Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – There isn't much exciting about a scoreless draw.
But there are worse fates than a point in the standings.
For the MacEwan Griffins, who played to a 0-0 tie with visiting UBC-Okanagan on Sunday, it marks the club's second-straight game with a point. They also drew with Thompson Rivers on Saturday (1-1).
In short, the club that's now 0-5-3 on the Canada West campaign, will take it.
"You're never happy about it," said head coach Adam Loga. "But stick to the course and it's a process. We're progressing and improving.
"You want a W for the lads, but at the same time, it's a process. Obviously two points is better than no points, but we always look to get six."
Unlike Saturday's point, which included a goal and was a bit of thievery from Thompson Rivers, who dominated the contest, Sunday's draw could have gone either way. Both sides had chances, but the game was largely batted back and forth through the midfield.
For the Griffins, though, who are building toward future stability, there were important takeaways from the tilt.
"The boys competed hard, they stuck in there and executed the game plan we implemented and we got a point. They did well," said Loga.
"I think the best thing to see was our depth. We showed depth for the first time this season. Guys were going down from yesterday to today. Guys stepped in and took big roles and big minutes and we didn't lose a step. That was probably the best thing to see."
Most notably, he's talking about a full 90 minutes from defender Daniel Sperling and 13 minutes from forward Johnny Alberkant with Skylor Holm and Jared Day not in the lineup on Sunday.
As usual, keeper Dylon Powley came up big for the Griffins, shutting down UBCO's best second-half chance — a spirited sprint and blast up the left side by Spencer Young in the 68th minute. Powley finished with six stops, while his counterpart Mitch McCaw in the UBCO net stopped five.
"He brings personality to the team, he brings stability to the team," said Loga of Powley. "He's in there and he always competes. He just lights a fire. Just his presence is enough. And then he always does more. It's something we as a staff appreciate and I know his teammates do, as well."
UBCO (3-3-2) visits UNBC (2-7-1) for a doubleheader Saturday and Sunday.