July 2, 2017 League 1 Ontario--Match Recap: North Toronto Nitros vs North Mississauga Panthers (from League 1 Ontario)

Match Recap: North Toronto Nitros 3 - 3 North Mississauga Panthers
07/02/2017, 11:45am EDT
By League1 Ontario staff

In a battle of the "Norths," North Toronto Nitros and North Mississauga Panthers couldn't best each 
other on Friday night after an entertaining 3-3 draw.

"I don't know what the secret is to success but I know the secret to failure is when you try 
to do everything and you end up doing nothing," said North Mississauga head coach, Sam Medeiros. 

"I think that is what we did and it seems to be a constant thing throughout the season."

"When we were playing the last five minutes and we are winning or tied, we can't seem to close the 
game out. With five minutes left in the first half, we give up a goal. With five minutes left 
in the second half, we gave up a goal."

"It comes down to a lack of experience and I knew that was something I was going to have to deal 
with by letting a lot of the senior players go this year and keeping a lot of kids in the team, 
but we are looking for tomorrow not today."

Bradley Fenton (11'), Andi Montina (55') and Lee Victor Massunda (72') scored for the Panthers, 
giving the away side the early lead, a 2-2 equalizer, and the go-ahead goal with just over 
a quarter hour remaining in the match. 

"Both teams made mistakes but we made ours in the final minutes of each half and we have to stop 
doing that," added Medeiros. "Now it is becoming a regular thing. We did it with Durham, we did 
it with Blue Devils, and we did it today - it has to stop."

Nitros Harry Michelis (43') and Nirun Sivananthan (47') levelled terms for the home side on either 
side of the half-time break, before captain Luke MacNaughton (90') ensured North Toronto wouldn't 
depart without a share of the points. 

"I think it is a fair result in the end," said North Toronto assistant coach, Ilya Orlov. 

"Both teams made mistakes in their own half, in their own defensive thirds, and I think it was 
a game of mistakes."

"We watched their games and knew what to expect from them, but to be fair to them they did well 
with what they wanted to do. We made mistakes in our third of the field that they capitalized on." 

North Toronto Nitros will next play Windsor TFC Stars on July 9 
at Varsity Stadium, Toronto.

North Mississauga Panthers will next play Woodbridge Strikers on July 8 
at Hershey Centre, Mississauga. 

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