SASKATOON – Playing in front of their home crowd for the first time in 2019, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's soccer team was able to outlast the UNBC Timberwolves in a fast-paced 3-1 affair on September 14.
 
"The reality today is that we didn't play at our best but we still found a way to win, last year we would play at our best and not win, so for me that's huge in terms of the maturation of our team," said Huskies head coach Jerson Barandica-Hamilton.
 
Kalli Cowles, Halle Krynowsky and Maya Gabruch scored for Saskatchewan, with Hannah Emmond responding for UNBC.
 
"I'm proud of the girls for coming back into the game and continuing to work hard," said Timberwolves head coach Neil Sedgwick. "They stuck to the game plan and it's just showing that we are becoming more mature as a group, so that's great to see."
 
After both teams started the game attacking, Cowles found the breakthrough goal with just minutes left in the first half.
 
Hannah Zdunich-Costa lofted in a corner kick that the defender from Prince Albert was able to get her head on to score her second goal of the season.
 
Less than two minutes after the restart, Saskatchewan doubled their lead.
 
A dangerous ball played into the box bounced around the Timberwolves penalty area, before the rookie Krynowsky powered the ball into the back of the net for the second goal of her young Huskies' career.
 
The Timberwolves continued fighting however and clawed their way back into the game just eight minutes later.
 
A free kick launched into the box by Kenzie Chilcott was parried by Huskies goalie Jadyn Steinhauer, but her clearance effort looped up into the air where Emmond was able to volley the ball out of mid-air for the highlight reel goal.
 
"It's a difficult skill and she's spent a lot of time working on those over the last couple of years, so it was good that it fell for her and she had the chance to put it in."
 
After more back-and-forth action throughout the second half, Gabruch let go a strike from long distance that put the game away in the 80th minute. That tally marked Gabruch's fourth goal of the season, putting her second-best in the conference.
 
"We've learned that we can battle and find a way to win, the character we've shown is that even when we're not at our best we are still finding moments to score goals," said Barandica-Hamilton. "It's a long-term process but every day we are getting closer to where we want to be."
 
With the win Saskatchewan moves to 3-0 on the season, while the Timberwolves suffer their first loss of the season and fall to a record of 2-1-0.
 
Both of these teams are back in action tomorrow, Saskatchewan will remain home to take on the Calgary Dinos and the Timberwolves will travel south to play Regina.