Toronto Lynx
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| Full name | Toronto Lynx Soccer Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Lynx |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Stadium |
Centennial Park Stadium Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Stadium capacity |
2,200 |
| Owner | Bruno Hartrell |
| Head Coach | Duncan Wilde |
| League | USL Premier Development League |
| 2014 | 5th, Great Lakes Playoffs: DNQ |
| Website | Club home page |
Toronto Lynx is a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference. The team plays its home games at Centennial Park Stadium, where they have played since 2003. The team's colours are white, gold and black. The team has a sister organization, the Toronto Lady Lynx, who play in the women's USL W-League, and also fields a team in the USL's Super-20 League, a league for players 17 to 20 years of age run under the United Soccer Leagues umbrella.
The Toronto Lynx announced its expansion rights in Toronto on June 24, 1996, and played their first A-League game in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 12, 1997. The Toronto Lynx set an A-League record of 10 consecutive wins during their first season in 1997. In 2000, the Lynx proceeded to the Eastern Conference Finals and only a 1-0 loss to the Rochester Raging Rhinos kept the Lynx out of the A-League Championship game. Despite these temporary successes, over the years it spent in the A-League (later renamed USL-D1), the team fared relatively poorly on the field and ultimately failed to consistently draw crowds of more than about 2000 people.
Peter Pinizzotto was the Toronto Lynx head coach from 1997 to 2003. The team made one playoff appearance under his reign. The next season he would be hired as assistant coach for rivals Montreal Impact. In September 2003, Duncan Wilde was appointed as the new Toronto Lynx head coach for the 2004 season bringing a new philosophy and vision for the club. Wilde also holds the position of Director of the Toronto Lynx Premier Soccer Academy and Super Y-League Program for accomplishing the mission of developing and inspiring youth soccer talent in the Greater Toronto Area. After just one season, Wilde resigned from his head coaching position amidst rumours of owner interference in squad selection. During the 2005 season the team was managed by former Lynx goalkeeper Hubert Busby Jr., though Wilde returned as head coach for the 2006 season. In their debut season in the Open Canada Cup Wilde led the Lynx to the final of the tournament, but were defeated 2-0 by Ottawa St. Anthony Italia.
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