In celebration of the clubs 40th anniversary, Vancouver Whitecaps FC have launched a new Ring of Honour to acknowledge exemplary players and figures who have embodied "Our all. Our honour." and who represent the clubs three core values: Unity, Winning, and Honour. Based on input from a selection of alumni, the first four inductees will be Bob Lenarduzzi, Carl Valentine, Domenic Mobilio, and Andrea Neil. "When we decided to launch our Ring of Honour, we were looking for people who have left a lasting legacy," said Rachel Lewis, Whitecaps FC chief operating officer. "Bobby, Carl, Domenic, and Andrea represent exactly what this club has always stood for and each of them have made remarkable contributions to our club and community. Theyre exceptionally deserving of being the first four inductees." Lenarduzzi will be the first to be inducted during the next home match on Saturday, May 3, as he joins the rest of his teammates from the inaugural 1974 Whitecaps team. This match will celebrate the first game in Whitecaps history, played on May 5, 1974, against San Jose Earthquakes – nearly 40 years to the day. "Im humbled to be inducted into the Ring of Honour," said Lenarduzzi. "There have been amazing soccer moments in this city over the years and Im very grateful to have been a part of many of those. Throughout it all Ive had incredible teammates, so it will be fantastic to have several of them with me on May 3." Neil will be inducted on August 10 at BC Place, 10 years after she captained Whitecaps FC to their first United Soccer Leagues W-League championship on August 8, 2004. Two years later, Neil was again captain as the Caps won a second W-League championship on August 6, 2006, at Swangard Stadium. Valentine will be honoured at the September 10 match. On September 9, 1979, a 21-year old Valentine joined his teammates in front of 100,000 people at the championship parade in downtown Vancouver to celebrate the clubs Soccer Bowl triumph. Finally, on October 4, members of the Mobilio family will be at BC Place for the induction of the late striker. After setting a league scoring record and winning league MVP, Mobilio led Vancouver 86ers to their fourth consecutive Canadian Soccer League title on October 6, 1991. Who should be inducted next into the Ring of Honour? Four nominees have been put forth based on voting received from alumni thus far, with a write-in option also available. Fan voting for the next inductee begins today and will run until the end of May at whitecapsfc.com/since1974. Ring of Honour Inductees Bob Lenarduzzi A product of Grandview Legion minor soccer and member of the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, Bob Lenarduzzi has been a part of the Whitecaps since the inaugural season in 1974. Lenarduzzi is the all-time leader in games played in the North American Soccer League with 312 and ranks first all-time for Whitecaps FC in games started with 356 and second all-time in games played with 362. Primarily a left back, Lenarduzzi also sits 13th all-time in club scoring with 34 career goals. In 1978, he was voted as the only Canadian ever to win NASL Player of the Year and in 1979 he helped the club win the NASL Soccer Bowl title. As a player/coach, he led Vancouver 86ers to the CSL title in 1988, and after retiring as a player, he coached the team to another three championships for an unprecedented four straight CSL titles. Internationally, the native of Vancouver, BC, played with Canada at the countrys only FIFA World Cup appearance in 1986. Today, after 40 years, Lenarduzzi remains with Vancouver Whitecaps FC as club president. Carl Valentine One of the all-time fan favourites in Vancouver professional sports and a member of the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, Carl Valentine is the clubs all-time leader in appearances with 409 and fourth all-time in goals scored with 65. The English-born talent arrived in Vancouver for the start of the historic 1979 season and became a key contributor to the clubs run to the NASL Soccer Bowl. Valentine would stay in Vancouver until the NASL folded following the 1984 season and would go on to join West Bromwich Albion back in England. The winger represented Canada in the 1986 FIFA World Cup and in 1987 he returned to Vancouver to become a key member of the 86ers team that went on to win a remarkable four straight CSL championships from 1988 to 1991. Valentine played 19 memorable seasons in Vancouver and remains with Whitecaps FC today as club ambassador and Residency staff coach. Domenic Mobilio The all-time leading scorer in Canadian Soccer League history and the most prolific goalscorer in club history, Domenic Mobilio sits alone atop the charts with 170 career goals – nearly 100 more than any other player. A member of the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, the Vancouver, BC-born striker, who is also fifth all-time with 286 appearances, was a member of Vancouver 86ers for each of the teams four consecutive CSL championships from 1988 to 1991. A six-time CSL all-star and league MVP in 1990, Mobilio played a total of 15 seasons in Vancouver. In 2004, Mobilio tragically passed away from a sudden heart attack. Andrea Neil The first female soccer player ever inducted into Canadas Sports Hall of Fame, Andrea Neil had an 18-year career with the Canadian womens national team program, and six years with Whitecaps FC women. From 2001 to 2006, Neil played for the Caps (originally known as the Breakers). She was the clubs captain for the first six years of the franchises existence and was a player/assistant coach for the last three seasons. In 