Calgary, AB — Soccer returned to Mount Royal University's campus as the Cougars men's soccer team took to Mount Royal Field 2, opening their 2025 Canada West campaign against the Alberta Golden Bears. 

Coming into the season, MRU was ranked 5th in the coaches' poll, slightly behind the Golden Bears, who were slotted in 3rd. Both teams are expected to be championship contenders, with each looking to begin its season on a high note.

It was Cougars forward Joshua Flaksman who nearly did just that with a few chances just minutes into the game, including a header that missed wide left. The positive momentum continued to churn through the first 10 minutes for the Cougars as they controlled the majority of play.

Alberta found their rhythm soon after, and it took a brilliant save from goalkeeper Sjard Strauss on forward Habib Assem to keep the game knotted at zero.

3rd year forward, Frankroy Cain would get an opportunity to break the tie moments later after the Golden Bears were granted a corner kick. Cain would make the most of his kick, sending it past a flurry of MRU defenders, allowing for captain Thomas Hope to send a header past Strauss.

The Golden Bears' pressure pushed on with three consecutive chances in the penalty area. However, the green and gold were unable to convert after a strong display of blocking by the Cougars. 

As they continued to hold the fort on the back end, Mount Royal took advantage of an odd-man rush chance, with Joshua Flaksman finally breaking through offensively, setting up Kwasi Oteng-Frimpong for the equalizer.

Soon after, Mount Royal's high-flying offence would once again find an opening as Finn Marshall forced Golden Bears' forward Prince Amanda into a turnover and found Oteng-Frimpong in the 38th minute for his second of the afternoon.

Down early, MRU found its legs and, with that, took the lead heading into the second half.

Joshua Flaksman kept the wheels going after a dominant first half, catching an aerial pass in Golden Bears territory and beating Trystan Read on a break, giving MRU a two-goal cushion. 

From there, the Golden Bears struggled to develop any offensive juice and were limited to only a couple of chances, with Sjard Strauss and company shutting all of them down.

Strauss ended his day with 10 total saves, but more importantly, he played a big role in claiming the win for his group.

On a scorching hot day in Calgary, the Cougars came out of the gate on fire as they sped past the University of Alberta Golden Bears, winning their season opener by a score of 3-1.

After the game, Kwasi Oteng-Frimpong talked about the importance of getting a win and how the group plans to attack their next match on Sunday. 

"You know we will enjoy these three points, but then we have another big game against MacEwan, so we will have to recuperate, refuel and be back ready to grab a few more points tomorrow."

The blue and white will look to stay undefeated as they welcome the Northern-hailing MacEwan Griffins to the Stampede City for the first time in 2025. Be sure to follow the Cougars all season long as they begin their quest towards their second Canada West title.