There were only 10 minutes left in the game when one of the two zeroes on the scoreboard disappeared.
Unfortunately for the Estevan Sherritt Coal Miners, it wasn't theirs.
The atom football club fell 20-0 to the Regina Cardinals on Saturday in a defensive duel that remained scoreless through more than three quarters.
"It was quite the defensive battle back and forth. It was such a good game and you almost had that feeling, whoever was going to score first was going to win and unfortunately for us it was them that scored first," said Miners head coach Wanda Harron.
One week after a victory in their home opener, the Miners (1-2) had a shot at another win late in the game, but they couldn't hold off the Cardinals (1-2), who had been routed in a pair of losses to open the season.
"In all honesty, maybe us as a coaching staff went in licking our chops a little too much," Harron acknowledged. "But they were a good team. They had one linebacker that was constantly getting up the middle. They didn't look like an 0-2 team at all."
Estevan's best chance to score came when they opted to pass at the one-yard line and the attempt was picked off.
"They had a very tall linebacker that was constantly getting into the backfield, so we thought we'd mix it up a bit and called a passing play," Harron said, noting that in hindsight, it may have been better to run the ball regardless.
The head coach said she was impressed with the job her defence did, although there is still room for improvement.
"The one thing we need to work on is play recognition. They passed on us a few times for big plays. In practice, our defensive backs are excellent, but it seems like during the games, our whole defence thinks, 'Oh, their quarterback's scrambling, one of our guys is going to get him,' then they (complete a big pass)."
On the other hand, Harron said, "There were so many two and outs and we did have an interception. I don't know how much more, with kids this age, we can expect from a defence. They're wrapping well and they're tackling, they're getting into the backfield lots."
The Miners were shut out for the second time in three games, and Harron said better blocking is critical for improvement on offence.
"We were moving the ball pretty good, not as well as in our win. Again, I think the big thing is the blocking. It's just so hard to stress at this age how important blocking is, that you can't afford to take one play off," she said.
It doesn't get any easier for the Miners on Saturday, as they host the 3-0 Yorkton Gridders. With the Miners' defence being a strong point, Harron said she is considering converting a couple of defensive players to offensive linemen or slotbacks to help out with the blocking.
Saturday's game kicks off at noon at Dana Quewezance Memorial Field.
