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Result of the Wednesday May 21, 2008 W-League between Toronto Lady Lynx and London Gryphons game played at Varsity Centre in Toronto at 11:00am.
Toronto Lady Lynx (all black, yellow numbers and trim)
...........................25 Krista Pace
20 Kayla Afonso...9 Kelsi Landry...6 Vonya Beckles...17 Kiley Snow
2 Brittany Harrison...12 Alyssa Lagonia...5 Hayley MacDonald...3 Alicia Donaldson
...............16 Oni Bernard...7 Stefania Morra
Subs:...1 Elise Kuhar-Pitters (gk)...8 Tessa Dimitrakopoulos (fwd/mid)...11 Jamie Baggs (def)...18 Rosaly Petriello (mid)...19 Stephanie Conley (def)...22 Victoria Miliucci (mid)...23 Julia Bazi (def/mid)
team officials:...head coach Danny Stewart...assistant coach Paul DeAbreu...goalkeeping coach Joe Nucifora...team doctor Dr Frank Markus...medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth...medical assistant Dr Melanie Lopes
London Gryphons (white socks, shorts, numbers, and sleeves, red shirts, navy stripe down each arm)
.....................1 Alex Tomascin
15 Erin Suckling...10 Devon Romak...2 Nikki Gabrielli...3 Grace Howell-Harries
5 Jessica Salgado...6 Stephanie Lynch...14 Kelsi Roberts...19 Ashley Seib
...............9 Devon Beach...11 Treena Ferguson
Subs:...1 Kelly Zinkiewich (gk)...4 Kayleighdawn McLeod (mid)...12 Jessica Hinch (def)
team officials:...head coach Aaron Lauterbach
Game officials:...referee Geoff Gamble...referee's assistants Sharon Welsby and Alexis Vaughan...fourth official Sara Rauer...(neon green shirts, black shorts and socks)
1st Half:...starts 11:16am...Lynx defend south end on this cool overcast day.
2 min…Lady Lynx Stefania Morra GOAL…LL Oni Bernard on rush down right takes cross from 15 yards and Morra on left post rescues ball from rolling over end line, turns, and her sharp angle 3 yard shot is into top right corner of net.
4 min...LG Lynch 25 yard freekick from left deflects off foot in box. LG player can't turn ball on end line.
7 min...Lynx Bernard 16 yard shot from right through defenders has goalie smother.
10 min...LG Romak 45 yard freekick from right has defender on edge of box head ball away.
13 min...Lynx Landry 40 yard freekick from right bounces into box but Lynx forward misses connecting. Partial clearance deflects off charging Lynx MacDonald and deflects back to goalie before MacDonald can make play.
14 min...Lynx goalie picks up ball outside box and referee calls freekick.
15 min...LG Ferguson 20 yard freekick taps centering pass to LG Romak who blasts shot over net.
17 min...LG Seib gets pass into Lynx box in open from 7 yards and she pops up header and doesn't get chance for a shot.
18 min...LG Beach leaping header from 7 yards has Lynx defender head ball wide right of net.
19 min...LG Lynch cornerkick from right has goalie punch ball forward on charge inside box.
20 min...LG Beach cross from right end line on charge just a step too far for LG forward to connect.
22 min...Lynx Harrison freekick from 25 yards on right has Lynx player at 20 yards get foot to ball but rolls it wide right for goalie.
24 min...LG Beach 25 yard shot from left is wide right.
26 min...Lynx Afonso 20 yard shot from right on run is kicked over net.
27 min...Lynx Morra rush diagonally in from right wing but 25 yard shot is blasted high wide left of net.
29 min…Lady Lynx Kayla Afonso GOAL…LL Afonso steps around Gryphons Grace Howell-Harries and puts low 30 yard blast into low left corner of net beyond diving goalie on partial screen shot.
30 min...Lynx Bernard wins cornerkick trying to beat second defender.
34 min...Lynx Donaldson short cornerkick from right recrossed and Lynx Beckles on left post heads 2 yarder into outside webbing of net.
37 min...Lynx Bernard cross in from right end line blocked by defender.
39 min...Lynx Beckles long throw-in from left has Lynx player tip header from 15 yards bounces to goalie.
39 min...LG MacDonald heads wide right from 10 yards on 3 on 0 break on 45 yard freekick from left.
42 min...Lynx Beckles 40 yard throw-in from left bounces to goalie.
45 min...Lynx Donaldson long run down left and cross to edge of box has Lynx players unable to get away shot.
45 min...Lynx Beckles another long throw-in from left has defenders clear ball on edge of box.
46 min...half ends 12:02pm.
2nd Half:...half starts 12:21pm.
halftime subs:...LG sub...McLeod replaces Howell-Harries.
...........Lynx sub...Dimitrakopoulos replaces Donaldson.
...........Lynx sub...Bazi replaces Snow.
...........Lynx sub...Petriello replaces Harrison.
45 min...Lynx Bazi 28 yard freekick from left bends outward and goalie tips off left post.
50 min...LG Lynch cornerkick from left is headed up by defender and another defender prevents shot.
51 min...Lynx Dimitrakopoulos run diagonal cutting in from left has 20 yard shot low and wide left.
53 min...Lynx Bazi cornerkick from left has defender pop up header and Lynx player knock ball over end line for goalkick.
