SASKATOON, Sask. — The Saskatchewan Huskies continued their strong start to the 2026 Canada West season on Sunday (Sept. 6), earning a 2-0 victory over the MacEwan Griffins at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton. The win improves Saskatchewan to 2-0 on the young season after opening the weekend and season with a 3-0 victory against Alberta Saturday.
From the opening whistle, the Huskies controlled the run of play and spent much of the afternoon applying pressure in the attacking third. Saskatchewan generated chances early, forcing Griffin keeper Sabrina Alexander into a pair of saves in the opening two minutes while piling up corner kicks and shots.
While Saskatchewan controlled possession and territory throughout the opening half, MacEwan had a brief reminder that one chance can change a match. The Griffins nearly took the early lead when Lillie Pearson struck the crossbar in the 13th minute, but the Huskies recovered quickly and resumed their push forward.
The visitors sustained pressure eventually produced the breakthrough in the 17th minute. Midfielder
Nammi Nguyen continued her impressive start to the season when she finished off a setup from
Cassidy Vieira at 16:21 to give the Huskies a deserved 1-0 lead. The goal was Nguyen's second of the weekend and proved to be the eventual game-winner.
Saskatchewan came close to doubling its advantage on several occasions before finally finding a second goal just before halftime. After another wave of Huskie pressure, winger Madi Mayert buried her first goal of the season in the 45th minute off a feed from rookie defender
Hazel Turnbull, sending Saskatchewan into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead.
The Huskies outshot MacEwan 19-4 in the first half and looked poised to add to their lead after the restart.
To their credit, the Griffins pushed back in the second half and tested Saskatchewan goalkeeper
Alyssa Paydli more frequently. Paydli answered every challenge, making five of her six saves after halftime, including stops on attempts from Carys Moore, Lillie Pearson, Amelia Russo, and Ivy Kunn.
At the other end, Saskatchewan continued creating opportunities. Forward
Isabelle Lachance was a constant threat, registering a game-high 10 shots and four shots on goal.
Jenna Steacy nearly added a third goal in the 75th minute when her strike rattled the post, while Mayert, Vieira, and
Cheyenne Lehmann all contributed multiple chances as the Huskies finished with 29 shots overall.
Although the second-half scoresheet remained unchanged, the result rarely appeared in doubt. Saskatchewan finished with commanding advantages in shots (29-11), shots on goal (11-6), and corner kicks (10-2), highlighting a complete team performance.
With back-to-back road shutouts to open the campaign, the Huskies leave Edmonton with six points, a 2-0-0 record, and plenty of momentum as they prepare to return home for their first matches at Griffiths Stadium. The team's home opener is set for Saturday, September 12 at 12:00 PM with the Manitoba Bisons in town for a weekend doubleheader.
