The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men's Soccer team and the Lethbridge Pronghorns battled each other and the elements in a windy Saturday afternoon matchup at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon, which ultimately resulted in a 0-0 draw.

The match was a competitive, and exciting affair, with major playoff implications for both teams. The Pronghorns entered the game 2-3-6, just three points ahead of the Huskies (3-8) in the prairie division standings, in control of the final playoff seed. 

In their previous matchup it was the Huskies who came out on top. This is an important distinction as with a win, Saskatchewan would hold the tie-breaker over Lethbridge and control their own destiny heading into the final two games of the season. For Lethbridge, a draw or or a win would effectively have the same impact on their playoff chances.

Although the Pronghorns were on the road, the windy weather of Saskatoon resembled the conditions of southern Alberta with gusts peaking at 59 km/h just before game time. The wind had a noticeable impact on the play, especially anytime the ball was lifted into the air. Surprisingly, however, the best chances for both teams came when they were going against the wind.

The Huskies opened the match with the wind at their backs, and from the first whistle, they began to push the pace offensively. During the first 15 minutes of the match the Huskies controlled the majority of the possession, however they were unable to generate any serious scoring chances. After surviving the initial push by the Huskies, the Horns began to settle in and the teams traded punches the rest of the way. Lethbridge nearly went into the half up 1-0, when in added time Huskie goalkeeper Jaron Slopinski travelled far out of his net to head a ball out of the Huskie end. The ball ended up on the foot of Horns forward Kai Sakaguchi, who launched a shot from distance, which was blocked by Mason Ogoke.

Entering the second half, Huskies Head Coach Bryce Chapman understood what was on the line and emptied the decks. Saskatchewan inserted Ilyich Gharahmadani, Ty Lee and Daler Tokhirov into the lineup and they immediately began to push the pace. For 30 of the final 45 minutes, the Huskies attacked Lethbridge with a flurry of rushes down both wings, resulting in a number of high opportunity scoring chances and three corner kicks. In the 74th minute Tokhirov put together an incredible effort, sliding into a shot in the front of the box. However Pronghorns goalie Armaan Thawer proved why he is one of the top keepers in the conference and made the save.

Ultimately, Lethbridge was able to weather the storm and was content to exit the game with a draw.

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With the result the Pronghorns improve to 2-3-7, and remain three points ahead of the Huskies. To add additional intrigue, both Lethbridge and Saskatchewan host Calgary and Mount Royal at home to close the season. Both teams will have some extra time to prepare, as the Huskies will face the Cougars Friday Oct. 18th and Lethbridge will host the Dinos the same day. The Pronghorns kick things off at 4:30 pm, and the Huskies have the late slate at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Calgary and Mount Royal will switch places. To make the playoffs the Huskies will need at least four points in the final weekend, and a Lethbridge loss and draw. Tune into all the action on Canada West TV.