There’s one thing HFX Wanderers FC haven’t been able to do yet this season: play a full game without conceding a goal.

Headed into the first leg of a Canadian Championship matchup with Valour FC, the Wanderers are looking to change that. With a draw and a win last week, the arrows are pointing up.

“I think we are getting more numbers into the attack and quicker. And the players are now sort of getting a little better understanding of the movement and the passes required,” said coach Stephen Hart after Tuesday’s practice.

“I would like to go into the game and come away with a clean sheet which we have not managed to do for the season yet.”

Including the first round of the Canadian Championship, the Wanderers are the only CPL club to yet get through the full 90 without seeing a ball go past a keeper.

Scoring goals was also an early-season issue, but the Wanderers were able to move up the CPL standings last week with a strong showing at the Wanderers Grounds after a 1-1 draw against York9 FC and 2-1 win over Pacific FC.

“I think (having positive results) is very important because it gives a lot of momentum now going forward, picking up points. Now we can just build on this and get a good run,” midfielder Elliot Simmons told CanPL.ca.

The path to the second round wasn’t exactly easy. Going up against League1 Ontario side Vaughan Azzurri, the Wanderers won 3-2 away from home then lost 1-0. An away-goal tie-breaker is the only reason the team is moving on.

“Learning from the last leg it’s probably more (about) containing emotions now. Like even if you go one, two, three up, it’s not getting excited,” said Simmons of lessons learned as the team prepares for Valour.

“It’s playing smart and still controlling the game but keeping it within your hands as well. I think on that side we learned a lot.”

For coach Hart, he said coming into the game with some momentum from the last two CPL game “wouldn’t hurt.”

“Of course it’s good for us to be in that situation and spirits are high,” said Hart, “but that’s in the past and we still have a game to play.”

The two teams met on May 11 with Valour FC picking up a 1-0 win in Winnipeg.

“They’re a very dynamic team. They’ve got a lot of attacking pieces which Rob Gale has used well,” said Hart while giving credit to Valour’s coach.

“And they have a lot of variation in their attack because of those attacking pieces. You know, he’s used them well.”

For Hart, his game preparation doesn’t change if it’s a Canadian Championship game or a regular season game in the CPL.

“The biggest thing, and I’m not going to harp on it with the players because I don’t want it in their mind, is no away goals,” Hart said.

“I’m more concerned with the positive things we’ve been doing and playing to those strengths.”

In the two league games at home last week, Hart played an identical starting XI with the only change coming in net with both keepers seeing a start. In the York9 game, Hart didn’t make a single substitution. It was a different story against Pacific FC with both goal-scorers being subbed off; Akeem Garcia came off in the 68th minute, laying down on the field with an apparent injury. Luis Alberto Perea also requested a sub in the second half and came off in the 75th minute.

“We have to sit down as a staff and make some decisions. We’ve been thrown a bit of a curve ball. I’ll talk to the medical staff and see what they think as well and we’ll take it from there.”

The Wanderers host Valour FC on June 5 before travelling to Winnipeg on June 12 for the second leg. The winner of the matchup will face Ottawa Fury FC of the USL in the third round of the Canadian Championship.