Soccer In Toronto 05.14.09

By Rocket Robin Soccer In Toronto

W-League Exhibition Game
Thursday May 14th, 2009

Final Score
Toronto Lady Lynx 1, London Gryphons 0

Venue
Varsity Centre, Toronto

Kickoff
11:00 am

Highlights
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.

Notes
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.

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.