Two of the top three attacks in the USL Championship squared off at Weidner Field on Friday night.

The host Colorado Switchbacks FC, third in team goals with 23, took on Louisville City FC, second in the league with 28, in the first-ever match between the clubs.

The chippy match, played in front of 6,488, ended in a 1-1 draw thanks to Michee Ngalina’s fourth goal of the season in the 88th minute that knotted things at 1 apiece.

Heading north to south, Ngalina raced at the Louisville defense and blasted shot past Louisville goalkeeper Chris Hubbard, who got a hand on it as he dived to his left. Ngalina celebrated by doing several back-flips to the delight of the Switchbacks faithful.

Louisville’s Antoine Hoppenot provided the game’s first goal when he fired a shot past Switchbacks goalkeeper Abe Rodriguez in the 75th minute.

The game was delayed nearly two hours by several lightning strikes in the immediate area.

There were nine combined yellow cards issued, including one to Switchbacks coach Brendan Burke at the start of stoppage time in the second half.

The tie snapped a two-game losing streak by the Switchbacks.

There was no score after the first 45-minute stanza as the teams appeared to be feeling each other out. Louisville managed just six shots on goal (two on target), while the home club had five shots (one on target).

Neither team managed a shot on goal until the 18th minute when Louisville’s Lyle Greig blasted one in the direction of Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, 19, on loan from the MLS Colorado Rapids, was making just his second start of the season. He was in net in place of usual starter Sean Melvin.

Louisville was without the services of forward Cameron Lancaster, who was nursing an injury. The former Tottenham Hotspur F.C. striker is Louisville’s all-time leading scorer with 58 goals in six seasons with the team.

Louisville came to the Pikes Peak region with perhaps the most impressive resume of any team in the 31-team league. In its first five seasons in the league – beginning as an expansion team in 2015 – Louisville won two USL Cups (2017 and 2018) and lost in the championship finals in 2019.

Louisville advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in 2015, 2016 and 2020.

Louisville has never had a losing season since it came into the league.

Switchbacks 17-year-old forward Dantouma Yaya Toure was back with the Switchbacks on Friday after playing in his first MLS match last weekend for the Rapids. He saw three minutes during a 1-1 draw against San Jose.

The Switchbacks are off until July 31 when they travel to the Commonwealth of Virginia for a match in Leesburg against Loudoun United FC of the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. It will mark the first if five of six games on the road for the Switchbacks.

As of Friday, Loudoun was tied with the Oakland Roots for fewest points (six) in the league.

The game with Loudoun will mark the first time the Switchbacks will play in the Eastern Time Zone this season. The Switchbacks’ only other game back east will be at Charlotte on Aug. 21.