TORONTO LYNX MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LYNX ANNOUNCE 2005 SCHEDULE!
Wednesday, January 12, 2005 (TORONTO, ON) – The Toronto Lynx will open their ninth season of showcasing the highest level of professional soccer in Canada with a lengthy road trip once again. On Saturday, April 23rd Toronto flies out west to take on the Portland Timbers for the first time since 2001. With the USL First Division shift to a single division and a more balanced schedule this season, Lynx fans will have the opportunity to see non-traditional rivals such as Portland, Seattle and Minnesota, as well as the usual match ups with Canadian rivals, Montreal and Vancouver. After spending three weeks on the road, the Lynx will begin their home season in dramatic fashion welcoming the defending A-League Champion Montreal Impact at 4pm. The match will be the first of four between the Lynx and Impact as the USL First Division emphasizes regional rivalries in 2005 that also includes four encounters with the Rochester Raging Rhinos.
Some other notable home match dates include: Tuesday, May 31st when the Lynx will be looking for another sellout crowd as they welcome the Raging Rhinos for their annual School Day matinee. A second matinee for summer youth organizations will take place on Wednesday July 20th when the Lynx take on the Atlanta Silverbacks at 12:00 noon. The defending champion Impact will return to Centennial Park Stadium on Friday July 22nd for the Lynx annual and colourful Mascot Night and the Vancouver Whitecaps will make their only appearance in Toronto on Friday September 2nd for East Meets West Night honouring Asian groups in the GTA which will be broadcasted live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports World Canada. The last home game of the season will be taking place on Labour Day Monday September 5th when Minnesota comes into town and the Lynx stage Labour Day Celebrations at the stadium. While the last regular season match will take place on the road on Sunday September 11th in Puerto Rico against the Islanders.
The 2005 USL First Division playoffs will feature the top 6 teams from the single table regular season and kick off with a first round two-legged aggregate score series on Friday, September 16th and Sunday, September 18th. The League Semifinals are scheduled for Friday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 25th with the League Championship taking place on Saturday, October 1st. The Lynx will be vying for their first playoff appearance since 2000 and looking to build on a 10-16-2 record.
Soccer fans in Toronto interested in catching the Toronto Lynx home games and the Toronto Lady Lynx home games will be able to take advantage of special season ticket packages, flexpak packages and discounted group outing packages by calling the ticket hotline at 416-251-4625 ext. 31 or e-mailing at lynx@lynxsoccer.com. For more information, visit www.lynxsoccer.com.
2005 TORONTO LYNX UNITED SOCCER LEAGUES FIRST DIVISION SCHEDULE Home SUNDAY MAY 15 MONTREAL IMPACT HOME OPENER: A NEW TRADITION! 4:00 PM SATURDAY MAY 28 PUERTO RICO ISLANDERS FIESTA LATINA 7:30 PM TUESDAY MAY 31 ROCHESTER RAGING RHINOS SCHOOL DAY 11:00 AM SATURDAY JUNE 4 PORTLAND TIMBERS FATHER AND SON NIGHT 7:30 PM SUNDAY JUNE 26 CHARLESTON BATTERY HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY 4:00 PM SATURDAY JULY 16 SEATTLE SOUNDERS CARIB FEST 7:30 PM WEDNESDAY JULY 20 ATLANTA SILVERBACKS YOUTH DAY 12:00 PM FRIDAY JULY 22 MONTREAL IMPACT MASCOT NIGHT 7:30 PM SUNDAY JULY 31 RICHMOND KICKERS COACHES APPRECIATION DAY 6:00 PM SUNDAY AUGUST 14 ROCHESTER RAGING RHINOS EMERGENCY SERVICES DAY 6:00 PM SUNDAY AUGUST 21 PUERTO RICO ISLANDERS MULTICULTURAL DAY 6:00 PM SUNDAY AUGUST 28 VIRGINIA BEACH MARINERS FAN APPRECIATION DAY 6:00 PM ^FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2 VANCOUVER WHITECAPS EAST MEETS WEST NIGHT 8:00 PM MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5 MINNESOTA THUNDER LABOUR DAY CELEBRATION 4:00 PM Away SATURDAY APRIL 23 @ PORTLAND TIMBERS 10:00 PM SUNDAY APRIL 24 @ VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 10:00 PM SATURDAY APRIL 30 @ RICHMOND KICKERS 7:00 PM SUNDAY MAY 1 @ VIRGINIA BEACH MARINERS 6:00 PM FRIDAY MAY 6 @ CHARLESTON BATTERY 7:30 PM SATURDAY MAY 7 @ ATLANTA SILVERBACKS 6:30 PM FRIDAY JUNE 3 @ MONTREAL IMPACT 7:30 PM FRIDAY, JUNE 10 @ ROCHESTER RAGING RHINOS 7:35 PM FRIDAY JUNE 24 @ MINNESOTA THUNDER 8:05 PM SUNDAY JULY 24 @ MONTREAL IMPACT 4:00 PM WEDNESDAY JULY 27 @ SEATTLE SOUNDERS 10:00 PM FRIDAY AUGUST 12 @ ROCHESTER RAGING RHINOS 7:35 PM ^FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9 @ PUERTO RICO ISLANDERS 8:00 PM SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11 @ PUERTO RICO ISLANDERS 5:00 PM -30- FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: LANCE WINN -- MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS, TORONTO LYNX SOCCER CLUB 416-251-4625 ext. 25
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