BY SCOTT
HADDOW
With the playoffs a forgone conclusion, the Sudbury Canadians
are playing for pride as the 2006 season winds down.
The team is still searching for its first win of the campaign, after dropping the first eight games. Sudbury is in last place in the Northern Division and last overall in the league.
The Canadians hope to finally mark a tally in the win column
today, as they travel to Rochester to take on the Rhinos. Game
time is 7:35 pm.
The two clubs met in the first game of the season, in which
Rochester stomped their way to a 2-0 victory.
We have to play together and put passes together to win,"
said defender Melynda Roach. "We still want to get a win this
season.
Sudbury has enjoyed almost two weeks off since their last
game to rest and heal battered bodies.
"We took a break to refresh," said head coach Emile Malvaso.
"Demands, in a short season, can be very difficult on players.
It was a much needed rest."
Malvaso expects nothing but an all-out effort from everyone
on the squad to finally crack the win column.
"Rochester is one of those teams we're competitive with,"
said the bench boss. "If we continue our trend of at least
scoring a goal and being aggressive, I believe we can be
positive and hopefully get a win. To get a win, we just have to
put our best game forward."
Despite the lopsided win/loss record, the Canadians are not
giving up on the season.
"We're trying, but it gets frustrating," said Roach.
The Rochester game is vital to the team as the squad doesn't
want to endure a winless year.
"Every game is important to us," said Malvaso. "We've made
some small improvements and we're working off those positives.
We have come to accept the fact we're getting better, but other
teams are getting better as well. It's never going to get
easier."
Malvaso wants his team to bring the attack to the Rhinos.
"We typically start games well by putting a lot of pressure
on teams," said the bench boss. "We have to keep putting on the
pressure and maintain that pressure for the entire 90 minutes."
The Canadians are running out of chances to secure a win or two in 2006. After today's game, the squad has only three more games on tap, and they're all against the elite of the USL W-League - Toronto, Laval and Ottawa.
