Lady Lynx starters
Result of the Thursday May 14th, 2009 W-League exhibition game between Toronto Lady Lynx and London Gryphons played at Varsity Centre in Toronto at 11:00am.
Toronto Lady Lynx (all black, yellow numbers and trim)
....................1 Justine Bernier
27 Kayla Afonso...13 Clare Rustad...4 Lexi Marton...11 Allysha Chapman
16 Oni Bernard...5 Hayley MacDonald...10 Alyscha Mottershead...8 Caroline Szwed
.................22 Victoria Frederick...17 Erica Henderson
Subs:...25 Aurelea Gumiela (gk)...12 Tiffany Cameron (fwd)...14 Tessa Dimitrakopoulos (fwd/mid)...18 Nicole O'Donnell (fwd)...20 Giselle Mangal (fwd)
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
London Gryphons (white socks and shirts, red shorts and sleeves, black numbers)
...................00 Jen Wolbert
18 Kathy Drury...12 Krystal Shaw...4 Martina Pettenuzzo...2 Spencer Roberts
14 Kelsie Roberts...23 Kelly Tarrant...13 Ashley Seib...19 Alejandra Santos
...............7 Melissa Smith...22 Chelsi Abbott
Subs:...5 Daniella Strano (def)...8 Nikki Arthur (mid)
team officials:...head coach Aaron Lauterbach... assistant coach Adam Craig...trainer/therapist Fernando Recalde
Game officials:...referee Lisa McNeil...referee's assistants Sharon Welsby and Marie-Soleil Beaudoin...fourth official Isaac Raymond (neon green shirts, black shorts and socks)
1st Half:...game starts 11:17am...Lady Lynx defend north end on this cool and rainy morning (rain started during player intros).
Both the US and Canadian national anthems were sung by the children's choir. Miss Canada Tourism 2009 took the ceremonial kickoff.
50 sec...Lynx goalie dives left to smother through ball ahead of Lon Abbott.
1 min...Lynx Henderson rush on left line and cross to edge of box has Lynx Mottershead one touch 20 yard shot over net.
4 min...Lynx Marton 40 yard freekick up middle has ball one-hop to goalie.
5 min...Lynx Mottershead cornerkick from left has Lynx Marton pop 7 yard header that goalie catches over her head on line.
7 min...Lon Abbott cross from left end line has defender block then Abbott head 12 yarder along endline but ball goes behind net.
7 min...Lynx Abbott on rush up middle has 20 yard shot stopped point blank by goalie at 12 yards and Lynx Mottershead boot rebound over net.
8 min...Lynx Henderson cornerkick from right has defender block and Henderson recovers to cross from 25 yards. Lynx Mottershead 25 yard roller picked up by goalie.
11 min...Lynx goalie quickly clears back pass upfield and Lynx Henderson on rush quick 30 yard low blast smothered by goalie.
The clock stops at 12 minutes but was reset at 15 minutes. The rain has stopped and now a hazy sun is out.
14 min...Lynx Henderson cornerkick from right has defender head ball and Lynx Mottershead shot from left 20 yards sail over net.
18 min...Lynx Henderson 30 yard freekick from left sideline has leaping goalie swat ball away from Lynx forward in box.
19 min...Lynx Henderson cornerkick from right is short and worked out but no shot on net is taken.
20 min...Lon Abbott rush on left has Lynx Afonso prevent cross on 3 on 2 break.
21 min...Lynx Henderson twist header at 15 yards bounces wide right.
22 min...Lon Seib cornerkick from right has Lynx Marton kick partial clearance across box from right and cleared.
24 min...Lynx Henderson stops crossed pass, turns and fires 20 yard shot just over bar.
25 min...Lynx Afonso 30 yard cross from right is caught by goalie.
27 min...I notice that Lynx Cameron is in the game.
28 min...Lynx Mottershead 40 yard shot that goalie catches wide left of net.
29 min...Lynx sub...Frederick returns to game replacing Bernard.
31 min...Lynx Mangal low cross from 25 yards near cornerflag is into right webbing of net.
32 min...Lynx Szwed fed ball up middle and 20 yard shot just over bar.
35 min...Lynx Mangal dekes defender but Lon player blocks 10 yard shot on net.
35 min...Lynx Henderson cornerkick from right is over players in box.
38 min...Lon Santos messes up rush downfield by first touch from 20 yards over endline wide left.
There's now a bright sun in the south.
39 min...Lynx sub...Dimitrakopoulos replaces Henderson. She immediately has her cross blocked for a cornerkick.
40 min...Lynx Dimitrakopoulos cornerkick from right is popped up for goalie to catch.
43 min...Lynx MacDonald pushes ball too far forward at 25 yards and goalie smothers it.
45 min...Lynx MacDonald shot blocked from 15 yards and deflects for cornerkick.
46 min...Lynx Rustad pops up 7 yard header from right that goalie catches.
47 min...half ends 12:04pm.
Halftime entertainment is pizza box races.
2nd Half:...starts 12:20pm...there's a bright sun in the south.
46 min...Lynx Cameron cross from right end line has ball cleared.
46 min...Lynx Mangal on left 15 yard shot stopped point blank by sliding defender. Mangal kicks rebound over net.
47 min...Lynx Cameron rebound blocked as goalie rolls over her. The goalie injured on play and needs treatment for a nosebleed.
