For the eighth time in eleven matches this season, Cavalry FC played to a draw, this time 1-1 with league-leaders Atlético Ottawa at ATCO Field on Friday night.

A second-minute goal from Cavalry’s Tobias Warschewski was cancelled out by a goal from Atlético Ottawa’s Alberto Zapater in the 38th minute, with neither side able to capitalize on various chances thereafter.

The match began with a moment of silence for Dylon Powley, the former Atlético Ottawa and FC Edmonton goalkeeper, who tragically passed away recently at the age of 27. Powley also spent time with Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and many of the Cavalry players in the Calgary Foothills program.

It took Cavalry just over a minute to open the scoring. A lovely corner kick delivery from Diego Gutiérrez was headed goalward by Malcolm Shaw. Atleti goalkeeper Nate Ingham stopped the initial shot, but the rebound went back into the path of Warschewski, who smashed home his sixth of the season.

The early goal sparked a torrid pace for the opening 20 minutes of the match as both sides created multiple opportunities. There were ten shots attempted in total, five each, during that time.

Atlético Ottawa came close to equalizing on a few occasions in the early stages. First when Ballou Tabla showed exceptional skill to bring down a long ball from Alberto Zapater and turn Eryk Kobza in the box, before a slip allowed the Cavalry defender to block his shot. Minutes later, Aboubacar Sissoko played a threatening low ball across the goalmouth, but neither Tabla nor Rubén del Campo could get a foot on the pass.

Just when it looked like the match had settled down with half-time approaching, Atlético Ottawa’s found their moment. Del Campo chased down a loose ball in the corner, and was given a little too much time and space to clip a lovely ball into the box. Zapater, wearing the captain’s armband, was there to get on the end of the ball and head home his third of the season.

The end-to-end first half finished in a similar fashion as Warschewski nearly flicked a deflected free kick past Ingham in stoppage time, before Atleti went down the other way and won a corner on which Luke Singh really should have scored on a wide-open header from mere feet away from Carducci’s net. As a result, the two sides went to their respective locker rooms after the opening 45 minutes with the score remaining 1-1.

Once again, the hosts came flying out of the gates to start the second half. Warschewski had a pair of early chances to add to his tally, including when the ball dropped to him all alone in the box in the 50th minute. His shot, however, was well-saved by Ingham.

Against the run of play, however, Atleti created a great chance as Manny Aparicio intercepted an errant Cavalry pass in the midfield and played in Aboubacar Sissoko. The Ottawa midfielder’s shot was brilliantly blocked by Cavalry’s Daan Klomp.

The visitors came close again in the 75th minute, as Aparicio was alone in the box, but chose to play the ball across to del Campo. Atleti’s leading scorer sent a great strike toward goal, but was blocked outstandingly by Fraser Aird.

With time running down, Cavalry coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. chose to roll the dice, bringing on Callum Montgomery, alongside 18-year-old Niko Myroniuk. He also gave a debut to 17-year-old striker Chanan Chanda, who recently signed an Exceptional Young Talent contract with the Cavs.

Atlético Ottawa continued to press for a winner, and were denied by the woodwork in the 85th minute, when a mishit cross from Aparicio hit the crossbar.

Both sides have still lost just once this season, but given Atleti have four more wins than Cavalry this season, they remain eight points, and five places in the table, above the sixth-place Calgary club.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird (Montgomery 77′), Kobza, Klomp, Field; Gutiérrez (Daley 69′), Shome (Trafford 82′), Dias (Myroniuk 77′); Brooks, Warschewski, Shaw (Chanda 77′) 

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Twardek, Singh, Didić, de Brienne; Bassett (Antinoro 67′), Zapater (Torres 67′), Aparicio, Sissoko; Tabla (Morer 82′), del Campo (Salter 82′)

Goals

2′ — Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)
39′ — Alberto Zapater (Atlético Ottawa) 

Discipline

64′ — Yellow: Diego Gutiérrez (Cavalry FC)
90+1′ — Yellow: Jesse Daley (Cavalry FC)
90+3′ — Yellow: Liberman Torres (Cavalry FC)