54 min…Lady Lynx Oni Bernard GOAL…LL Bernard gets pass on right and Gryphons goalie Alex Tomascin out of her box slides in for tackle and injures herself. Bernard keeps on her feet and rolls 20 yarder from right into open net between four defenders who'd retreated into box. Tomascin had to be helped from the field and was replaces by Kelly Zinkiewich in goal.
58 min...Lynx sub...Miliucci replaces Lagonia.
...........LG sub...Zinkiewich replaces Tomascin in goal.
59 min...Lynx Bernard on 3 on 3 rush centers for Lynx Morra who turns and blast 20 yarder that sprawling goalie stops.
60 min...Lynx Bazi cornerkick from left has ball headed around in box but no shot is taken.
60 min...Lynx Beckles long throw-in from left has defender in LG box clear.
62 min...Lynx Afonso long run down right and corss is caught by goalie.
63 min...Lynx sub...Baggs replaces Bernard.
66 min...LG Beach 40 yard freekick from right has leaping LG player head ball through box to left corner flag.
68 min...Lynx sub...Conley replaces Afonso.
70 min...Lynx Petriello 35 yard freekick from right has Lynx Morra pop up 20 yard header wide left.
71 min...Lynx Beckles long throw-in from right is cleared from box.
72 min...Lynx Bazi cross from left after eluding defender has leaping Lynx Baggs head 2 yarder across LG goalmouth from right.
73 min...LG Romak 35 yard blast up middle is well over net.
73 min...LG sub...Hinch replaces Suckling.
75 min...Lynx Morra and LG goalie crash together at 25 yards and Morra's shot is wide left.
76 min...Lynx Petriello run up middle and cuts 20 yard shot just wide right.
79 min...LG YELLOW card...Beach for late tackle in Lynx end.
80 min...LG Beach all alone up middle blasts shot wide right from 20 yards.
81 min...LG Ferguson skies 30 yard shot from right is caught by goalie.
82 min...Lynx Petriello 25 yard freekick from right is just over bar on stutter step decoy play with teammate.
85 min...Lynx Bazi yard cross from left has Lynx Morra break defender in box to get foot to 7 yard shot but goalie dives backwards to left.
86 min...Lynx player's short cornerkick then crossed to Lynx Morra who rolls ball to right and Lynx Beckles shoots wide right from 3 yards.
87 min...Lynx Landry heads 10 yarder over LG net.
88 min…Lady Lynx Rosaly Petriello GOAL…Petriello in center of field from 30 yards chips goalie Zinkiewich off her line at 7 yards and the ball drops into center of net.
93 min...LG Lynch 25 yard freekick from 5 yard line on left has goalie catch ball in front of LG player tyring to head ball in from 2 yards. It's the first save she's had to make this game.
94 min...game ends 1:10pm.
Final Score:……..Toronto Lady Lynx…….4……….London Gryphons……0……..
Attendance was announced as 1232 on today's annual "School Day" home opener. School buses of children filled the stadium. I have not been here since 2002 where the old Varsity Stadium stood. The seats are on the east side which would have resulted in staring into the sun if the game was later in the day and there'd been any sun about. It was overcast and quite cool and windy for a late May game although it didn't rain. Some of the kids even threw streamers amongst themselves but even the big guys at BMO Field wouldn't have been able to hit anyone on the field of play across the wide track surrounding the field a good 20 yards from the front row. The full stadium was listed as holding 5000 people.
The Field Turf has permanent football lines painted on it. This caused a problem for Lady Lynx goalie Krista Pace who picked up the ball at the white football line 20 yard line just outside the yellow 18 yard soccer box line and the referee awarded the visitors a freekick. Gryphons Treena Ferguson tapped the freekick over to Devon Romak who blasted a 20 yard shot over the net.
The Lady Lynx got off to the perfect fast start with the goal at 2 minutes but were threatened a few times in the first 20 minutes. After that and especially in the second half the Lady Lynx were in control. Goalie Krista Pace (who played for the Gryphons last year) earned the shutout for the Lady Lynx. Her only real save was at 93 minutes when Stephanie Lynch kicked a 25 yard freekick from even with the 5 yard line on the left and she caught the ball in front of a Gryphons player's head just waiting for a tap-in. Gryphons' forwards Devon Beach and Treena Ferguson shots were off target.
Referee Geoff Gamble had few fouls to call in this game which wasn't roughly played at all.
The Lady Lynx looked a little rough in the back at times but this was only their second game of the season. They have completely revamped their playoff team of last year as half their starters moved on to Canada's U20s or full national team. Forward Stefania Morra looks like their star player this year. Returning defender Vonya Beckles anchored the defense and was used offensively for her long throw-ins into the Gryphons box-as far as some players could cross the ball on freekicks.
They won their first game on the road against West Mass Lady Pioneers 2-0. Neither of the teams they've beaten so far had a winning record last year although both played in different divisions. It was the first league game of the year for the Gryphons. They only brought three backups including the extra goalie so I almost expected they'd wear down at the end of the game when faced with fresh legs in second half subs brought in by the Lady Lynx.
Next home game for the Lady Lynx is Sunday June 1st at 1:00pm at Centennial Stadium against Vermont although their next game is in Vermont this Saturday May 24th.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
The new Varsity Centre
Long wide corridors in the stadium
The scoreboard counting down to game time
Gryphons starters
Lady Lynx starters
That track is wide!
Referee hands off ball to get the game started
Gryphons second half cornerkick
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