Under inclement conditions, Griffins settle for 3-3 draw with cross-town rival Pandas
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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3 | 0 | 3 |
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2 | 1 | 3 |
Team Stats
Alberta
| Game Statistics | MacEwan University | Alberta |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 16 (10) | 21 (12) |
| Saves | 9 | 7 |
| Fouls | 12 | 8 |
| Corner Kicks | 3 | 8 |
| Offsides | 4 | 2 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Battling high winds, rain and a slick pitch at Foote Field on Saturday, the Griffins women's soccer team settled for a 3-3 draw with cross-town rival Alberta - a result that lowers their odds of hosting a playoff game.
Starting the day with a chance to pull even with Mount Royal (9-3-1) for second in the Prairie Division, the tie leaves them two points back of the Cougars with one game left in the regular season for both teams.
It also leaves the Griffins (8-3-2) vulnerable to fourth-place Saskatchewan (7-4-1), who are four points behind with a game in hand.
That said, the Griffins can still finish second if they win their final match of the season (Oct. 18 vs. Alberta) and MRU loses theirs (Oct. 19 vs. Calgary).
A win for MacEwan in next Saturday's rematch vs. the Pandas (12 p.m., Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV) would also clinch at least third as it would move them to 29 points. Saskatchewan can only get a max of 28 if they beat Regina twice next weekend.
"It was a big point today," said Cordeiro of the latter scenario. "We needed that to give us that opportunity to not lose out on a tiebreaker. Now, we've hopefully put ourselves in a position where we can win and punch our ticket to a home playoff game. We're going to need Calgary to win, but Calgary played Mount Royal yesterday and got the job done. It's out of our hands.
"At the end of the day, either way, it was going to be out of our hands," he added, eluding to the fact that MRU holds the tiebreaker if they had ended up tied anyway. "So, we've got to take care of business and hope that it sorts itself out."
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Soccer (@Griffins_WSOC) October 11, 2025
Boom. Sophie Lavallee scores her fifth goal of the season on a breakaway to give @MacEwanGriffins a 1-0 lead over #YEG rival @PandasSoccer just over 10 minutes into the game.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/Qh09Nh9nQ4
On Saturday, the Griffins appeared to be on their way to a big win when they opened the scoring in the 11thminute. Brynn Hobal played a gorgeous through ball that sent Sophie Lavallee onto a breakaway and she faked out keeper before depositing it into an empty net.
Then, with the Pandas back line in disarray, Lavallee pounced on a loose ball, fed it across the box to Hobal, who put it back on a tee for Raeghan McCarthy to blast low left corner and make it 2-0 MacEwan just over three minutes later.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Soccer (@Griffins_WSOC) October 11, 2025
After some great buildup, Raeghan McCarthy blasts home her sixth of the season to put @MacEwanGriffins up 2-0 in the 14th minute.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/J3vpWQYm1Q
"We were in a great place, and we had a free kick in tight right after that," said Cordeiro. "We run it to Rae, and she almost finds the back of the net again."
But Alberta struck back with two goals in seven minutes to tie the match. Tara Simonot's curling shot from outside the box was held up by the wind and skipped weirdly off the turf past Sabrina Alexander in the 20thminute before Kellie Haffie's short side riser also appeared to catch some wind at the last minute to elude Alexander in the 27th.
"All of a sudden, they go back the other way and scored the two goals that you saw on their first two looks," said Cordeiro. "It was a little bit weird where you felt like you were in complete control and then you gave them a little bit of room to get back in the game and they did that."
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Soccer (@Griffins_WSOC) October 11, 2025
Ella Fownes' long free kick skips through traffic and into the net to put @MacEwanGriffins up 3-2 just before half-time.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/1Z5gGVusBz
But the Griffins got the lead back just before half-time when Ella Fownes' 45-yard free kick skipped through traffic in the box and by Alberta keeper Autumn Wynn.
All told, the wind appeared to be wreaking havoc on both goalkeepers. Alexander finished with nine saves for MacEwan, while Wynn had seven for Alberta.
"The conditions are the conditions," said Cordeiro of wind gusts that peaked in the second half at about 50-65 km/h. "Just on the grass it made it (difficult). When balls were touching down, it was very difficult for the goalkeepers on both ends. Balls were skipping and it led to a few goals both ways. It was tricky, but that's the way it goes this time of year."
Playing with a strong wind at their backs for the second half, the Pandas capitalized on their nicest goal of the afternoon in the 60th minute to tie the score. Makenna Van der Veen got on the end of a Wanda Czebreszuk pass, volleying it under the bar.
The Griffins pressed late for the go-ahead goal against the wind with McCarthy having two decent chances, including a point-blank shot from the left side of the box in the 89th minute that was stopped by Wynn.
McCarthy led the Griffins with five shots, including three on target. Hobal, who had two assists was named MacEwan's player of the game.
"She had two assists and was all over the pitch – just breaking lines, creating chances," said Cordeiro. "She had a hell of a game."
