EDMONTON, Alta. — The Saskatchewan Huskies opened their 2026 Canada West season in impressive fashion Saturday (Sept. 5), controlling play from start to finish in a 3-0 victory over the Alberta Pandas at Foote Field in Edmonton. The win not only marks a strong start for Saskatchewan, but lso showcased a potent attack that generated 21 shots and kept Alberta under pressure for most of the afternoon.
The Huskies wasted little time finding their footing in the season-opening match. After an early save by goalkeeper
Alyssa Paydli less than a minute into the match, Saskatchewan quickly seized control of possession and began creating chances.
Isabelle Lachance forced a save from Alberta goalkeeper Tessa Borrelli in the fifth minute before the visitors broke through shortly afterward. At 6:17, fourth-year midfielder
Jenna Steacy opened the scoring, weaving her way through defenders before finishing off the rush to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead and their first goal of the season.
Saskatchewan continued to dictate the pace throughout the opening half, creating a steady stream of opportunities and corner kicks. The pressure paid off again in the 33rd minute when
Cheyenne Lehmann doubled the lead. Lachance sparked the play, earning an assist with a fantastic centering pass before Lehmann chipped the ball into back of the net to make it 2-0.
Any hopes of an Alberta comeback were put to rest midway through the second half. After several Saskatchewan chances, including consecutive Borrelli saves, Nguyen capped off a strong performance by scoring her first goal of the campaign. After rookie
Hazel Turnbull took a corner kick, Nguyen sent a perfectly placed high-arching shot up into the top right corner of the Alberta net, stretching the visitors lead to 3-0.
Saskatchewan continued to control the match even after the third goal. Steacy came close to adding her second late in the contest when she struck the post, while Lachance consistently threatened in the attacking third, leading all Huskies with five shots and four shots on goal.
Defensively, Saskatchewan was equally sharp. Paydli stopped all four Alberta shots on target to earn her first career clean sheet, while the Huskies' back line limited the Pandas to just six total shots. Alberta's best stretch came late in regulation, but Paydli answered with a pair of saves in the closing moments to preserve the shutout.
By the final whistle, the Huskies held decisive advantages in shots (21-6), shots on goal (11-4), and corner kicks (11-2), a reflection of a performance that saw Saskatchewan control play from the opening minutes and begin the season with a statement victory on the road.
The Huskies will look to carry their momentum into Sunday afternoon, when they will head to Clarke Stadium to take on the MacEwan Griffins. Kickoff is schedule for 12:00 PM.
