A-League game of Sunday August 31, 1997.
Here are the results of the A-League game between Toronto Lynx and Hershey Wildcats played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto with a 7:00pm kickoff.
Toronto Lynx (white socks and shirts, black shorts, purple numbers, yellow names)
.................................................22 Joe Ciaravino
24 Christian Lombardo....17 Daryl Holmes....3 Franco Spadafina....16 Rick Titus
12 Lei Gong....6 Kevin Holness....14 Martin Dugas....5 Peyvand Mossavat
..................................15 Terry St Louis.........10 Paul Stalteri
Subs:....00 Roman Harapyn (gk)...9 Elvis Thomas (fwd)...18 Luca Centurione (mid)...19 Ryan Gamble (fwd)...21 Michele Gioia (mid)...Irvin Studin (mid).....
Hershey Wildcats (red socks and shirts, black shorts and sleeves, white names and numbers)
...........................................1 Peter Pappas
2 Christian Penny....7 Manny Oudin....10 Sasa Zoric....18 Brandon Lieb
11 Brent Longenecker....14 Nate Fairchild....6 Mark Waite....4 Mike Feniger
..........................13 Lee Tshantrot............3 Don D'Ambra
Subs:....12 John Ferrandino (mid/fwd)...19 Kyle Swords (def)...22 Chris Tassy (fwd)...23 Rob Johnson (fwd)...25 Doug Petras....
Officials:...Referee Jose Farias...Referees assistants Frank Marciello and Zoran Kristo, 4th Glen Silas......
1st Half (Lynx defend North goal in 1st half, kickoff at 7:12pm).
1 min...Lynx Dugas long cross caught by diving Wildcat goalie.
2 min...Wildcat Feniger weak 20 yard shot rolls to Lynx goalie.
3 min...Lynx goalie smothers Wildcat Feniger rolling cross.
6 min...Lynx goalie catches bouncing through ball.
7 min...Lynx St Louis dekes defender and cross rolls to open side across box but noone on left side for tap in.
9 min...Lynx goalie stops through ball.
14 min...Wildcat GOAL D'Ambra (assist Waite)...D'Ambra gets through ball and point blank shot saved by Lynx goalie but rebound bounces to D'Ambra who steps over goalie for 5 yard tap in battling Lynx Holmes the entire play.
18 min...Wildcats goalie beats Lynx Stalteri to through ball that rolls too far ahead.
19 min...Lynx St Louis bloops chip cross shot from 25 yards caught by Wildcat goalie.
23 min...Wildcats Zoric dekes two defenders on left line but cross cleared by Lynx Titus behind touch line over fence right onto Bloor Street!
24 min...Lynx goalie catches header from 5 yards.
26 min...Lynx goalie stops Wildcats Zoric shot from right side from 15 yards.
27 min...Lynx Dugas gets 25 yard shot caught by goalie.
28 min...Wildcats goalie throws body sideways to knock out cross.
30 min...Lynx Gong backheels pass that springs Lynx Stalteri whose 15 yard shot rolls through box missing right post.
31 min...cross to Wildcats Zoric who one touches bouncing shot from 15 yards to goalie.
32 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Spadafina 25 yards from Lynx goal for tripping Wildcats D'Ambra.
34 min...Lynx Dugas 30 yard shot saved by Wildcats goalie.
34 min...Wildcats GOAL...Feniger (assist Fairchild)...Feniger from 20 yards bullet shot that hits Lynx goalie's hands pushed up into underside of crossbar and into net.
37 min...Lynx St Louis races in alone on right wing and crosses right across box as two Lynx overrun ball. Shot eventually saved by Wildcat goalie on left post.
41 min...Lynx St Louis 40 yard shot deflected off defender and bounces to Wildcats goalie.
2nd Half: (starts 8:20pm).
Halftime subs:
Lynx Gioia replaces Lombardo.
Wildcats Johnson replaces Waite.
Wildcats Swords replaces Feniger.
Wildcats Petras replaces Pappas as goaltender.
49 min...Wildcats Johnson directs cross wide (he has cast on wrist).
