Both the Yukon girls' Canada Summer Games soccer and basketball squads will be searching for their first win Thursday in P.E.I.

The soccer team is coming off a close 2-1 loss to Saskatchewan on Tuesday, which was a major improvement from a 12-0 opening tournament loss to Ontario.

"It was just a team in a different league than we are," head coach John MacPhail said about playing Ontario. "They are just talented, fast, hit the ball hard, pass well, just everything you are supposed to do in soccer."

However, MacPhail said a meeting Tuesday morning before the tilt against Saskatchewan helped put the lopsided loss behind them.

The Yukoners played Saskatchewan to 0-0 score by the half and then tied it up in the second after the prairie province took a 1-0 lead.

Terri Publicover netted the lone Yukon goal with around 20 minutes left in the game. The play couldn't have happened without a great set up feed by Mary Bennett .

After receiving the cross, Publicover made no mistake, driving the ball into the left hand corner of the net.

Unfortunately for the Yukon, from there Saskatchewan turned it up a notch and an eventual mishap in backline resulted in the game winning goal with around six minutes left on the clock.

Despite the loss, MacPhail was pleased with the game.

"The girls were pretty happy too," he said. "They were very pleased with the effort, a little disappointed in the result, but there is a lot more smiles and laughing going on after that."

The team's next game is against P.E.I. and MacPhail said the group is hoping for its first win.

"We would like to get a win against a province and the reality, who knows, but we are hoping too," he said. "We will have to play very well to beat them and it would be a surprise for us to beat them, but we will try and it's more realistic that we might be able to beat them."

The Yukon's girls' basketball team, meanwhile, has a record of 0-4 so far at the Canada Summer Games. The group has had a tough draw so far at the tournament, taking on medal favourites B.C. and Alberta in its opening two contests.

"The girls are learning a lot," said head coach Mark Hereau. "But learning how to deal with turnovers is why we are here and learning how to play under that pressure style is really what we want to teach these girls. This is what real basketball is and they are learning that. It's just a little overwhelming sometimes, but we know they are learning it."

The team faces the possibility of being eliminated from the tournament if it loses to Manitoba on Thursday, but Hereau said his team's goals for that game include rebounding better, limiting turnovers and getting to the three throw line.

"We are hoping to reduce our turnovers because most of the points we're giving up are early layups," he said.

Hereau said his team matches up against Manitoba a little better in terms of their size and athletic ability.

So far the group has played Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.