51 min...Lynx Dimitrakopoulos cornerkick from right is blown behind net.
54 min...Lynx Mangal fights off defender to let Lynx Cameron cross over from near left cornerflag but Lynx forward can't get away clear shot.
55 min...Lon goalie dives on ball ahead of Lynx MacDonald in furious action.
56 min...Lon goalie bumps with Lynx Mangal to pick up loose ball.
The clock stops again until being reset.
60 min…Lady Lynx Tiffany Cameron GOAL…LL Victoria Frederick on rush on left to near end line sends in cross from 15 yards and Cameron heads 5 yarder into right side of net beyond goalie Jen Wolbert.
62 min...Lynx Mangal 20 yard shot from right is caught by goalie.
64 min...Lynx sub...Bernard replaces Cameron.
.............Lon sub...Arthur replaces Shaw.
65 min...Lon Abbott 20 yard shot hits left goalpost.
67 min...Lynx sub...O'Donnell replaces Mottershead.
.............Lynx sub...Afonso replaces someone.
69 min...Lon Tarrant cross from left cornerflag lands on top of net.
69 min...Lon Smith 30 yard roller up middle is smothered by goalie.
72 min...Lynx goalie dives on through ball before Lon Seib can get to it.
73 min...Lynx sub...Chapman replaces Mottershead.
76 min...Lynx Afonso 20 yard chip shot from right is wide right of net.
80 min...Lon Tarrant 35 yard freekick down middle is blasted just wide right of post.
81 min...Lon Abbott replaces Tarrant.
82 min...Lon Seib bends cross from 20 yards from left and goalie dives over sliding Lon Smith to grab ball at 3 yards on right post.
83 min...Lynx O'Donnell 20 yard blast after cross from left is well wide right.
85 min...Lynx Szwed squeezed between two defenders to push ball forward and Lynx O'Donnell has goalie make point blank save on 15 yard shot up middle.
87 min...Lynx sub...Chapman replaces MacDonald(?).
89 min...Lynx O'Donnell 15 yard low shot from left is wide right of net.
90 min...Lynx sub...Cameron replaces Dimitrakopoulos.
90 min...Lynx Henderson cornerkick from right has Lynx player pop header away from net.
92 min...Lynx Rustad 25 yard freekick from right has charging goalie punch away in crowd of players. Lynx Szwed blasts partial clearance wide left of net.
93 min...Lynx Rustad blasts 22 yard freekick low and into player wall and the game is ended.
93 min...game ends 1:08pm.
Final Score:…….Toronto Lady Lynx………1……………London Gryphons……….0………..
Attendance was about 1000 on this cool and rainy day—actually the rain only lasted from the player intros until the 11th minute. A bright sun eventually came out for the second half. The crowd was full of children for a special School Day promotion. A school choir sang both the American (for London?) and the Canadian anthems but probably because they’d practiced both.
It was an exhibition game today so unlimited substitutions were able to be made. The Lady Lynx had five subs listed and the Gryphons had three bench players although only two were listed on the game sheet. I'm sure I missed a few subs as the game wore on.
This game went a lot like a TFC home game with the home team scoring a maximum of one goal but still winning; the home team having enough chances to win by five goals but because of not adding any insurance goals risking the result at 65 minutes when Gryphons Chelsi Abbott took a 20 yard shot that hit the left goalpost. The only goal was a looked a lot like TFC’s Chad Barrett’s tying goal against Columbus. Halftime pizza box race?—just like at BMO Field.
Justine Bernier earned the shutout for the Lady Lynx only having to make a few stops, the best being at 82 minutes when Gryphons Kelly Tarrant bent a cross from 20 yards from the left that she dove over a sliding Gryphons Melissa Smith to grab the ball at 3 yards on the right post.
Referee Lisa McNeil gave out no cards in the game. The only serious injury was to the Gryphons goalie Jen Wolbert when she blocked a rebound at 47 minutes from Tiffany Campbell and rolled over Campbell and Wolbert needed treatment for a nosebleed for four minutes.
Lady Lynx have brought back goalies Justine Bernier and Aurelea Gumiela from last year. On defense Lexi Marton, Clare Rustad, Allysha Chapman and Kayla Afonso are back. Midfield Hayley MacDonald, Tessa Dimitrakopoulos and Alyscha Mottershead are back. Forward Oni Bernard is the only name I recognize from last year’s team.
The coaching staff have all returned trying to build on last year’s 11 win, 2 loss, 1 tie season although a one playoff game exit.
I heard while I was there that Stefania Morra will return after she’s finished her school year at York University (the school year was pushed back after a months long teachers strike so it’s only exam time right now). Morra was named York’s female student athlete of the year a few weeks ago.
The Lady Lynx regular season starts on Saturday May 16th with a trip to Rochester to play the Ravens (yes their new name “Western New York Pride” was changed back to their old name after a change in ownership). Their first home game is Saturday May 23rd against the same London Gryphons at 7:30pm at the Ontario Soccer Centre.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
Lady Lynx starters
Gryphons starters
Lady Lynx Alicia Chapman charges for ball.
Gryphons Kathy Drury takes a throw-in.
Action near sideline.
Gryphons goaltender Jen Wolbert is treated for a nosebleed.
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