Toronto Lynx Game Report
Brought To You By Brava
TEMPERS RAGE IN ROCHESTER
CONTROVERSIAL
CALLS BY OFFICIALS PLAGUE
CONTEST
BETWEEN A-LEAGUE RIVALS
Date: Saturday, July 13, 2002
Venue: Frontier Field (Rochester)
Kick-off: 7:50 p.m.
Attendance: 11,066
Final
Score: 1 2 F
Toronto 0 0 0
Rochester 1 1 2
Game
Summary: Goaltender Pat Onstad
recorded his seventh shutout of the season as the Toronto Lynx (4-9-3, 20
points) dropped a controversial 2-0 decision to the Northeast Division leading
Rochester Raging Rhinos (9-4-2, 38 points) before 11,066 fans at Frontier Field
in a contest that was plagued with questionable officiating.
The match started 20 minutes late as the Toronto Lynx
arrived in Rochester behind schedule when their team bus experienced mechanical
difficulties in St. Catharines early in the
afternoon.
The first half of play failed to produce many quality
scoring opportunities for the Lynx as the Rhinos controlled the majority of the
possession for the opening 45 minutes.
Toronto, who may still have been feeling the effects
of their delayed bus, was caught flat footed in the fourth minute of play when
Lynx defender Joe Mattacchione was forced to make a
goal saving clearance. With goaltender
Theo Zagar out of position, Mattacchione
brilliantly headed away a Rhinos shot from his own goal line to keep the match
scoreless.
In the 21st minute Rochester continued to
pressure Toronto as Rhinos forward Kirk Wilson took a feed from outside the
18-yard box and wired a shot that sailed just wide of the far post.
The Rhinos were finally able to break through eleven
minutes later as the club was awarded a controversial penalty shot for a hand
ball called on Lynx defender Adrian Serioux. Serioux, who
clearly did not agree with referee Islam Sallaj’s
call, kicked the ball away in frustration and was awarded a yellow card for his
actions. Rhino’s midfielder Temoc Suarez then took the kick and scored his first goal
of the year with a low shot to the right corner that Zagar
just missed turning aside. Head Coach
Peter Pinizzotto was visibly upset with the
questionable call against his club and he let the officials hear about it as he
gave the referees an earful on his way to the dressing room at half-time.
After the break, both teams played a fairly controlled
game as neither team was able to generate much in the way of serious scoring
chances.
The Lynx saw a debatable call go their way in the 60th
minute as Rochester defender Bill Sedgewick was issued
an immediate red card for pushing Lynx forward Steve Butcher after the two fell
to the ground while challenging for a loose ball in the air. While replays indicated that Sedgewick’s foul was not a vicious assault on Butcher, Sallaj deemed it serious enough to warrant an ejection.
Reduced to ten men for the remainder of the match the
Rhinos tightened up defensively and were able to defuse the remaining Lynx
attacks in the second half.
Rochester was able to add some insurance in the 87th
minute on another questionable marker.
With the Rhinos threatening in the Lynx zone, Yuri Lavrinenko
was taken down cleanly by Mattacchione. The ball then popped free to midfielder Lenin
Steenkamp who wired a shot on goal from seven yards
out. Zagar got
a piece of the shot but the ball’s momentum carried to the goal line. With the ball bouncing on the goal line the
keeper lunged back and cleared the ball.
With the Lynx ready to move up field the referee immediately blew the
play dead and awarded a goal to Rochester as Sallaj
ruled that the entire ball crossed the line.
Once the call was made Zagar
immediately left his crease to protest the call. The referee did not overrule Toronto’s appeal
and Zagar was subsequently awarded a yellow card for
his outburst.
Things should get interesting tomorrow as the two
teams square off tomorrow in Toronto at York University Stadium. Kick off is 6:00 p.m.
Scoring
Summary
First Half
32nd Minute: After Adrian Serioux is called for a hand ball in the 18-yard box,
midfielder Temoc Suarez scores his first goal of the
season on a penalty kick. Zagar guesses right on the play but Saurez’s
shot to the bottom right corner is well placed and the keeper cannot get to it
in time. Rochester 1-0
Second Half
87th Minute: With the Rhinos threatening in
the Lynx zone, Yuri Lavrinenko was taken cleanly by
Toronto defender Joe Mattacchione. The ball then popped free to midfielder Lenin
Steenkamp who wired a shot on goal from seven yards
out. Zagar got
a piece of the shot but the ball’s momentum carried to the back of the
goal. With the ball bouncing on the goal
line the keeper lunged back and cleared the ball. The referees blew the play dead and awarded a
goal to Rochester. Rochester 2-0
Full Time
Line ups
Toronto: (GK) Theo Zagar, (D) Milan Kojic, (D) Joe Mattacchione, (D)
Adrian Serioux, (M) Robbie Aristodemo,
(M) Brian Ashton (Elvis Thomas 84), (M) Nikki Vignjevic,
(M) Mauricio Vincello, (M) Niki
Budalic, (F) Steve Butcher (David Diplacido
73), (F) Irasto Knights
Rochester: (GK) Pat Onstad, (D) Craig Demmin, (D) Scott Schweitzer, (D) Mali Walton, (D) Billy Sedgewick, (M) Temoc Suarez (Dan Stebbins 90), (M) Tommy Tanner (Yuri Lavrinenko
55), (M) Martin Nash (Carlos Zavala 85), (M) Lenin Steenkamp,
(F) Jimmy Tanner (Karlin Bankov
75), (F) Kirk Wilson
Shots 1 2 F
Toronto 4 4 8
Rochester 7 2 9
Saves 1 2 F
Toronto 0 0 0
Rochester 3 1 4
Scorers
Toronto: None
Rochester: Suarez 1 (Penalty Shot), Steenkamp 5 (Unassisted)
Goaltenders
Toronto: Zagar (L, 4-9-3)
Rochester: Onstad (W,
8-2-1), 7th shutout of the season
Corner Kicks 1 2 F
Toronto 0 0 0
Rochester 2 0 2
Fouls 1 2 F
Toronto 9 7 16
Rochester 14 16 30
Cautions
Toronto: Vincello (27th
Minute), Serioux (32nd Minute), Zagar (88th Minute)
Rochester: Wilson (69th Minute), Lavrinenko
(76th Minute), Onstand (87th
Minute)
Ejections
Toronto: None
Rochester: Sedgewick (60th
Minute)
Man of the
Match: Pat Onstad,
4 saves for the shutout.
The Toronto Lynx next game is
at home against the Rochester Raging Rhinos on Sunday, July 14 at 6:00 p.m.
Toronto Lynx Media Relations Contact: Eric Michalko (416) 251-4625, ext