Toronto Lynx Game Report
LYNX KEEP HOUNDS ON SHORT
LEASH
THIRD WIN IN A ROW MOVES TORONTO INTO THIRD PLACE IN NORTHEAST
DIVISION
Date: Sunday June 23, 2002
Venue:
Centennial Park Stadium
Attendance: 2,009
Final Score: 1
2 F
Pittsburgh 0 0 0
Toronto 0 2 2
Game Summary:
The Toronto Lynx (4-7-1, 18 points) won their third game in a row this afternoon
as the club defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (3-10-4, 17) 2-0 on an extremely
hot and muggy afternoon at Centennial Park Stadium. With the win, the Lynx move
into third place in the Northeast Division and more importantly, to within five
points of the idol Charlotte Eagles (5-7-1, 23 points) for the sixth and final
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Today’s match was also the 150th in
franchise history.
In the first half, Pittsburgh came out aggressively as
Gary DePalma and Brian Johnson quickly picked up a pair of cautions in the
eighth and 11th minute respectively. Despite the warnings from the officials,
Pittsburgh did not change their aggressive style and it cost them in the 30th
minute as defender Tim Shaydak received a red card for a hard tackle on Toronto
forward Niki Budalic near the sideline.
Despite being reduced to ten men
the Hounds did have the best scoring chance of the first half as Canadian Ali
Ngon hit the crossbar with a free kick from 20 yards out.
In the second
half, the Lynx took advantage of being up a man and thoroughly outworked
Pittsburgh in the scorching temperatures.
Toronto opened the scoring in
the 59th minute of play as Budalic scored his seventh of the season, and third
in two games, as he took a Nikki Vignjevic feed in the box and slipped behind
the Riverhounds defence. Budalic then fired the ball low and to the far corner,
beating back-up keeper T.J Hanning.
The Lynx then added to their lead 11
minutes later as Vignjevic’s free kick from 20 yards out was partially stopped
by a diving Hanning. However, Hanning couldn’t control the ball as he fell to
the ground and the ball trickled loose, into the back of the net to give Toronto
a comfortable 2-0 lead. The goal, Vignjevic’s first of the season, moved the
Serbian native into first all-time in goals for the club with 23.
After
Vignjevic’s marker, the Lynx had several another excellent scoring chances
afterwards as the team tried to get a bonus point for the second straight match.
In the 64th minute Elvis Thomas was able to beat Hanning to the ball and
side-stepped around him. With the keeper out of position, and defenders swarming
Thomas, the midfielder tried to center the ball to newly acquired Steve Butcher,
but his pass was just off and the goaltender was able to jump back and cover the
loose ball.
Late in the half, Budalic was sent in on a partial breakaway
but the team’s top goal scorer couldn’t beat Hanning, who came out to challenge
the shot.
Finally in injury time, forward Irasto Knights, who was
replaced by Butcher in the starting line-up today, fired a shot off the right
post from inside the six-yard box.
Toronto will try to win four in a row
for the first time since June of 2000 when the Lynx host the Montreal Impact
(5-2-1, 22 points) Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on Grad Night.
Before the
today’s match-up Centennial Park hosted the final day of the inaugural Toronto
Lynx Cup Tournament. The following are the results from this afternoon’s
championship games.
First Annual Toronto Lynx Cup Tournament
Results
Championship Matches
Under-10
North
Mississauga A 4, North Mississauga B 1
Under-11
Vaughan 5,
Newmarket 1
Under-12
Dixie 4, Woodbridge
0
Under-13
Erin Mills 6, Etobicoke Youth 5 (Erin Mills
Wins On Penalty Kicks)
Under-15
Hamilton Sparta 1, Weston
White Eagles 0
Under-16
Burlington 2, Pickering
1
First Half Highlights
No Scoring
Second
Half Highlights
59th Minute: Niki Budalic takes a feed inside the box
from Nikki Vignjevic, sneaks by a Riverhounds defender and fires the ball low
and to the far corner. Toronto 1-0
70th Minute: Vignjevic becomes the
all-time leading goal scorer in Lynx history as his free kick from 20 yards out
squeaks by T.J. Hanning. Toronto 2-0
Full Time
Line
ups
Pittsburgh: (GK) T.J. Hanning, (D) Tim Shaydak, (D) Michael Green,
(D) Jaman Tripoli, (D) Matt Chulis, (M) Mario Gori, (M) Brian Johnson, (M) Derek
Potteiger, (M) Gary DePalma, (F) David Flavius, (F) Ali Ngon
Toronto:
(GK) Theo Zagar, (D) Mauricio Vincello, (D) Matt Rosenfeld, (D) Joe
Mattacchione, (M) Brian Ashton, (M) Elvis Thomas, (M) Shawn Faria, (M) Nikki
Vignjevic, (F) Steve Butcher, (F) Niki Budalic
Scorers
Pittsburgh:
Toronto: Budalic 7 (Vignjevic) 59th Minute
Vignjevic 1 (Unassisted) 70th Minute
Shots 1 2 F
Pittsburgh 10 6 16
Toronto 5 13 18
Saves 1 2
F
Pittsburgh 2 4 6
Toronto 3 1 4
Goaltenders
Pittsburgh: Hanning (L,
0-4-1)
Toronto: Zagar (W, 4-7-1) First shutout of the
season.
Corner Kicks 1 2 F
Pittsburgh 1 0
1
Toronto 1 2 3
Fouls 1 2 F
Pittsburgh 4 8 12
Toronto 7 3 10
Cautions
Pittsburgh: DePalma (8),
Chulis (11), Green (87)
Toronto: Ashton (54), Mattacchione
(77)
Ejections
Pittsburgh: Sahayak (30)
Toronto:
None
Man of the Match: Nikki Vignjevic (Toronto) 1 goal and 1
assist.
The Toronto Lynx next game is at home against the Montreal Impact
on Thursday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Toronto Lynx Media Relations Contact:
Eric Michalko (416) 251-4625, ext. 25
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