopped by diving Rochester
goalkeeper Vallow.

 That save gave momentum to the Rhinos and during the 75th minute Dan Stebbins beat
Toronto netminder Theo Zagar to tie it 1-1.

 The second end of the two-game, total-goals series will be played tomorrow at 6:05
p.m. at Frontier Field in Rochester, where the Rhinos went 14-1 during the season and
attracted the largest crowds in the league.

 "We had a chance to go ahead 2-0 and their goalie made a big save," Lynx coach Peter
Pinizzotto said. "I don't think we deserve to go to Rochester tied 1-1, but I'm still
confident we can win this series."

 The Lynx, (13-11-4 during the season), will be underdogs against Rochester (17-9-2),
although they did defeat the Rhinos 2-1 in the season opener in Rochester.

 "We're going to Rochester and the pressure is all on them because they are at home,"
Lynx captain Marco Reda said. "We were the only team to beat them there and we're
going to go and do it again."

 Still, the Lynx know they let a win slip away in front of 2,811 fans last night.

 Toronto went up 1-0 when a corner kick by Lloyd Barker was headed to Dos Santos.

 The Rhinos tied it when Onandi Lowe fed a pass to a charging Stebbins.

 The Lynx caught a break late in the first half when Lowe, the Rhinos' leading playoff
scorer, received a yellow card for arguing an out-of-bounds call by referee Gerry Proctor.
It was Lowe's third yellow of the playoffs, meaning he will be suspended for Game 2.

 The Lynx will be missing midfielders Nikola and Nebojsa Vignjevic (attending Nikola's
wedding in Serbia) tomorrow, while defender Milan Kojic (hamstring) is questionable.

 The winner of this series will meet the winner of the Western Conference final between
the Minnesota Thunder and the Milwaukee Rampage in a sudden-death championship
game next Saturday. The Thunder won Game 1 in Milwaukee last night 4-3 and will play
host to Game 2 tonight.

 If the Lynx reach the championship game, it will be the first time since 1984 a Toronto
team has played for a North American professional soccer title. The Toronto Blizzard lost
the 1984 North American Soccer League final to the Chicago Sting.

Posted on Sep 23 2000, 5:46 AM
from IP address 205.200.28.77

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