Given the past history Albert Lea girls’ soccer head coach Rick Barnhill had his concerns entering Thursday’s contest with Owatonna, but much to the surprise of many the Tigers played one of their best games of the season in a 0-0 draw with the Huskies in Owatonna.

Last season Owatonna trounced Albert Lea 5-0 and outshot the Tigers 49-7, but this year was a different story.

The Huskies (4-5-2, 3-0-2 Big Nine) still outshot Albert Lea (7-2-1, 2-2-1 Big Nine) by a wide margin, 30 to 8, but the Tigers defended as a unit and also generated some chances of their own.

“I don’t believe there’s anybody that would have given us a dog-lickings of a chance to come away with that result,” Barnhill said.

Albert Lea had a chance with under 10 minutes to play in regulation when Sarah Savelkoul sent a cross into the Owatonna 18-yard box, but the Tigers couldn’t get a boot on it.

The Huskies nearly ended it near the end of regulation but a header went high and wide. Owatonna also hit a post once late in the game.

Barnhill rotated players in and out of the game, using 23 different players, including Steph Ferguson and Anna Brouwers in goal.

“To hold them to nothing for 90 minutes is a huge achievement,” Barnhill said.

Albert Lea hosts Mankato Loyola Saturday at noon.