TORONTO LYNX MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VIGNJEVIC AND KRYGER RETURN FOR 2003 SEASON
April 2, 2003 (TORONTO, ON) — The Toronto Lynx are pleased to announce the re-signing their all-time leader in goals, assists and points, midfielder, Nikki Vignjevic. Vignjevic, 33, returns to the Lynx for his fifth season. The native of Belgrade, Serbia has scored 24 goals and recorded 21 assists for 69 points in his Lynx career. Vignjevic continues to spearhead the Lynx attack, finishing as the Club leader in assists (9) and second in points (13) in 2002. Among his long list of accomplishments with the Lynx, Vignjevic was named Lynx Best Offensive Player in 1998 and Most Valuable Player in 1999, and has twice been selected as A-League Player of the Week and four-times named to the A-League Team of the Week. This season, Vignjevic will again be counted on to lead the Lynx charge toward goal.
The Lynx also welcome back goalkeeper, James Kryger, for his second season in Lynx colours. After making his debut as a substitute on July 30th, 2002 at Calgary and recording 22 shut out minutes in a 4-0 Lynx win, Kryger, a 24-year old St. Catherines native, got his first start in goal the next night in Seattle, making 5 saves in a 1-0 loss to the Sounders. Before joining the Lynx, James enjoyed a standout collegiate career, playing two seasons at Division II Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia before transferring to Division I Cleveland State University for his final two years.
BUDALIC HEADS FOR EUROPE
The 2002 A-League Rookie of the year and Lynx Best Offensive Layer Award Winner, Niki Budalic, has agreed to join Orebro SK of the Swedish First Division. The 24-year old Budalic burst on the A-League scene last year, recording 12 goals and 25 points to lead the Lynx and capture A-League Rookie of the Year honours. Head Coach, Peter Pinizzotto says, “Niki’s offense will be hard to replace”, but wishes him luck as he continues his career in Europe. Joining the Lynx after capturing the 2001 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) National Championship with his hometown Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, the Waterloo native jumped all over A-League defenses with 4 goals in his first 4 games. Budalic joins former Lynx star, Chris Posniak, at Orebro, and becomes the forth Lynx player to move on to Europe in the past year, joining Milan Kojic of FK Haugesund (Norwegian First Division), Atiba Hutchinson of Osters (Swedish First Division) and Marco Reda of Sogndal (Norwegian Tippeliga).
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
DAVID NUTT -- MEDIA RELATIONS, TORONTO LYNX
416-251-4625, extension 30
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