CALGARY - After being postponed due to a wild Canadian snow storm, the Mount Royal University Cougars men's soccer team had another chance to take on the University of Alberta Golden Bears this weekend.
The two teams seemed evenly matched as neither was willing to yield much territory. Alberta finally got their first chance on net after seven minutes before quickly going offside. In contrast, Mount Royal earned a couple fouls before refocusing their efforts.
Within the space of just a minute, Alberta's Noah Cunningham and Mount Royal's Dane Domic each got a shot on the opposing net. Daniel Harrison of the Cougars made another attempt, quickly followed by Miguel Da Rocha, but none were able to get past the Golden Bears' keeper Liam Collens.
The two teams pushed each other relentlessly until finally one player broke the tension. Alberta's Garry Onyejelem earned his team's first goal of the day at the 37 mark.
Mount Royal's attacking midfielder Domic managed to sneak a goal off a penalty kick just as the halftime was called. The match entered the break with a tie.
The second half opened with several opportunities on net for the Cougars as the Golden Bears were tripped up by a yellow card. Despite a sneaking in a couple shots, Mount Royal was unable to break into the lead.
Both teams were making several subsitutions as the match escalated. The forwards were eager to make an impression on the game as the defensemen were protecting their backs. Alberta's keeper Liam Collens was keeping up with each push from the Cougars, not letting another one through.
As the final whistle approached, Mount Royal snuck one more shot on net thanks to Trevor MacPhee, but were thwarted.
The game ended in a 1-1 tie at Mount Royal's final home game.
Mount Royal's fifth years Trevor MacPhee and Evan Kaake are graduating from their respective programs this year. They move onto battle in their final match of the season against the University of Calgary Dinos on Saturday, October 19th. It will be broadcasted live on CanadaWest.tv, presented by Co-op.
