York9 FC salvages 2-2 draw against expansion Atlético Ottawa in team's debut
HFX Wanderers play to draw against Pacific FC in CPL's Island Games
Joseph Di Chiara scored on a penalty kick in the 62nd minute as York9 FC salvaged a 2-2 tie against newcomers Atlético Ottawa on Saturday in the expansion team's debut in the Canadian Premier League.
Lowell Wright also scored for York, which trailed 2-0 until the 60th minute. The team's goals came two minutes apart.
Mohamed Kourouma scored Ottawa's first goal in club history in first-half stoppage time. Malcolm Isaiah Shaw found the back of the net early in the second half to give Atlético a short-lived 2-0 lead.
WATCH | Atlético Ottawa holds on for draw in CPL debut:
HFX Wanderers FC play to draw against Pacific FC
Later Saturday, Ibrahima Sanoh scored in the 86th minute for HFX Wanderers as they played to a 2-2 draw against Pacific FC.
Joao Morelli Neto also scored for Halifax while Zachary Verhoven and Marco Bustos scored for Pacific.
WATCH | HFX Wanderers convert late penalty shot to secure draw:
The CPL season began Thursday with a 2-2 draw between defending champion Forge and Cavalry.
The league is playing all 36 of its matches this season on the artificial turf at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Alumni Field. The season is being dubbed the Island Games.
The Island Games winner will advance directly to the final of the Canadian championship against MLS opposition. The MLS finalist will be the team that earns the most points in the upcoming all-Canadian stretch of the Major League Soccer schedule.
The Charlottetown winner also earns a berth in the 2021 CONCACAF League, a feeder competition for the CONCACAF Champions League.
