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Tuesday, June 21, 2005 (TORONTO, ON) - The Toronto Special Olympics has partnered with the Toronto Lynx Soccer Club to stage the first annual TSO/Toronto Lynx Soccer Club Soccer Tournament taking place on Sunday, June 26th at Centennial Park before the next Lynx home match.

Eight teams from across the GTA will take part in this inaugural event which is running from 10:00am-3:00 pm. The participating athletes will also enjoy a soccer clinic and Meet and Greet with the Toronto Lynx players during the lunch hour from 12:00pm-1:00pm. In a few years, the Special Olympics Ontario / Toronto Special Olympics Competitions Committee hopes to grow this tournament to 16 teams.

"We are so excited to host the first Toronto Special Olympics/Toronto Lynx Soccer tournament! Approximately 80 athletes will be taking part in the event. The Lynx players are going to have a mini skills session with our athletes and they have invited us to the evening game. I think that it's going to be a lot of fun! The Lynx have really gone over and above the call of duty. Thank you!" said Megan MacDonald, Special Olympics Ontario Area Coordinator - Toronto

To cap off this soccer experience, the participating teams, families and friends will be attending the USL First Division match between the Lynx and the Charleston Battery which kicks off at 4:00pm for their " Health and Fitness Day". During the pre-game ceremonies Special Olympics Athletes will be showcased in a Parade of Champions and will join with Youth Soccer Clubs in attendance to receive the Lynx starting lineup as part of the traditional Lynx human tunnel formation.

"We are proud to be associated with Special Olympics Ontario and the Toronto Special Olympics and are pleased to be growing our partnership through this tournament so that their athletes can be mentored by their soccer heroes!", says Nicole Hartrell, the Chief Operating Officer of the Toronto Lynx.

On the field, the Lynx will continue their search for their first victory of the season. Despite several strong outings in a row, Toronto has been unable to secure a win and sit at a discouraging 0-8-4. With the June 1st re-opening of the CSA transfer window, the Lynx added more talent to the bench who will make their first home appearance this week: midfielder Chris Williams, striker Wyn Belotte and striker Said Ali. Williams is a former Canadian National Team member who helped the Montreal Impact to the 2004 USL First Division Championship and has just returned to Canada after trials in Germany. A former member of the U20 Canadian National Team, Belotte has European experience with Swedish Club IFK Norkopping and Wisla Krakow of Poland. Ali is the newest member of the Lynx who was acquired last week in a trade with the Vancouver Whitecaps for defender Josue Mayard. He was the 2004 USL Second Division Rookie of the Year after scoring 15 goals with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

After a slow start to the season, the Charleston Battery have caught fire, winning their last 3 matches including a 2-1 victory over the first place Richmond Kickers. Their win streak catapulted the Battery into a tie for 3rd place in the USL First Division with a 5-6-2 record. After winning the 2003 USL First Division Championship, the Battery struggled in 2004, missing the playoffs for the first time in their history. Under first year Head Coach, Michael Anhaeuser, the Battery look to have regained their form of 2003. The match should prove a exciting one for Toronto Soccer Fans. Tickets are still available by calling 416-251-4625 ext. 31 or visit www.lynxsoccer.com.

Lynx fans will be excited to learn that Paul Stalteri, former Lynx player, who has made Canada proud having achieved great success overseas and on the National team will be on hand at the game on June 26th to perform the ceremonial coin toss and for a Meet and Greet with fans. Stalteri recently signed with Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League after a standout career with Werder Bremen in Germany. Dr. Tom Fried who is a member of the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame and Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame will be on hand for the ceremonial kick off. After being involved with the powerful Hungarian National Teams of the 1950s, Dr. Fried, arrived in Canada in 1956. By 1967, he was acting as the physician for the Canadian National Teams and has been a fixture on the sidelines of professional teams in Toronto from the Toronto City Soccer Club of the 1960s to the Toronto Lynx more recently.

Before Sunday's match in Toronto, the Lynx will play their 9th road match of the season on Friday, June 24th at 7:05pm (EDT) in Minnesota, making them the team with the most road games in tow for the season thus far. The meeting will be the first between the clubs since splitting 2 matches in 1999. That season, the Thunder went on the capture their only USL First Division Championship. The perennial championship contending Thunder have also reached the final on 3 other occasions. This season Minnesota is off to a 4-2-4 start, including only 1 loss in their last 6 matches.

The Thunder are led by veteran, Johnny Menyongar, one of the most dangerous strikers in the USL First Division. The Liberian International has scored 6 goals in 10 matches this season. He has scored at least 6 goals for the Thunder in every season since 2002 and also led the USL First Division with 17 goals in 2000, his first season in the league.