2004 and 2006, she led the club to two United Soccer Leagues W-League championship titles. She ended her Whitecaps FC career as the teams all-time leader in assists with 22 and games with 69, as well as third all-time with 24 goals. Internationally, the native of Vancouver, BC, represented her country in four consecutive FIFA Womens World Cup tournaments. . Although Olivetti, a qualifier, had 13 aces, he failed to force a single break-point chance on Gasquets serve and lost his own three times. Gasquet next plays third-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, who won had 18 aces in a 6-2, 6-4 win against seventh-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France. . Ted Ligety, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller and Tim Jitloff underlined the squads enormous potential on the Rettenbach glacier in Austria.
http://www.cheapislandersjerseysauthent ... jersey.com) - Robert Upshaw made a putback jumper to put 17th-ranked Washington ahead with 1:27 remaining in the game and the Huskies held on to beat Eastern Washington 81-77 on Sunday. . Hes had three top-10 results this season and feels ready to put it all together and finally hoist a trophy at the top level. . Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks were proof of that on Wednesday night.TORONTO – Dion Phaneuf typically only lands in the glare of Torontos spotlight when the team is mired in controversy (and there have been many) or when hes made such an obvious error that hockey hubs cant help but take notice. Sometimes it does seem like thats the only time that you want to talk to me, but Ive got no problem with that, said Phaneuf with a grin ahead of the Leafs sixth win in eight games, a 4-1 topping of the Calgary Flames. Truth is, Phaneuf has bounced back after a turbulent conclusion to last season. Less is typically more with the 29-year-old and with some changes to his deployment this season, Toronto is getting more from their captain. He came into Tuesdays action with a 47 per cent possession (Corsi), up substantially from the paltry 40.8 per cent mark of a year ago and a prime factor in the Leafs (mildly) improved possession as a whole this season. I feel good about the way that Ive been playing, but I feel good about the team and how weve been playing, said Phaneuf, who had two assists in nearly 24 minutes on Tuesday night. Phaneuf played some of the most difficult minutes of any defender in the league last year, eventually crumbling under the weight of that burden down the stretch. But the Leafs have eased those pressures somewhat this year, employing him more like Ron Wilson did before his dismissal. For one, theyve not buried him in the defensive zone quite as often. Phaneuf had the lowest offensive zone start percentage of any defender in hockey a year ago – 22.7 per cent – but that number has risen closer to 30 per cent this year. His defensive zone starts, meanwhile, have dropped nearly five percentage points to less than 32 per cent. Thats meant just a few less onerous shifts slogging it out in the defensive zone against the likes of Crosby, Stamkos and Ovechkin and more opportunity for offence (though Phaneuf has just six even-strength points so far). Phaneuf still absorbs the lions share of matchups against opposing top lines, but the presence of Roman Polak as a secondary option has helped ease that burden slightly. Prior to going down with a strained left knee, the 28-year-old Polak was able to absorb some of the tougher minutes from Phaneuf and perform adequately in doing so. The Leafs didnt have that player last year, someone the coaching staff felt trustworthy in difficult situations, and set about landing Polak and 37-year-old Stephane Robidas for such a remedy. A different partner (and side) has also made a difference. Cody Franson, an analytics favourite, has found a nice, and perhaps unexpected, fit with Phaneuf on the teams top pair. Phaneuf is driving the play more often when he plays with the 27-year-old, a big change from last season, his performance mostly dipping with Carl Gunnarsson, who battled year-long hip problems. Up for unrestricted free agency next summer, Franson has blossomed with the increase in responsibility. I think Fransons emerged and played a stronger defensive game, Carlyle said. Phaneuf is also evidently more comfortable now playing the left side after a career spent mostly on the right. The Leafs have additionally tried to use their captain just a tad less – mostly at even-strength. Phaneuf was admittedly worn down by the time March came around last spring and the club has subsequently tried to tame those minutes early in the year. I think weve made a conscious effort to try not to get the 25-minute plus nights in there, Carlyle noted. Phaneuf is actually playing about the same amount on average – around 23 minutes – but not nearly as much as he did early in the season last fall. He was pushing 25 minutes a night from October through January, the club having no choice but to curb his minutes down the stretch of another untimely playoff collapse. The slight cut may not sound like much at this point in early December, but when the stretch drive rolls around, it will. [Its] not something you notice night in and night out, Phaneuf said, but I feel that over the long haul of a year and the amount of hockey that you do play, that it definitely probably helps. All of this doesnt change the sizeable contract – six years to go with an annual cap hit of $7 million – nor the question it poses for the club long-term, but its clear that by asking him to do less, the Leafs are getting