May 25, 2014 W-League--Toronto Lady Lynx vs Laval Comets (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Sunday May 25, 2014 W-League game between Toronto Lady Lynx and Laval Comets played at Sheridan College in Oakville at 2:00pm.

Toronto Lady Lynx (black & yellow hooped socks, black shorts and shirts, white numbers)

.....................26 Cassie Miller
9 Jade Kovacevic (cpt)...4 Melanie Pickert...21 Vanessa Korolas...19 Olivia Lukasewich
..........22 Paige Culver...23 Mady Solow...5 Ashley Campbell
..........13 Jordyn Listro...17 Monica Desiiree Monsivais...14 Chloe Lacasse

Subs:...1 Patricia Koutolas (gk)...3 Keshia Wallin (def)...18 Rebecca Pongetti (mid)...8 Rio Speller-Drews (mid)...15 April Syme (mid)
6 Nichelle Prince (fwd)...20 Ronnie Johnson (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coaches Ian MacIver and Brett Mosen

Laval Comets (all sky blue, dark blue numbers)

...................1Genevieve Richard
7 Rhian Wilkinson...5 Kelsey Wilson...19 Marissa Duguay...15 Kathryn Acton (cpt)
..........13 Melissa Busque...9 Vanessa Gregoire...11 Kaitlyn Fournier
..........14 Josee Belanger...10 Catherine Charron-Delage...12 Kylie Davis

Subs:...4 Julia Liguori (def)...6 Natasha Tcheki-Jamgotchian (def)...2 Morgan Taylor (def)...17 Amandine Pierre-Louis (fwd)
...23 McKenzie Bricker (mid)...16 Valerie Sanderson (fwd)...18 Amy Pietrangelo (fwd)
team official:...head coach Cindy Walsh

game officials:...referee Ljubisa Vrljes...referee's assistants Frank Jankac and Sofiane Saadi...fourth official Keith Yuen...(neon yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 2:05pm...TLL defend north end on this warm afternoon with a bright sun in the south west.
1 min...TLL Listro cross from 15 yards near left end line is over players in box.
2 min...TLL Lacasse low cross from 20 yards on left is cleared from box.
4 min...TLL Monsivais recovers deflected ball and her quick shot is wide right from 10 yards.
4 min...TLL Lukasewich cross from 10 yards along left end line hits defender and deflects back off Lukasewich for goalkick.
6 min...Comets sub...Liguori replaces the injured and limping Wilkinson.
7 min...TLL Solow cornerkick from left has goalie punch away in crowd of players at 5 yards. TLL Solow recross from 25 yards on left has goalie leap to catch and survive bump at 5 yards.
9 min...TLL Kovacevic cornerkick from right has TLL Pickert duck and head 12 yarder down middle over net.
12 min...TLL Kovacevic 30 yard cross from right is cleared by defender at 10 yards.
14 min...TLL Monsivais rolls pass forward from 45 yards and TLL Listro low cross from 25 yards on right has goalie stop.
16 min...TLL Lacasse taps over pass from left and TLL Culver blasts 20 yard shot down middle well over net.
19 min...Comets YELLOW card...Wilson earns it for tripping TLL Korolas who'd made 40 yard run.
20 min...TLL Pickert bends 40 yard freekick from left that's caught by goalie.
20 min...TLL Listro pushes ball over end line trying to break through defence.
21 min...TLL Listro 30 yard cross from right is whistled down in box.
22 min...TLL Lacasse eludes defenders on run but cuts low 25 yard shot that goalie picks up.
23 min...TLL Campbell 40 yard freekick from left behind players and caught by goalie.
24 min...TLL Monsivais fast break out but is checked off ball on left side of Comets box.
25 min...TLL Listro cross from 30 yards on right has TLL Campbell head ball wide right from 10 yards.
27 min...TLL Lacasse 25 yard shot from left is over bar.
30 min...TLL Listro cross from 25 yards on right deflects off defender at 18 yards and goalie dives forward to catch.
32 min...Comets Busque quick freekick from 20 yards on far right is centered to Comets Davis who bends 15 yard shot from right wide left of top corner.
34 min...TLL Monsivais 18 yard freekick down middle is low and that and her rebound are blasted into the player wall. TLL player cross from 25 yards on left is headed out of box by defender at 8 yards.
35 min...Players on both teams take a water break when TLL Kovacevic is injured.
37 min...TLL Campbell 28 yard shot is chip is wide right.
38 min...TTL goalie rushes to right to dive on through ball before Comets player gets to it.
40 min...Comets Charron-Delage gets own blocked rebound and cuts 12 yard roller from right that goalie stops.
41 min...TLL Monsivais taps ball to TLL Campbell who shoots 25 yarder down middle wide right of net.
42 min...Comets Belanger low 15 yard shot from right bounces to goalie.
44 min...Comets Fournier blasts low 22 yarder down middle wide left.
46 min...Comets Belanger rolls ball from 15 yards on right through 6 yard box and defender clears on left.
47 min...half ends 2:52pm.

