LANGLEY, B.C. — The Saskatchewan Huskies mounted a late rally but could not erase an early deficit, falling 2-1 to Trinity Western on Saturday night (Oct. 2) at Chase Office Field in Langley. The defeat drops the Huskies to 4-5-0 on the Canada West season.
Playing the second match of their road weekend, Saskatchewan found itself chasing the game early after the Spartans struck less than eight minutes into the opening half. Tim Pritchard opened the scoring at the 7:46 mark, finishing a chance created by Marc Huizenga to give the home side a 1-0 lead. It was the first goal of the season for Pritchard and set the tone for a strong opening half from Trinity Western.
The Spartans controlled much of the play in the first 45 minutes, holding an 8-3 advantage in shots. Saskatchewan goalkeeper
Jaron Slopinski was called upon repeatedly and delivered several important saves to keep the Huskies within striking distance. The veteran netminder stopped attempts from Pritchard, Jordan Low and Marcel Bona, while another Trinity Western chance rang off the post midway through the half.
Despite the pressure, Saskatchewan entered halftime trailing by only a single goal and looked to find a response in the second half. Opportunities remained difficult to come by, however, as the Spartans continued to dictate possession and create chances in the attacking third.
Trinity Western eventually doubled its lead in the 73rd minute when Huizenga capped off another dangerous attack. The Spartans forward converted a pass from Low at 72:53, pushing the margin to 2-0 and leaving the Huskies with an uphill climb in the final stages.
To their credit, the Huskies refused to fade. Saskatchewan generated some of its best pressure of the night late in the match and found a breakthrough in the 82nd minute. Midfielder
Ethan Cabral scored his fourth goal of the season at 81:18 to cut the deficit in half and breathe life into the visiting side.
The goal sparked a frantic finish as the Huskies searched for an equalizer. Substitute
Aydin Wiebe nearly tied the match in the 89th minute, forcing a save from Spartans goalkeeper Jakob Frank. Moments later,
Simon Weber sent a final attempt just wide as Saskatchewan pressed for a dramatic result.
In the end, the Spartans held on for the victory. Trinity Western finished with a 14-8 edge in shots and a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal, while Slopinski recorded four saves in a strong performance between the posts. Cabral provided the lone offense for Saskatchewan, but the Huskies' late surge ultimately came up one goal short.
The Huskies will take on the Lethbridge Pronghorns next in a single-match weekend in a week's time.
