Offence falls flat as Griffins' four-game unbeaten streak ends after 2-0 loss at Saskatchewan
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 |
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0 | 2 | 2 |
Team Stats
Saskatchewan
| Game Statistics | MacEwan University | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 3 (2) | 16 (6) |
| Saves | 4 | 2 |
| Fouls | 12 | 6 |
| Corner Kicks | 2 | 5 |
| Offsides | 0 | 3 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
SASKATOON, Sask. – Without two of their top players in the lineup due to injuries, the Griffins' offence fell flat against the Saskatchewan Huskies in a 2-0 loss on Saturday.
With a chance to continuing climbing the standings, entering the match on a four-game unbeaten streak, the Griffins instead took a step backwards, looking nothing like the team that tied division leader Calgary six days earlier.
"It was a bit of a weird one, to be honest," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro. "We came out a little bit flat."
With the result, the Griffins not only failed to gain ground on the top two teams in the Prairie Division standings (Calgary and Mount Royal), they fell to 5-3-1 on the campaign, now just a point ahead of the Huskies (5-4-0) for third place. Alberta (4-3-2) are also breathing down their necks, currently out of a playoff position, but only two points back.
"We were a little off the mark today," said Cordeiro. "Credit the Huskies, they came up with a good plan and limited us a little bit. We've got to turn the page on this one and reset for a big game tomorrow in Regina."
MacEwan finished with just three shots in the match (two on target), which is among the lowest offensive outputs in the program's Canada West history.
It didn't help that fifth-year forward Alyx Henderson – who went into the weekend as the Canada West assists leader – and second-year star midfielder Paige Colby were unable to play due to injuries.
"It was next person up mentality," said Cordeiro. "It happened so close to kick-off (Henderson was ruled out after her injury wasn't responding in warm-ups). But those things happen, and you've got to be able to adjust and respond."
Cheyenne Lehman scored twice for the Huskies – in the 50th minute and again on a PK in the 69th – while Kalin Roberts earned the clean sheet.
The Griffins need to flush it and move on to the next, which is at Regina on Sunday (12 p.m., Canada West TV). They previously beat the Cougars 6-0 in Edmonton on Sept. 13, but can't take anything for granted on the road, where they are shockingly 0-3 this season so far.
"We know we're a better team than what we showed today," said Cordeiro. "But the league is really tight. There is so much parity. If you score and early goal or get scored on, it can have huge implications on the match.
"Today we were off the mark. We just could not get ourselves going offensively. It just wasn't our day today and we've got to turn the page. There's no dwelling on it, there's no more reflection. It's a matter of we need to switch gears and get ourselves ready for a Regina team that's going to be tough at home."
Centre-back Ella Fownes was named player of the game for the Griffins.
"She's been just a rock all season long," said Cordeiro. "She really kept things together for us back there. She was pulling strings in terms of what we want to do. Just a vocal leader and presence back there."