2nd Half:...starts 3:10pm...the sun is now in the west.
halftime sub:...Comets Sanderson replaces Gregoire.
45 min...TLL Listro cross from 20 yards on right has TLL Monsivais blast from 18 yard down middle has goalie fly to right to push ball wide of post.
45 min...TLL Kovacevic cornerkick from right is missed by players and cleared by defender on left. The Comets goalie is injured on the play.
49 min...Comets Wilson 55 yard high shot down middle has defender pop up header and goalie catch at 6 yards then surviving bump into her.
51 min...TLL Listro bends 25 yard shot from right that would have been wide but goalie dives forward to catch.
52 min...Comets Sanderson 40 yard shot down middle is saved.
52 min...Comets Belanger rush on left for pass and cross from right end line has defender on right post head ball away. Another Comets player at 20 yards on right shoots well over net.
A buzzer rings and the scoreboard stops at the 55 minute mark and has to be reset.
57 min...Comets Belanger eludes two defenders to blast 30 yard shot down middle that goalie catches.
58 min...TLL Solow bends in cross from 25 yards on right that has TLL Monsivais gets to it. She's checked off ball while trying to set up 8 yard shot.
58 min...TLL Listro falls over on 2 on 1 break down left.
61 min...TLL sub...Prince replaces Campbell.
.........TLL sub...Pongetti replaces Solow.
.........Comets sub...Pierre-Louis replaces Busque.
62 min...Comets Belanger charges down left with defender closing in from middle and rolls 12 yard shot under diving goalie but into outside left webbing of net.
65 min...TLL Listro cross from 25 yards on right has TLL Monsivais flying header wide left from 6 yards.
66 min...TLL sub...Speller-Drews replaces Korolas.
67 min...Comets Pierre-Louis rush on left rolls 12 yard shot that retreating defender kicks wide left as goalie dove right.
67 min...Comets player cornerkick from left is whistled down in box.
68 min...TLL Kovacevic 45 yard cross from left has TLL Monsivais head wide left from 10 yards on left with back to net.
69 min...TLL Speller-Drews 35 yard blast up middle is well over net.
70 min...TLL Listro rush on right cuts along 22 yard line to center and shoots down middle that goalie catches just under bar.
71 min...TLL Prince rush on right and cross finds TLL Monsivais who shoots 15 yarder that goalie catches.
73 min...TLL sub...Syme replaces Lacasse.
.........TLL sub...Wallin replaces Kovacevic.
.........TLL sub...Johnson replaces Listro.
73 min...TLL Johnson cross from 15 yards on right has TLL Monsivais head ball wide left from 5 yards on left post.
74 min...Comets sub...Pietrangelo replaces Charron-Delage.
77 min...Comets Sanderson rolls 20 yard shot from right past charging goalie wide left of net.
79 min...TLL YELLOW card...Pongetti earns it for tripping Comets Sanderson on left edge of box.
80 min...Comets Wilson cornerkick from from left has defender head ball over own net in crowd of players at 3 yards.
80 min...Comets Davis cornerkick from left has goalie swat ball through box and out right side of box.
82 min...TLL goalie dives to edge of box to beat Comets Pierre-Louis to through ball.
83 min...TLL goalie catches Comets Pierre-Louis cross from 20 yards on right.
85 min...TLL Lukasewich blasts 25 yarder from left just over net.
88 min...Comets Pierre-Louis chips 20 yarder from right edge of box that bounces through and out other side.
89 min...TLL Lacasse rush down left and stutter steps to blast 18 yard shot just wide left of net.
91 min...Comets Wilson 55 yard high freekick has ball headed down and Comets Pierre-Louis shoots 15 yarder from right over players in box.
92 min...game ends 3:57pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto Lady Lynx.........0.........Laval Comets......0.....