50 min...Lynx player gets 30 yard shot which rolls to goalie.
54 min...Lynx goalie stops 25 yard rolling shot by Wildcats Swords.
55 min...Lynx Dugas gets 35 yard shot wide left.
56 min...Wildcats Zoric pass to Wildcats D'Ambra who blasts ball well over bar from 7 yards.
58 min...Lynx Stalteri pass back to Lynx Spadafina who's shot to top right corner tipped wide by leaping goalie.
59 min...Lynx GOAL...Gioia (unassisted)...Corner kick from right knocked down by Gioia and shot deflects of Wildcats defender and drops under crossbar in right corner over goalie and another defender.
61 min...Lynx Stalteri pass to box blasted by Lynx player over end wall and onto Bloor Street.
65 min...Lynx Dugas corner from right, headed back into box by charging Lynx Spadafina.
66 min...Lynx goalie comes out to punch out ball in box.
67 min...Lynx forwards get some in box action.
69 min...Wildcats get shot off cross bar on 2 on 0 when they jumped offside.
70 min...Wildcats GOAL...Longenecker (assist Tshantrot)...Longenecker 20 yard shot to center of net that Lynx goalie dives for but only gets one hand to. Tshantrot had headed back into edge of box after cross from left wing was going right through box.
73 min...Wildcats sub...Ferrandino replaces injured Tshantrot.
..............Wildcats sub...Tassy replaces D'Ambra.
75 min...Lynx Gioia gets 20 yard shot wide right of top corner.
77 min...Wildcats Penny header from left corner kick wide right.
78 min...Lynx freekick by Gioia from 30 yards, headed up by Lynx Titus in center from 10 yards. Referee comes over to chew out Hershey bench.
79 min...Lynx Spadafina (?) injured.
80 min...Lynx Gioia banana kick from 20 yards caught by Wildcats goalie on right post, although defender behind him ready to cover up.
81 min...Lynx St Louis bursts through and Wildcats Longenecker pulls him down in box for penalty kick call.
82 min...Lynx GOAL...Spadafina on Penalty kick...Spadafina takes high shot to centre of net. Wildcats goalie dives to center.
86 min...Lynx Gioia gets 15 yard shot rolls right to goalie.
87 min...Wildcats YELLOW card...Oudin for grabbing through ball with his hand.
87 min...Lynx freekick into box where header sets up three Lynx players crashing into net cartwheeling Wildcat goalie who is injured.
88 min...Wildcats goalie catches bouncer into box.
88 min...Lynx GOAL...St Louis (assist Holmes)...St Louis scores on header similar to 1 minute earlier as again multiple Lynx crash box and St Louis outjumps goalie to win ball.
Overtime period:
92 min...Lynx Gioia freekick around three man wall stopped by goalie on left post.
93 min...Lynx RED card...Lynx goalie red carded for in box pulling down of Wildcats Zoric. Ball bounced to Lynx defender just wide right of net and he cleared but Lynx goalie did grab his foot as Zoric popped ball up and over goalie and Zoric dived. Penalty shot awarded and goalie Ciaravino red carded for either that or his protest to referee. TV replays showed that the pull down was unnecessary.
Lynx sub...Lynx goalie Harapyn comes into game as a forward comes out of game.
93 min...Wildcats GOAL...Zoric on penalty shot...Zoric takes shot to right corner of net as Lynx goalie dives left.
Final score:.............Toronto Lynx......(0) (3) 3 ......Hershey Wildcats......(2) (3) 4 (OT win)
Attendance was 1372. Playoff ticket prices were announced as $14.00 , ($4.00 for seniors and children). This is actually cheaper than their regular prices. They don't know who they'll play or what night this game will be. There's one league game to make up tomorrow night in Rochester.
The Lynx didn't lose a lead tonight as they didn't have one. The game was much more satisfying to watch seeing the Lynx come back for a change but the Wildcats substituted at halftime to rest their starters for their playoff campaign. The Lynx slump continues. The Lynx will be down to their third string goalie for the first game of the playoffs as the A-League suspension system seems to impose that one week later a suspension will be served.
Rocket Robin
robing@clo.com
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