Box Score Edmonton, AB (Oct. 1, 2021) – The MacEwan Griffins men's soccer program were able to defeat the Huskies for the first time in a Canada West regular season match by a score of 1-0.
After enduring an 0-11-1 record as a program against the Huskies since entering the conference in 2014, the Griffins were able to break through Saturday afternoon.
With their first victory of the 2021 Canada West campaign, the Griffins improved to 1-1-1, while Saskatchewan dropped to 2-1-0.
Zachary Rochat scored the only goal when his diving 22nd-minute header off Joseph Abrahart's corner kick slipped through Saskatchewan goalkeeper Marcus Baxter's hands, careened off the far post and in.
Early on, it looked like the Huskies' dominance over the Griffins would continue as Aaron Hidalgo-Mazzei took a second-minute pass off a corner kick and sniped it through traffic inside the left post. In a confusing sequence after celebrations had concluded and players were set to resume play, the officials took the goal off the board on an offside call.
The Griffins settled in after that with some possession and a one-timer chance off Rakan Yassin's boot that Baxter stopped.
Saskatchewan pressed for a goal the entire second half, dominating possession and outshooting the Griffins 16-1. MacEwan bent but didn't break, although the save goalkeeper Josh Stayko made in the 74th minute – robbing Tobias Hyrich-Krueger, who was in alone – essentially preserved the win.
Stayko finished with nine saves and improved his total to 22 in three games in this, his rookie Canada West season. Baxter had three stops for Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan finished with a 26-8 shot advantage (9-4 on goal) in the game.
The teams will meet again on Sunday (2:30 p.m., Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV).