Attendance was about 300 on this warm, sunny day for the Lady Lynx season opener.

Lady Lynx dominated the first 20 minutes then there were good chances by both teams for the rest of the game with each having short periods of sustained pressure.

Cassie Miller earned the shutout for the Lady Lynx while Genevieve Richard did the same for the Comets.

Referee Ljubisa Vrljes gave out one Yellow card to each team in a game that wasn't rough.

Best non-scoring chances were not until the second half where just after the break TLL Jordyn Listro crossed from 20 yards on the right and TLL Monica Desiree Monsivais blasted a shot from 18 yards down the middle that the goalie flew to the right to push the ball wide of the post. 57 minutes had TLL Mady Solow bend in a cross from 25 yards on the right that TLL Monsivais got to but was checked off the ball while trying to set up an 8 yard shot. 62 minutes had Comets Josee Belanger charge down the left and with a defender closing in rolled a 12 yard shot under the diving goalie but into the outside webbing of the net. 65 minutes had TLL Listro cross from 25 yards on the right that had TLL Monsivais fly forward to head a ball wide left from 6 yards. 67 minutes had TLL Monsivais rush on the left and rolled a 12 yard deflected shot that a retreating defender kicked wide left of the net as the goalie dove right. 77 minutes had Comets Valerie Sanderson on the right roll a 20 yard shot past the charging goalie wide left of the net.

I had read in the last few month that Canadian Women's national team players Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence were going to play for Ottawa Fury this year (to join felllow former Lady Lynx players Alyscha Mottershead, Shalina Zadorsky, and Kinley McNicoll). I recognized today (without going through last year's notes) only about five players from last year's team.

Looking at the bright side of today's game, 8 players were at the Canadian Under 20 training camp in Portland at the beginning of last month—of 19 players in total. Lady Lynx had Jade Kovacevic, Ashley Campbell and Nichelle Prince while Comets had Vanessa Gregoire, Kylie Davis, Natasha Tcheki-Jamgotchian, Amandine Pierre-Louis and Valerie Sanderson from that camp. Comets also had senior Canadian team players Josee Belanger and Rhian Wilkinson. Former national team player Cindy Walsh who played for Comets for years is now the head coach this year.

Comets started their season yesterday afternoon beating London Gryphons 4-0. Comets had made the W-League final last year so could be considered the second best team in the league.

"Still haven't scored at Sheridan" said men's team assistant coach Billy Steele. That is true as the men's Lynx team were held to a scoreless tie here last Sunday against K-W United. Another way of looking at it is they haven't allowed the other team to score. The guys Lynx team went to Michigan on Wednesday and lost 6-0 allowing four goals between the 60th to 70th minute.

Duncan Wilde is the head coach of the Lady Lynx this year while also continueing on as head coach for the Men's team. I was thinking that there are times this year when the teams are in different cities on the same day. "Virtual Duncan Wilde" was the suggestion but there are enough assistant coaches to fill in. Danny Stewart has retired from coaching—he was Lady Lynx head coach since 2006. Brett Mosen was their coach in the years before that and he is now back with the team.

Lady Lynx next home game is this Saturday May 31st at 2:00pm at Crescent School in Toronto against London. I'm going to miss that game as I expect I'll be at the MLS Toronto FC game later in the afternoon.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Lady Lynx starters