more right now from their captain. Five Points 1. Habits Jonathan Bernier has stopped all but three of the 79 shots he faced in the past two games, including 32 of 33 against the Flames. Like he did against the Canucks over the weekend, the 26-year-old made a pair of key stops just before the Leafs jumped in front on Tuesday, first on Jiri Hudler in the slot and then on Johnny Gaudreau after that. Hes making a couple cross-crease saves every game that were on the bench going Holy jumpin, how is he doing this? said Peter Holland enthusiastically afterward. Thats huge for us. Its year two of Berniers bid to establish himself as viable no. 1 in the NHL and thats meant different habits on and off the ice from his days as a backup with the Kings. Its completely different, he said. When you pplay 10, 15 games a year, youve got to stay on after practice for more than an hour almost.dddddddddddd Rest is not what you need; you need reps when you dont play much. When you play a lot, you rely on [a] short practice or morning skate to stay sharp and obviously when you play that many games you dont really have to stay sharp in practice you just play so much right. Bernier, who made 54 starts total with Los Angeles, is on pace for nearly 60 alone this season in Toronto. To manage that workload, hes tried to get more rest where possible, cutting down on his practice time and opting out of some morning skates. Thats the time that you want to rest as well, he says. Bernier was making his ninth straight start Tuesday, which set a new career-high. 2. No. 1 Berniers track record is probably still too thin to gauge just how good he is or can be, but the numbers look promising in his brief Toronto tenure. Save Percentage from start of 2013-14 to present (entering Tuesday’s play) Goalie Save Percentage Carey Price .925 Tuukka Rask .925 Semyon Varlamov .924 Ben Bishop .922 Sergei Bobrovsky .922 Jonathan Bernier .921 Jaroslav Halak .921 Jonathan Quick .921 Roberto Luongo .920 Corey Crawford .919 *Minimum 50 games played Im feeling pretty confident, pretty comfortable in there, said Bernier after Tuesdays outing. 3. Still Dry He didnt have a shot on goal through two periods, but Phil Kessel did score for the third time in four games, an empty-netter that sealed victory and obfuscated what was another quiet night for the Leafs best player. It was just the second even-strength goal and third even-strength point for the 27-year-old in the past 11 games. His line, which came through with a power play goal from James van Riemsdyk, was the least effective of the four for Toronto – outshot and out-possessed badly by the feisty Flames. Kessel, van Riemsdyk, and Tyler Bozak were all held under 30 per cent possession at even-strength. Teams are pinning their best defencemen up against them and its difficult to get them away from the defensive matchup because if you dont win a faceoff, then the opposition has an opportunity to change, Carlyle said, citing a slew of lost faceoffs in the final period. Kessel continues to lead the Leafs in scoring, a good chunk of that production lately coming on the leagues 10th ranked power play. 4. Assertiveness Scoring for the seventh time this year on Tuesday night, Peter Holland set a new career-high – doing so in a dozen fewer games than last season. Joffrey Lupul, who extended his point streak to five games with an assist on Hollands goal, detailed the difference he noticed in the 24-year-old from year to year. Hes got a little more confidence, said Lupul, and I think hes a little more assertive physically, which is a tough thing for a younger guy in the league right when youre breaking in, to start battling from junior hockey and American League defencemen to NHL. But hes certainly a lot more assertive this year. 5. Winnik on the PK Occupying the role previously played by Jay McClement, Daniel Winnik is leading all NHL forwards in shorthanded ice-time this season. Winnik, who actually killed penalties alongside McClement in Colorado, is averaging nearly four minutes per game, just edging out Red Wings forward Drew Miller for the overall lead despite playing three fewer games. Lately, Randys been really trying to get me out there as much as possible on the PK, Winnik said. That would be an understatement. Winnik drew nearly eight and a half minutes on the kill over the weekend against Vancouver, pushing nearly six minutes a few nights earlier against Dallas. Hes been effective too, helping rally Torontos penalty kill from the doldrums of last season to a spot just outside the top 10 so far. You look at the team last year and they didnt have a great penalty kill and I knew that theyd want to improve on it and I knew by signing here that that would be my role is to help the penalty kill get better, Winnik said. Stats Pack 12-0-0 – Leafs record when scoring first this season, one of only two teams with an unbeaten mark. 8 – Points for Nazem Kadri in the past six games, including just his second on the power-play against the Flames. 3 – Even-strength points for Phil Kessel in the past 11 games. 9.71% – Leafs league-leading 5-on-5 shooting percentage entering Tuesdays play. 5-games – Point streak for Joffrey Lupul, who has eight points in that span. 7 – Goals for Peter Holland this season, a career-high. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-2 Season: 21.2% PK: 2-3 Season: 83.3% Quote of the Night Hes making a couple cross-crease saves every game that were on the bench going Holy jumpin, how is he doing this? - Peter Holland, on the recent play of Jonathan Bernier. Up Next The Leafs visit the Red Wings on Wednesday. ' ' '
