Toronto Lynx Updates

[VPjr]

Today I received a few media releases from the Lynx PR Dept that I thought would be worth sharing.

Looks like things are going well with the Super Y program.

JUNIOR LYNX TAKE NEW YORK !!</u>

The Toronto Lynx Juniors came out on top once again at the Christopher Columbus Cup, hosted on the Thanksgiving weekend in Brooklyn New York. In 2007 the Lynx won the U17 division and returned one year later to become champions at both U16 and U19 while the U17's came ever so close, losing their own final on a penalty kick shootout.

The younger squad defeated a very strong Albertson Academy 3-1 in the final, without (Capt) Blake Jones, who suffered a broken wrist the previous day. "The team has great pace going forward and always manages to create goal scoring opportunities in every game" commented Duncan Wilde. "We will use this as a positive step in our preparations for the upcoming North American Super Y league finals in November".

The U17 team battled all weekend long to find their shape and cohesion. In both the semi final and Final, the Junior Lynx dominated the game. An unfortunate end to a very competitive and exciting weekend saw (Capt) Dean Lewis fire over the bar during the shootout, leaving the Toronto boys in second place behind Manhattan, who defeated the Lynx 4-0 one year ago. Head Coach Billy Steele was very positive at the end of the day adding "One year ago, Manhattan handed us a convincing defeat. Today we played them off the park but just could not manage to get the decisive goal to win the tournament. Major strides in twelve months and we will continue to work hard throughout the Fall/Winter in preparation for the 2009 season".

The senior team showed both quality and character throughout the whole weekend. The core of this group will once again be representing the Lynx at the upcoming U17 SYL championships and this event was definetly used with that in mind. An interesting first round match up pitched the Lynx with Real Maryland once again. A rematch of the recent North American U20 semi final saw the Lynx again come out on top, this time 3-2 in a very exciting game. Vaughan Azzuri provided the opposition in the Monday final to make it an all Canadian affair. A confident performance provided a 3-1 victory against a very determined and competitive Vaughan team and the Lynx came away from New York with a very successfull weekends work.

On the same weekend the U17 Junior Ladies were victorious in Phillidelphia by winning the Columbus Day weekend tournament and remaining undefeated throughout. A 6-0 victory in the final shows the continued improvement being made and included several newcomers to the Lady Lynx Juniors as they also work towards the new 2009 season. The U19 ladies attended the Nike Classic showcase in Chicago. A very competeitive weekend was thoroughly enjoyed by the senior girls, winning one and dropping two challenging games over the two days, all at a scoreline of 1-0. The ladies will next participate in the MAPS College showcase in November in Fort Dix, New Jersey.

LYNX ODP CAMP SELECTIONS</u>

The Toronto Lynx Juniors are extremely pleased to announce and congratulate our selected players for the upcoming Olympic Development Program (ODP) camps in Florida in early 2008. We have 12 players selected this season which is a glowing testament to the development of our program. The selection process was far more involved this year which makes this such an exciting acheivment for all concerned.

This years selections are as follows;

1990 boys, Mackenzie Wilde.

1991 boys, Kostas Dekaneas, Stephen Fattore, Matt Silva, Cazz Warren

1992 boys, Cameron Eisses, Dean Lewis

1993 boys, Kerry Ashton, Blake Jones (Alternates: Marvin Alyas, Patrick Swierczynski)

1991 Girls, Lyndsay Smith.

LYNX Rank 5th in Overall Super-Y , 4th in Boys Division</u>

I also received a very detailed spreadsheet from the Lynx showing that, in the final ranking of all Super Y programs in North America, their overall program (boys and girls) ranked an impressive 5th and their boys program has an overall rank of 4th. Teams must have at least 6 teams (3 boys and 3 girls) to be included in the overall top Clubs rankings.

I will try to find an online link to this spreadsheet for all to see later tonight

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Good for them! The Lynx are really getting their stuff together with the youth teams.

Congrats to those kids that were selected for ODP trials.

[VPjr]

Just received this media release confirming the Lynx's high ranking in Super Y

TORONTO LYNX MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO LYNX JUNIORS EARN #4 SPOT IN NORTH AMERICAN RANKINGS

THURSDAY OCTOBER 23, 2008 (TORONTO, CANADA) The United Soccer Leagues (USL) have unveiled their 2008 North American Super-Y League club rankings, and the on the heels of their best-ever season, the Toronto Lynx Juniors have been slotted into the 4th overall position. The USL thoroughly evaluates the hundreds of clubs involved in the Super-Y League program across the continent annually based on a number of key factors, and the top 62 programs are recognized and ranked accordingly. The 4th place ranking marks an all-time best placing for the Lynx Juniors, up from 9th place in 2007. The honour is a major achievement for the club, who compete in the highly-competitive Midwest Division of the Super-Y League, generally regarded as one of the toughest divisions in North America.

Intent on building upon a successful 2007 season, which saw the U17 Boys reach the North American final, and the U20 Men fall one step short of the finals with a shoot-out loss in the North American semi-finals, the Lynx Juniors took to the field in 2008 with lofty expectations. Head Coach and Academy Director Duncan Wilde’s young charges did not disappoint, with the U20 Men going one step further to the Super-20 League final, where they lost a tight match 2-1 to the MLS-affiliated Chicago Fire, and both the U15 and U17 Boys booking spots in the 2008 North American Finals in Tampa from November 20-25.

The Lady Lynx Juniors also experienced their own success, with the U20 Women reach the North American finals in their inaugural season. The program earned a respectable #31 ranking in their first year of eligibility. The position serves as a solid foundation for the Lady Lynx Juniors, and provides encouragement as they continue working towards 2009 and beyond.

Wilde was clearly enthusiastic about the lofty position in the USL club rankings, saying "The entire Junior Lynx coaching staff and management team have worked incredibly hard to earn this achievement. We have a very focused and dedicated player pool which is complimented by a very supportive parent group. The system has proved without question that it is developing into one of the top programs in North America."

The Junior Lynx program also continues to build and foster its affiliation with the Bolton Wanderers FC (BWFC) of the English Premier League. BWFC International Director John Hindley will join the Florida-bound teams in Tampa for the Super-Y League North American Championships.

The program also enjoys perennial success in securing scholarships for a large number of players in both the boys and girls programs with NCAA university teams, while simultaneously developing players for both the Lynx and Lady Lynx in the PDL and W-League respectively. The hard work of the players to achieve their goals on and off the field has allowed the club to become vibrant, strong and competitive. This is what excites Wilde more than anything else. "We have created a completely different player opportunity than anything else out there in Ontario, with competition against top American programs; participation in major college showcase events; the opportunity to attend Olympic Development Program (ODP) camps, all under the watchful eye of the Bolton Wanderers. Our ranking further motivates everyone involved as we continue working towards making the Lynx Juniors program the very best it can be".

[Rocket Robin]

Thanks for the posting. The team used to send me this kind of stuff.

MacKenzie Wilde is head coach Duncan Wilde's son.

[VPjr]

^ Robin, you should send Duncan an email. I am sure he'll get you put back on the distribution list.