MOOSE JAW After putting everything they had into their opening contest against Nova Scotia Monday night, the Yukon men's Canada Summer Games soccer team just had nothing left for Saskatchewan Tuesday.

They were outworked and out hustled in a 4-0 loss to their opponents, who were buoyed both by the fact it was their opening game of the tournament and the large hometown crowd which showed up to support them.

'It comes down to 18 hours in between games, if even that,' said an obviously deflated Yukon captain Boris Hoefs following the loss. 'It's kind of weird how us and the N.W.T. were both given back to back games to open the tournament. I'm not trying to come down on anyone, but it's hard to get enough sleep and get pumped up again with that little time.

'This was (Saskatchewan's) opener, so they had all the legs in the world.'

Yukon rookie Branden Carey agreed that fatigue was a huge factor, saying the Yukon just got some bad luck when it came to scheduling.

'We played really hard (Monday) night,' he said. 'We tried to take it hard to them, but everybody's running on half a tank. We just didn't have the hustle. We weren't winning balls.'

Not to take anything away from Saskatchewan, as they were a strong and skilled team, said Carey, but if it had been the Yukon's opener, he suspected the outcome could be much different.

'I still don't think this was a 4-0 game,' said Hoefs. 'They got lucky on a couple of goals. Winning in tournaments comes down to more than just playing well. You need luck and you need the ball to go your way, and it didn't this game. We didn't quite have it today.'

Saskatchewan came out swinging right from the get-go in Tuesday's matchup, careful not to fall victim to a major underdog, like Nova Scotia did. The local squad's coach had been at the Yukon/Nova Scotia contest - never mind the fact word of the shocking tie spread through the Games like wildfire - and warned his team not to take the Yukoners lightly.

'That made all the difference,' said Hoefs. 'They definitely took us seriously and it was nice to have that kind of respect. But, it's still tough.'

Head coach Spencer Rich said despite his disappointment with the outcome, he was proud of the whole team because they didn't give up after being down 3-0 at the half. Instead, he said, they came out hard in the second half.

'We had some pressure, had some chances. If we had scored a goal, anything could have been possible.'

The Yukon fell victim to a strange call in Tuesday's match, when one of the players was called for a hand ball - after a kick from Saskatchewan hit his hand when he lined up with teammates for the block. Saskatchewan was then awarded a penalty shot, which they subsequently put in the back of the net.

Hoefs, who missed a few scoring chances throughout the game, said it was frustrating not being able to get on the board, but it happens.

'Offense, I think, is a good reflection of the entire team, because the attack starts from the back.'

Calef Staples once again had a strong game for the Yukon on defence, as did Donny Richardson. Carey has also been impressing everybody with his defensive play, filling in as a starter at just 16 years old after Forbes Campbell pulled out of the Games due to an injury.

'I think I've stepped it up,' said Carey. 'That's what I keep hearing from Boris and some of the other guys, that I stepped up and showed them what I could do and did it well.'

Carey will need to continue that play in the territory's next game, if they want to avoid playing for 11th place. They have today off and will wait for the results of Saskatchewan/Nova Scotia (today) before they know for sure who their next opponent will be.

If Saskatchewan can beat Nova Scotia by more than four goals, the Yukon will still finish second in their pool and advance to the quarter-finals.

'It's always possible,' said Carey. 'Saskatchewan is a pretty good team. It's tough to say though, because Nova Scotia had a day off, so they should be rested up. But I don't think any of Saskatchewan's guys are banged up, so they should be able to take it to them hard.

'We really want to get into the second round. We weren't aiming to get in the consolation round. We want to go all out.'

But Hoefs said he's not counting on a trip to the quarter-finals, pointing out it's going to be two good teams going head-to-head today, so a five-goal differential would be a lot to hope for. Still, he said, the team has already done the Yukon proud, regardless of whether they advance to the playoffs.

'I think we've accomplished what our main goal was. That was to leave respected and be in both games and we were.

'(After yesterday's tie) we had teams like Ontario come up to us, talk to us, and that means a lot. In the past, they wouldn't give us the time of day and I hate that feeling more than anything, when you're treated like nothing. So I'm glad we were given more respect.'

Even if the Yukon doesn't make it to the quarter-finals, they still have a shot at beating a provincial team - something the Yukon has never done at these Games - in their final two contests in the consolation round.

'(Monday) was our cup final,' said Rich. '(Monday) was our emotional and physical best. We gave it our best shot (Tuesday), and to come this close, I think we have to be happy with that.

'Everyone here was stunned at our 1-1 tie with Nova Scotia and frankly, just as stunned that Saskatchewan beat us just 4-0.'

After all, the N.W.T. hasn't been fairing nearly as well at these games. They lost 7-0 in their opener to P.E.I. Monday and 15-0 to Ontario Tuesday. So it's fair to say the Yukon athletes have turned some heads.

Saskatchewan has been to tournaments in Holland, said Rich. Nova Scotia has 350,000 registered soccer players while the Yukon has just 1,500. And Saskatchewan has a population of one million while the Yukon has a population of just 30,000.

'I'm disappointed right now, because we had a chance,' he said. 'But we've still got two games left to prove to everyone that the Yukon is here to stay.'