October 26th, 2000.
Toronto Lynx 2000 Season Thoughts.
by Rocket Robin
My thoughts on the Toronto Lynx changed as the season went along as they were involved in long winning and losing streaks. I didn't realize until two-thirds of the season had gone by that Toronto would be guaranteed to make the Playoffs as long as they finished third or higher in their division. It was a revised, uneven schedule as the initial one I'd seen had games against soon to be defunct Lehigh Valley Steam. Yikes, play the Rochester Raging Rhinos six times after going 0-4 against them last year?
Home team appears in CAPITAL letters.
1. Saturday April 29th...Toronto...1...PITTSBURGH...1...tie
2. Saturday May 6th...Toronto...2...ROCHESTER...1...win
3. Sunday May 21st...TORONTO...1...Montreal...0...win
4. Sunday May 28th...TORONTO...1...Boston...0...win
5. Thursday June 1st...TORONTO...4...Connecticut...1...win
6. Sunday June 4th...TORONTO...2...Pittsburgh...0...win
Ex. Tuesday June 6th...TORONTO...0...Reggina...2...loss, exhibition game
7. Sunday June 11th...TORONTO...4...Montreal...0...win
8. Friday June 16th...Toronto...1...MONTREAL...1...tie
Wow, great start to the season with seven league undefeated streak right out or the gate. A competitive game against Reggina from Italian Serie A on their exhitibition tour gained the Lynx even more respect. A slow start from Rochester and worse by returning rivals Montreal put the Lynx in first place this early in the season.
9. Tuesday June 20th...TORONTO...0...Hershey...1...loss
10. Sunday June 25th...TORONTO...0...Rochester...0...tie
11. Tuesday June 27th...Toronto...2...BOSTON...1...win
12. Saturday July 1st...Toronto...1...Vancouver...2...overtime loss
13. Saturday July 8th...TORONTO...2...Boston...1...win
Beat divisional rival Boston eventually all four games this year. Their momentum was slowing down.
14. Wednesday July 12th...Toronto...0...CONNECTICUT...1...loss
15. Sunday June 25th...TORONTO...0...Rochester...0...tie
16. Thursday July 27th...Toronto...1...LONG ISLAND...2...loss
17. Friday July 28th...Toronto...0...ROCHESTER...1...loss
18. Sunday July 30th...Toronto...0...MONTREAL...3...loss
19. Sunday August 6th...Toronto...0...MONTREAL...1...loss
20. Saturday August 12th...Toronto...1...ROCHESTER...2...loss
Seven games without a win as Rochester and Long Island passed them in the standings and they were hanging on against the revived Montreal Impact for the last playoff spot. They only scored two goals in seven games in this period.
21. Sunday August 13th...TORONTO...3...Rochester...2...win
22. Thursday August 17th...Toronto...2...BOSTON...1...win
23. Sunday August 20th...TORONTO...1...Vancouver...4...loss
24. Friday August 25th...TORONTO...2...US Pro40...0...win
25. Sunday August 27th...TORONTO...0...Richmond...1...loss
26. Wednesday August 30th...TORONTO...2...US Pro 40...1...win
27. Friday September 1st...TORONTO...0...Long Island...1...loss
28. Monday September 4th...Toronto...2...ATLANTA...1...win
They held off Montreal and clinched a playoff spot for the second time in their four year history. Their best finish ever with a 13 win, 11 loss, 2 tie record.
Playoffs:
Rnd 1...Friday September 8th...Toronto...2...LONG ISLAND...1...win
Rnd 2...Friday September 15th...TORONTO...1...Richmond...0...win
Rnd 2...Sunday September 17th...Toronto...1...RICHMOND...0...win
Rnd 3...Friday September 22nd...TORONTO...1...Rochester...1...tie
Rnd 3...Sunday September 24th...Toronto...0...ROCHESTER...1...loss
I expected they'd bow out in their first game in the one game playoff against division winners Long Island on the road. Wow they won? The rest of the playoffs weren't sudden death. The Rochester game didn't even have a tie breaker in the first game. Finally their depleted roster lost in the Conference Final to the eventual A-League champions Rochester Raging Rhinos.
The 2001 season? Well it looks like the team will have one more year in the crumbling Varsity Stadium. The Lynx players are getting noticed by the leagues of the world and the roster may lose a few players to Europe and the MLS as I write this in the Fall of 2000.
Attendance was up from 1999 but it's still not what it should be. Media coverage from the mainstream press was sporadic. A few games were televised on Sportsnet and it would be hoped they can continue at least that exposure. The new indoor soccer franchise Toronto Thunderhawks although it has a different roster may keep local soccer in the headlines over the winter.
Rocket Robin
robing@toclo.com
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