July 21, 2010 W-League--Toronto Lady Lynx vs Laval Cometes

[Rocket Robin 2]

Result of the Wednesday July 21st, 2010 W-League playoff game between Toronto Lady Lynx and Laval Cometes played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 3:30pm.

12 min...Lady Lynx Carmelina Puopolo GOAL...LL Kodee Williams cornerkick from right has ball drop into center of box and Puopolo one-touches 5 yard shot to right side of net.

25 min...Lady Lynx Alyscha Mottershead GOAL...LL Lexi Marton 35 yard freekick from right has Mottershead charge into box and head 6 yarder into left side of net beyond goalie Cynthia Leblanc.

Final Score:.......Toronto Lady Lynx.........2...........Laval Cometes...............0.............

Attendance was about 50 people for this mid-afternoon game arranged on short notice when it was determined that Lady Lynx would host a playoff team by finishing second. Later that evening the Toronto Lynx (men's team) would host a regular season game against Michigan Bucks at 7:00pm. [Michigan won 3-1]. The Lady Lynx game was delayed until 4:19pm as there were no officials until then. The teams warmed up a second time after being prepared to start at 3:30pm. I'd initially heard the game would start at 3:00pm. The game was played with referee Ihor Bokiy and only one assistant. There were no glaring offside calls missed without a second--the referee just blew his whistle if it looked obvious. There were also no ball boys/girls so with over 30 yard endzones because it is a football field and there's a track around it, there were time delays when the teams ran out of game balls.

Sabrina D'Angelo earned the shutout for the Lady Lynx. Cometes lone striker Nkem Ezurike had a few second half chances but each time was either caught by a defender or shot the ball wide or over the net. Lady Lynx had most of their chances in the first half. Lady Lynx did have a goal called back after the restart when Bryanna McCarthy crossed a through ball to Carmelina Puopolo who shot it in from 8 yards but referee Bokiy well behind the play called it back.

Lady Lynx almost put the game out of reach in the first half by the chances of Christabel Oduro alone. At 11 minutes she received a short pass and sent an 8 yard shot wide right of the post while being pushed over by a defender. At 13 minutes her 15 yard shot down the middle was high and wide left of the net. At 23 minutes she was send a short pass downfield from 30 yards on the left and her 15 yard shot was wide right. Her shot from 20 yards at 44 minutes was just over the net.

The game was not particularly rough but Oduro needed a bandage on her jaw very early in the game and Bryanna McCarthy needed to have her nose plugged at 34 minutes. Referee Bokiy gave out one Yellow card to each team but only after the 80 minute mark.

Lady Lynx move on to play this Saturday at Niagara University in Buffalo to play the Buffalo Flash who won the Midwest Division with a 12 wins, 0 loss, 2 tie record. Lady Lynx first string goalie Justine Bernier (not here today) is supposed to play in that game. The Flash were have played an exhibition game against the Lady Lynx back on July 7th at midday at Lamport Stadium but no-showed (well that's what Lynx team officials said) and left a crowd of about 150 summer camp kids disappointed. The Lady Lynx ended up playing a split squad-half field game. Ottawa Fury who won the Lady Lynx's Great Lakes Division play Midwest runner up Chicago Red Eleven. Winners play off for an invitation to the Finals round in California.

I left without seeing the Lynx game that followed for a drive downtown to get to BMO Field to watch Toronto FC play Bolton Wanderers in an exhibition game. The ticket prices were almost double a regular season game and I got to see nine players from the CSL League that I also follow hold their own against the visitors from the English Premier League.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Vic]

The game day experience sounds horrible. Players give up the better part of their lives to train and to get treated with that kind of disrespect is appauling. Someone should be severely disciplined for that.

Congratulations to the Lady Lynx. It sounds like they put in yet another solid day at the office. They don't score a lot but they have only been beaten twice and by a goal each time this year. The back line will certainly get their mettle tested against Buffalo - not only are the Flash unbeaten this year and on a 10-game winning streak (including two wins over the Red Eleven) but have scored 50 goals while giving up just a handful. Their last two regular season games were 11-0 and 8-0 wins over Cleveland (who played Chicago close a couple of times this year). And if that's not enough they're at home.

For their division title the Fury face a Chicago Red Eleven side which is a grade below the Flash, but anything can happen in 90 minutes of elimination and if you don't settle the deal and put things away early against a weaker opponent they smell the clock and stock up the back and get stronger as time wears on.

They are all great teams and the Lady Lynx and Fury are both eminently capable of going the distance. Hopefully they both impose their will Saturday and it's a Toronto/Ottawa matchup on Sunday. The games will be superb to watch and with the chips all on the table now it will be interesting to see who is the real deal and steps up to deliver their team a trip out west.

[Jeremy]

Thanks for this summary, it was very useful.