Eoin Colquhoun, Pronghorn Athletics
LETHBRIDGE – Scoring twice in just over a two minute span in the second half, the Saskatchewan Huskies held on to earned a much needed three points with a 2-1 win over the Lethbridge Pronghorns.
Huskie Nikolas Baikas scored nearly five minutes into the second half and Jacob Powell doubled 2:13 later, which proved to be the decisive goal as Pronghorn Ellis Davies broke the Huskie shutout bid with just over four minutes to play.
The loss officially eliminates the Pronghorns from post-season contention and drops their record to 0-8-3.
For the Huskies, battling for a post-season spot, the win pushes their record to 4-6-2 and puts them within one win of second place Calgary Dinos. Heading into the final weekend of the Canada West season the Huskies, Dinos, Mount Royal Cougars and MacEwan Griffins will battle for three playoff spots.
In a scoreless opening 45 minutes, quality chances were hard to come by. The Huskies held a six to two advantage in shot attempts and a distinct seven to two advantage in corner attempts.
The Huskies best chance of the half came in the 38th minute on a Nikolas Baikas corner but the Pronghorns defence was able to clear the ball off the goal line.
Pronghorn keeper Nolan French made one save before leaving the game with an apparent knee injury in the sixth minute. Matt Vandervoort came in and made two stops in the first half. Huskies keeper Greg Buckley turned stopped both shots the Pronghorns had on goal.
Only two minutes into the second half, the Huskies received a free kick just outside the Pronghorn penalty area and Mason Ogoke ripped a strike off the crossbar, Jakub Rogowski followed up with a header off the rebound but his attempt went wide.
However a short time later the Huskies would hit the scoreboard. Ogoke cut the ball back to Baikas took one touch and beat Vandervoort with a low shot.
The Huskies doubled their lead two minutes later off a corner kick. Vandervoort made the initial save but Jacob Powell jumped on the loose ball and hammered home his first goal of the season.
After struggling to find their offensively rhythm all game, the Pronghorns cut the Huskies lead in half with just over four minutes to play. Ellis Davies hammered a volley to the right corner for his second goal of the season, but that would be as close as they would get.
The Huskies held a distinct advantage in majority of the statistical categories. The Huskies had 18 shot attempts, with nine on goal, while the Pronghorns only had five shot attempts, with four finding the mark. The Huskies also had 10 corner attempts to the Pronghorns two.
The Pronghorns will wrap up the Canada West season with a Thursday night match up with the Calgary Dinos and a Sunday affair against the Mount Royal Cougars. The Huskies will face the same two opponents, Mount Royal Friday and Calgary on Sunday.
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Photo by: MPP Photography