August 3, 2006 W-League Toronto Lady Lynx year end review (from Lynx media release)
TORONTO LYNX MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BERNIER NAMED W-LEAGUE GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
W-League All-League Keeper honour caps another successful season for the Lady Lynx.
THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2006[TORONTO, ON] Toronto Lady Lynx goalkeeper Justine Bernier was honoured three times by the W-League for her breakout season this year, leading the Toronto Lady Lynx to another successful season on the pitch at Centennial Park Stadium in Toronto. The 17-year old Oakville native was named W-League Goalkeeper of the Year and was selected to the W-League All-League and Eastern Conference All-Conference Teams. Bernier led the league with a miniscule 0.25 goals against average, allowing only 2 goals in eight matches and finishing with an enviable 5-1-2 record. She also finished second in the league with seven shutouts in her eight starts. The honours come on the heels of her winning the Toronto Lady Lynx Rookie of the Year award last week. Both marks also set team records for goalkeepers.
2006 SEASON WRAP-UP: ANOTHER WINNER!
The awards cap off another successful season for the Lady Lynx, their second in Toronto. The club battled to a second-place finish in an extremely competitive Northern Division, losing only once in the regular season to the eventual Northern Division and Eastern Division champions the Ottawa Fury, a tight 2-1 affair played in Ottawa on Canada Day. Ottawa then went on to escape with a 3-2 home win on July 27 over the Lady Lynx in the Northern Division championship game, ending Toronto's season. The Fury will represent the Eastern Conference in the W-League finals tournament scheduled this weekend in Vancouver.
Coach Danny Stewart and Technical Consultant Drew Murray, in conjunction with Manager Stephanie Rushton assembled a young and talented roster, which captured the imagination of Toronto soccer fans with their spirited and record-breaking play in 2006. The pre-season got off to a rocky start 2005 W-League scoring champion Kim Warner was lost of the season with a knee injury, but the club never lost a beat as a number of returning veterans and eager rookies stepped to the front and led the team towards glory. The season got off to a memorable start on May 13 when second-year forward Deana Everrett shocked the expansion Rochester Rhinos with an unprecedented 5-goal performance in a 7-0 romp. Rookie Sylvia Forbes followed that feat with a 4-goal game on May 21 versus Vermont, her first of two four-goal matches during the season, and the Lady Lynx were off to the races. Toronto won their first five matches, and did not concede a goal until their seventh match of the year, the 2-1 defeat in Ottawa on Canada Day. The Lady Lynx defence was impenetrable throughout, led by captain Catharine Marosszeky and co-Best Defensive Player of the Year award winners Robin Rushton and Vonya Beckles.
July saw the Lady Lynx lose Forbes, Beckles, Amanda Cicchini, Loredana Riverso and Tanya Dennis to national team duty, and the loss of eventual Most Valuable Player award winner Everrett to a season-ending shoulder injury in a 3-0 win in Rochester on July 3. The club overcame these tough losses, and led by the inspired play of rookies Finella Annand, Melissa Bigg and Allysha Chapman and veterans Nicole Mailloux and Natalie Martineau finished the regular season undefeated in their final six games, including a 9-0 thrashing of Sudbury at Centennial Park Stadium on July 15, with another 4 goals by Forbes. Forbes eventually finished the year with 15 goals, second in the W-League and tying Kim Warner's team record.
Along the way, the Lady Lynx again led the Northern Division in attendance, with an average of 1651, including a record 4090 fans who took in the July 19 Youth Day match. The mark was well above the league average of 620 fans per game and ranked 3rd of 37 clubs in the W-League. The club was also very active within the community once again including successful appearances at Air Miles Way To Play events in Guelph and the Beaches. The players were also very active in delivering the club's popular summer fantasy camp program, instructing and inspiring young soccer playing girls from around the GTA.
Many Lady Lynx players will return to their respective NCAA universities to continue their playing season, and Cicchini, Beckles and Riverso are expected to represent Canada in the U20 World Championships to be held later this month in Russia. The squad will then reassemble in early May, 2007 to prepare for the club's 3rd W-League season, again looking to continue and build upon the great success the team has experienced in its first two seasons.
-30-
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
ROB IRWIN, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, TORONTO LYNX SOCCER CLUB
416-251-4625 ext. 23
.
.