Heartbreaking concession on final play forces Griffins to settle for 1-1 draw with Saskatchewan
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
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0 | 1 | 1 |
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0 | 1 | 1 |
Team Stats
Saskatchewan
| Game Statistics | Saskatchewan | MacEwan University |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 12 (6) | 8 (3) |
| Saves | 2 | 5 |
| Fouls | 11 | 21 |
| Corner Kicks | 3 | 5 |
| Offsides | 0 | 7 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – In a moment that's as heartbreaking as it gets in soccer, the MacEwan Griffins were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Saskatchewan when the visitors scored off a corner kick on the final play of the match in the seventh minute of extra time on Saturday.
The Griffins appeared to be on their way to their first win of the season when Felix Guité converted on a PK to open the scoring in the 88th minute.
But with multiple second half injury stoppages, there was a plethora of extra time to sweat through, and the Huskies furiously pressed for the equalizer, eventually earning a corner for one last gasp.
Makariy Pryadko got a head on Dante Molina's back post corner kick, which deflected off a Griffins defender and goalkeeper Oleksandr Popravka's hands before bouncing off a couple more bodies to the other side of the net. That's where Alessandro Calado was waiting, directing another header back to Pryadko, who cleanly headed it into the goal.
It was a celebration as wild as the sequence as Saskatchewan knew they'd stolen a road point.
"Usually in draws there's a team that feels like they won and a team that feels like they lost," said Griffins head coach Adam Loga. "This feels like a loss for us, especially at the buzzer.
"That's literally a matter of inches and seconds – whether the game's done, whether it's cleared up the field rather than going out of bounds, but that's sport."
With the result, the Griffins are now 0-2-2 on the Canada West season, while Saskatchewan earns its first point of the season to improve to 0-2-1.
"The boys did well," said Loga. "They did everything that was asked, except close it out. It's not a 90-minute game. It's 90 minutes plus stoppage.
"It is what it is. Here we are."
While Saskatchewan dominated possession in the opening half, it was MacEwan with the best chance. After Jason Vuzi was wiped out by charging Huskies goalkeeper Aaron Slopinski in first half stoppage time, the Griffins earned their first of two PKs in the contest. Ali Yildiz, who converted on a penalty against Alberta last Saturday, stepped up to take it, but his low left blast was stopped by the diving keeper.
As the Griffins began to carry play in the second half, Yildiz had another golden opportunity on the second phase of a corner kick when he beat two defenders off the right side in the 55th minute before his sharp-angle blast narrowly sailed by the far post.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Men's Soccer (@GriffinsMSOC) September 6, 2025
Felix Guité nets his first of the campaign on an 88th minute PK to open the scoring against Saskatchewan after T-Boy Fayia was fouled in the area.@MacEwanGriffins #GriffNation pic.twitter.com/49cyXAbQ4Z
With MacEwan pressing, T-Boy Fayia was fouled in the box in the 88th, and this time Guité stepped up to take the PK. He had a beautiful delayed hitch in his leg swing that caused Slopinski to bite and he blasted it high and home.
Popravka finished with five saves for MacEwan, while Slopinski stopped two for Saskatchewan.
Both teams are back in action on Sunday with MacEwan hosting Lethbridge (12 p.m., Edmonton Scottish, Canada West TV), and Saskatchewan visiting Alberta.
