Result of the Sunday May 18th, 2003 exhibition game between the W-League Toronto Inferno and provision W-League member Sudbury Canadians played at Milliken Mills Park in Markham at 3:00pm.
Both teams wore numbers but I didn't have a lineup for either team. The frequent substitutions, sometimes four at a time, would have been too hard to follow a shot by shot game.
1st Half hilights:...Inferno defended the north end in the first half and were effected by the strong wind from the sourth east.
16 min...Sudbury Lauren Podolski GOAL...Podolski rushes in from 45 yards and her 25 yard shot is over sliding goalie Emily Holbrook.
19 min...Sudbury Kristy McKenzie GOAL...McKenzie rushes in and holds off defender to chip 18 yard shot into left side of net.
31 min...Sudbury Lauren Podolski GOAL...Podolski gets through ball from center and beats speed of two defenders chasing her to send low 20 yard shot into net.
31 min...Inferno replace goalie with Ann-Marie Witco replacing Holbrook. Holbrook appeared to stay on her line too much instead of coming out to challenge the angles.
2nd Half:...now maybe the Inferno can take advantage of this wind.
48 min...Inferno Robyn Brady GOAL...Inf #16 passes into box that goalie Julie Boschetto blocks and Brady on right slides ball from 5 yards into low left corner of net.
64 min...Sudbury Lauren Podolski GOAL...Podolski rushes through middle on 1 on 1 and chips 15 yard shot into right corner of net.
66 min...Inferno change goalie again with Anne Ogundele replacing Witco.
88 min...Sudbury Kristy McKenzie GOAL...McKenzie gets pass from left and 20 yard shot that flying goalie pushes away but just further into right corner of net.
Final Score:.......Toronto Inferno..........1.........Sudbury Canadians..........5..............
After the game Canadians coach Frank Malvaso held the local journalists in awe talking about the players and Sudbury's available facilities. He was quite apologistic about his team's style of play which was long ball today. Against a lesser calibre team than Inferno they try to play more of a possession game but with the Inferno they worked the long ball and kept bouncing through balls over and between the Inferno defenders to fast breaking 16 year old Lauren Podolski and Laurentian University student Kristy McKenzie. Many of the players are just 16 and 17 and play against men's teams to get a tougher competition and their tough style shows that experience. Podolski has played in tournaments and has received 62 'letters' (as she's too young for NCAA scholarship offers) from American Universities. Her progress has been pointed out to Canadian national team coach Even Pellurud.
The Sudbury team plays mostly road games this year in their provisional season with the W-League.
The city has what sounds like a venue that just needs some modification before it becomes a stadium for 17000 ! We Toronto journalists jaws dropped when we heard about it. The only limitation about the city of Sudbury is it's so isolated from the rest of North America. The plan is to get full membership into the USL league for their women and the Super Y league for their younger players. The team is a showcase for Northern Ontario talent. There is one player who has a one hour drive from North Bay to get to practice and six others drive almost four hours from Sault Ste Marie! It certainly proves a dedicated team. Not such a high rating for their men's teams said Malvaso. Only one famous male player is Brian Ashton and we Toronto Lynx fans know about him.
The Inferno were short players called up to the national team playing England this week in Montreal and Ottawa. Carmelina Moscato and Candace Chapman among others were sorely missed. Tina Blaskovic was setting up players with her pinpoint touches but when she had the ball alone she was often overwhelmed by three defenders. Stacey Janetos had some good runs up the wing and Jane Lea looked good in the midfield. The Inferno have to replace both their 2002 goalies as they did not return to the team.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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