CNSL game of Sunday October 27, 1996.
Here are the results of the CNSL game of Sunday October 27, 1996 between Toronto Italia and St Catharines Wolves played at Rainbow Creek Stadium in Woodbridge at 5:00pm. This was the 2nd Leg in the two game final of the Playoff Championship.
Toronto Italia (blue socks, shorts, and shirts, white numbers)
.............................................1 Joe Ciaravino
2 John Annisi...5 Tom Perks...4 Richard Alexander...3 Franco Spadafina
...............20 Nick Maxwell....6 Jack Zomparelli (cpt)....7 Miguel Ferreira
.........12 Anthony Zanini....10 Lalo Maradona....8 Ryan Gamble
Subs:...23 Phil Caporrella...16 Garvin Houston...11 Marco Antonucci...18 Lou Fiaccola
St Catharines Wolves (red socks, black shorts and numbers, white shirts)
.............................................1 Dino Perri
3 McIver Broomes...2 John McNeil...7 Peyvan Mossavat...15 Gerry Cipriani
..............20 Tom Bernardi....19 Anton Skerritt....8 Ricky Titus
..............9 Paul Moore....14 Gary Bryan....25 Carlo Arghittu
Subs:...No one at all!
Officials:....referee Andrew Jasenski, linespeople Norma Clark and Bill Tewin
St Catharines was under three major handicaps for tonight's game.
1. First they had lost the first game 5-0 at home so needed a huge win tonight. Apparently in Thursday's game they fell behind in the first minute and were soon down 2-0. When they tried to open up, they were victims of breakaway counterattacks.
2. They had six starters who had just played in the NPSL (indoor soccer) League game at Maple Leaf Gardens in downtown Toronto a few hours earlier. The Toronto Shooting Stars won their first ever home game against Buffalo Blizzard 20-5 (goals count for 1 2 or 3 points depending on where they're scored). This game was covered on CKVR tv, the first of twelve this season.
Wolves on Shooting Stars--Peter Sarantopoulos, Peyvan Mossavet, Peter Gastis, Carlo Arghitto, and Ricky Titus.
Wolves on Blizzard--goalie Dino Perri
3. The game was delayed by an hour rather than be called a forfeit. The Wolves warmup had only about six players and the other players came in pairs after their drive from downtown.
1st Half: (15C wind from west, field wasn't soaking wet but the field is badly chewed up at this time of year with centre circle and both goal creases having no grass. Italia defend south end in 1st half)
2 min...Italia GOAL...Zomparelli taps in five yard shot after cross on left side from Spadafina.
10 min...Italia Gamble gets low shot/cross on left smothered by goalie.
12 min...Italia goalie makes save on Wolves forward's shot after Broomes long cross.
15 min...Italia GOAL...Zomparelli takes 15 yard shot to right corner of net off goalpost along ground that goalie can't reach after Zomparelli receives short cross from Zanini.
23 min...Italia Maxwell gets shot right across crease.
25 min...Italia goalie catches low 30 yard freekick along the ground.
28 min...Italia Zomparelli gets 15 yard shot/cross but goalie catches it.
37 min...Italia GOAL...Zanini beats goalie on long 20 yard cross from Gamble on right side. Cross is across net and although goalie follows it, Zanini slides to make short sliding shot on left side of goal.
45 min...whistle ends half.
2nd Half:
48 min...Italia goalie catches corner kick.
52 min...Italia Maxwell blasts four yard sitter well over net after goalie can't control ball.
57 min...Italia GOAL...Gamble charges in and gets 10 yard shot that rings in off right post.
68 min...Wolves Bernardi misses penalty shot low wide to left. Goalie guesses correctly. The penalty shot was awarded because shot went off defender's hand.
72 min...Italia GOAL...Maxwell blasts shot from 10 yards before goalie's dive has chance to block ball.
72 min...Italia subs...Antonucci and Fiaccola replace Gamble and Zanini.
Wolves have various shots and freekicks soar wide or over net a few times this half.
88 min...Wolves Arghittu's freekick goes over wall and hits upright.
89 min...Italia GOAL...Maradona receives short pass from Antonucci on a two on one break vs defender Mossavat, about 15 yards out and is slowed down by mud patch in crease. Goalie comes out of net for point blank save but Maradona instead chips it over Perri's shoulder from 10 yards into left side of net on one bounce.
Final Score:............Toronto Italia.........6..........St Catharines Wolves..........0....
Well the game was better to watch than a forfeit for the hometown fans (about 150 to 200). Italia's Maradona has signed for the Shooting Stars but he wasn't released before Italia's season ended. On the other hand, it was important for Shooting Stars to win their first ever home game as years later some wiseacre sportscasters still report on the hockey Maple Leafs losing their first game at Maple Leaf Gardens about 60 years ago while there are now about 250,000 people who claim they were at the first Blue Jay baseball game in 1977 when 44,000 actually watched in the snow. It still makes a good point for the CNSL season to start and finish a few weeks earlier so these problems don't arise next year.
After the game about half the Wolves bolted off the field despite pleas by the announcer to stay for the post game presentation. The Wolves received a silver coloured trophy for being runners-up and Italia got an identical sized gold coloured trophy as champions. The president of the league and a Talon and a Supra official made the presentation. I was recruited to take some pictures by the league president. I think I'm even in a few pictures.
On the way out of the stadium which requires you exit westward before you get a chance to turn at the first traffic light and can swing around eastbound, I honked my car horn a few times on the pass back by the stadium and saw one of the Italia players wave his fist in the air in a response. Oh Yeah!!
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