Orange Legionnaire

Dayton Dutch Lions Look To Get Back To Winning Against Lynx
By Ryan Kozlowski

The Dayton Dutch Lions (3-1-3) find themselves going into a game in an unfamiliar position and that position is picking up the pieces after a defeat. The Dayton Dutch Lions dropped their first game in PDL action on Wednesday, as the speed of the Indiana Invaders and their forward Saidi Isaac on the counter was too much pace for the Dutch Lions on the road. The Dutch Lions will look to make some adjustments in defense and turn around the ship against the Toronto Lynx (0-3-0) at Miami Valley South Stadium this Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The Toronto Lynx should be a team that the Dutch Lions can get back in the "W" column against; this is if the orange play their game, instead of allowing the opponent to dictate the flow as Indiana was allowed to do at their Sports Complex. The Lions will have a good chance as this Toronto Lynx side has lost all three of their games so far this season and have yet to find the back of the net, while allowing eight goals.

The Dutch Lions have a real opportunity this weekend to get back-to-back wins and to regain a nice hold on the Great Lakes Division's top spot; as the Dutch Lions will face off against the Toronto Lynx on Saturday and the Cleveland Internationals on Thursday. The prospects are good for the Lions if they play well as the Toronto Lynx have zero points, while the Cleveland Internationals have four points in the Great Lakes Division on the season. The Dutch Lions have also already defeated the Cleveland Internationals by a 3-nil score. Two wins could give the Lions back the top spot as league leaders Chicago and Indiana will have tougher opponents in their next two games.



The Dutch Lions game against Toronto commences a busy week for the Lions as this Saturday they'll face off against the Toronto Lynx at home, then battle the Rochester Rhinos in Rochester on Tuesday in Open Cup play, then play the Cleveland Internationals in Cleveland Thursday, and finally the Lions will be back home Saturday to face off against the Crew in the "Battle of Ohio."

Head Coach Sonny Silooy will have to be clinical about mixing and matching players and using his whole lineup in a way that does not weaken the squad, as the usual starting eleven cannot go for all four games. Further, the U.S. Open Cup game against Rochester will only allow five international players per Open Cup rules, so Silooy's hand may be forced to sit some of his Dutch starters and field a predominately American squad for that important fixture.

This Saturday's game promotion is Faith Night, where those in Church or Faith groups will get half-off discounted tickets. Check back here throughout the week as we'll have plenty of video footage on our websites as well as stories from the road in Rochester and Cleveland.