KELOWNA, B.C. — The Saskatchewan Huskies earned a crucial three points Friday night (Oct. 2), building a two-goal first-half lead before holding on for a 2-1 victory over UBCO at Nonis Sports Field in Kelowna.
Saskatchewan improved to 4-4-0 on the season with the win, while UBCO remains winless at 0-9-0.
The Huskies controlled much of the opening half, outshooting the Heat 9-3 and finally breaking through in the 13th minute. Forward
Tao Hein continued his strong offensive season when he finished off a setup from
Jackson Kovitch and
Nicklas Looft at the 12:50 mark. The goal was Hein's sixth of the campaign and gave Saskatchewan a deserved 1-0 advantage.
Saskatchewan continued to press for a second goal throughout the half, with
Ethan Cabral creating several dangerous chances. The midfielder tested UBCO goalkeeper Ronan Woodroffe multiple times before finally finding the breakthrough in first-half stoppage time. Following a corner kick, Cabral connected on a chance created by
Dante Molina to double the Huskies' lead heading into the break. The marker was Cabral's third goal of the season.
The visitors carried that momentum into the early stages of the second half and continued to pressure the UBCO back line. Saskatchewan earned five second-half corner kicks and generated several opportunities.
Despite trailing by two, the Heat refused to go away quietly. UBCO gradually increased its pressure and found a lifeline in the 67th minute. Defender Charlie Prefontaine jumped into the attack and converted a pass from Will Armitage at 66:18, cutting Saskatchewan's lead to 2-1.
The goal shifted momentum toward the home side for much of the final 25 minutes. UBCO generated several quality chances as it searched for an equalizer, forcing Huskies goalkeeper
Jaron Slopinski into a series of important saves. The Saskatchewan netminder stopped attempts from Namvinh Nguyen, Allan Yin, Fope Aware and Armitage, finishing the evening with five saves to secure the victory.
Cabral was the offensive catalyst for the Huskies throughout the match, recording a game-high eight shots and five shots on goal to go along with the game-winning goal. Hein added three shots and a goal of his own as Saskatchewan finished with a 13-9 edge in shots and a 7-6 advantage in shots on target.
Saskatchewan will now travel to Langley and wrap up their British Columbia road trip with a match against the Trinity Western Spartans in Langley.
