The Connecticut Wolves and Toronto Lynx battled to a 1-1 draw in a Northern Conference A-League matchup at Willow Brook Park in New Britain, Connecticut on Tuesday. Much like the first meeting in New Britain between these sides on June 30, Toronto gained the point by equalizing ten minutes from the end of regulation after Connecticut had opened the scoring early in the second half.
Both teams worked to find their stride in the first fifteen minutes, with turnovers and sloppy midfield play marking the opening quarter of an hour. The Wolves came up with the best scoring opportunity when Patrick Beech latched onto a long through ball, but drove his shot into the right side netting.
The teams had to play in a steady rain from the fifteenth minute on. Yet the weather was not a substantial factor, as both sides managed to create scoring opportunities in an evenly matched first half. Wolves forward Mark Manganello had a close range side volley saved by Lynx goalkeeper Theo Zagar. Toronto responded by testing Wolves goalkeeper Anthony Latronica on several occasions, including a blast from inside the box by Waldo Sponton that forced Latronica to dive to his right to make the save.
Connecticut gained the ascendancy in the opening minutes of the second half after the scoreless first stanza. Manganello proved particularly dangerous, finding space on the right to create opportunities. Seven minutes into the half Manganello's work paid off, as he got behind the Toronto defense and fired a shot that went under the crossbar and into the net. This was Manganello's first goal for his new club, having been recently called up from D3 Rhode Island.
Manganello continued to create opportunites, putting in a cross only a few minutes later that Toronto defender Mauricio Vinecello nearly put into his own goal. But Toronto began to turn the tide as the Wolves sqaundered their opportunities. Lynx substitute forward Aaron Benjamin began to create chances for his team in the offensive end, while Lynx midfielders Brian Ashton and Robbie Aristodemo helped gain possession for the Lynx in midfield and then distributed to Benjamin and Sponton. Joe Mattacchione, the Lynx goalscorer the last time these two teams met, nearly scored again with a free kick, but Latronica made the catch on his goal line.
The Toronto goal to tie the score came in the 80th minute off a speculative long-range blast by Brian Ashton. Sensing an opening to shoot from 30 yards, Ashton drove a low, hard shot inside the right post. Latronica dove to his left, but reacted just a little too late to prevent the goal. The score remained tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation, with Wolves forward Irasto Knights having the best chance to break the deadlock in stoppage time when he had an open shot from 18 yards that Zagar saved.
The two overtime periods did not feature many close scoring chances, with Connecticut having a slight edge in territory and possession in the first period, but Toronto turning the tables in the second ten minute period. In the end, a draw was a fair result in a closely contested match. Toronto remains in last in the Northern Conference, but recent results (draw v Connecticut, OT loss v Rochester, win v Hershey) prove that they cannot be regarded as a pushover. Connecticut goes on the road for two this weekend, first in Nashville, then in Atlanta, as they try to keep pace with Hershey in the Northern Conference.
Connecticut Wolves 1, Toronto Lynx 1
Goals: Connecticut- Mark Manganello- 52nd minute
Toronto- Brian Ashton- 80th minute
Cautions: Toronto- Marco Reda- 50th minute
Connecticut- Mobi Oparaku- 59th minute
Connecticut- Ryan Levesque- 61st minute
Toronto- Waldo Sponton- 80th minute
Connecticut- Max Zieky- 107th minute
Lineups: Toronto Lynx: Theo Zagar, Marco Reda, Mauricio Vinecello, Joe Mattacchione, Brian Ashton, Robbie Aristodemo, Darrell Gomez, Gregory Messiam, Waldo Sponton (Bobby Randhawa 69), Kristian Grzetic (Aaron Benjamin 46), Juan Arango (Mason Caswain 102)
Connecticut Wolves: Anthony Latronica, Ryan Levesque (Erik Barbieri 94), Adam Eyre, Tony Soto, Dean Sewell, Fabio Zuniga (Max Zieky 70), Mobi Oparaku, Temoc Suarez, Winston Griffiths, Patrick Beech, Mark Manganello (Irasto Knights 63; Dimitar Dimitrov 91)
