Lady Lynx Earn Tie In Home Opener

Lady Lynx and Gryphons Scratch and Claw to 1-1 Draw
Date
May 23, 2009

Venue
Ontario Soccer Centre, Vaughan, ON

Final Score
Toronto 1 (1), London 1 (0)

Game Summary
Despite outshooting their guests by a 28-9 margin, the Lady Lynx could only manage a one-all draw with the London Gryphons in their 2009 W-League home opener at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan this evening. Rookie Giselle Mangal scored her first-ever goal for the Lady Lynx in the draw. Toronto improves to 1-1-0 on the season (4 points) and remains atop the Great Lakes Division, while London (0-1-0, 1 point) claims third place in the division with the result.

Toronto turned on the jets from the opening whistle, and took the attack to the Gryphons. Their hard work was rewarded early, when in the 24th minute, Mangal and fellow rookie Victoria Frederick teamed up to open the scoring. Frederick fed a through ball into the box onto the foot of Mangal, and the Mississauga native slotted the ball back across the face of the goal and just inside the post for a 1-0 Toronto lead.

The tenacious Gryphons refused to be intimidated by the early strike, and fought their way back into the match. Nine minutes into the second frame, Devon Beach levelled the match for the visitors. The Gryphons forward, who had a number of first-half chances called back on offside calls, finally was sent through on a breakaway, and she put the ball past ‘keeper Justine Bernier to tie the match at 1-1.

The Lady Lynx rebounded strongly following the goal, and launched wave after wave of attacks on the Gryphons net. Despite numerous chances, the young Toronto team could not beat Jenn Wolbert in the London net in their search for the winning goal. Forward Tiffany Cameron was denied by Wolbert on a breakaway midway through the half, and Frederick rattled a cannonading shot off the crossbar as time ran down, and the game ended even at one. The Lady Lynx controlled play for the majority of the match, but were unable to convert their many opportunities or beat the tough Gryphons defense.

The Lady Lynx travel to London for rematch against the Gryphons this coming Wednesday afternoon in a matinee match at 1:00 PM. The team then returns home next Sunday, May 31 at 4:00 PM versus the Rochester Ravens at Oshawa Civic Stadium on Celebrating Durham Women in Soccer Day. Tickets for the match may be purchased by calling the Lynx ticket hotline at 416-251-4625 x 31, or at the Oshawa Civic Stadium box office one hour prior to kickoff. Tickets can also be purchased through the Pickering Soccer Club and the Durham Region Soccer Association.

Toronto Lineup
Bernier, Rustad, Henderson, Chapman, Afonso, MacDonald, Mottershead, Szwed, Mangal (McCarthy, 65), Cameron, Frederick

London Lineup
Wolbert, Horton, Hill (Shaw, 56), Pettenuzzo, Santos (Howell-Harries, 56), Kofynski, Tarrant, Roberts, Beach, Smith

Game Stats Toronto : London
Cautions 0:1 (Beach, 21)
Shots 28:9
Saves 2:10
Fouls 4:6
Offsides 4:4
Corners 7:2

Scorers
Toronto 24’ Mangal (Henderson)
London 54’ Beach (Pettenuzzo)

Next Game
The Toronto Lady Lynx’ next game is away to London on May 27 at 1:00 PM at North London Stadium.