LETHBIRDGE – Opening the 2019 Canada West season, the Alberta Golden Bears kickoff the season on the right foot with a 2-1 victory over the Lethbridge Pronghorns in Canada West men's soccer action.
 
After playing 72 minutes without a goal, the Bears scored twice in a less than four minutes and were able to hold the Pronghorns off, after surrendering a goal less than two minutes after the eventual game winning goal.
 
Syed Shah and Lahai Mansaray scored for the Golden Bears, while first-year Pronghorn Tyler Quinn picked up his first goal in his first Canada West game to cut the Bears lead to only one late in the second half.
 
In a scoreless opening half, the Golden Bears held the majority of the possession and attempted 13 shots on goal with seven finding the target. Alberta's best chance came off a goal mouth scramble just shy of the 25-minute mark. Off a Bears free kick, Janko Vong collected a loose ball just inside the Pronghorns penalty area but Pronghorn keeper Matt Vandervoort was able to make the point blank save.
 
The Pronghorns only had one shot attempt in the first 45 minutes of action.
 
Early in the second half, the Pronghorns moved down the field into the Bears end and new comer Landon Veluw nearly opened the scoring, but his shot curled just wide of the top corner.
 
Alberta continued to have good looks at the Pronghorns goal but could not beat Vandervoort until the 72^nd minute.
 
Breaking into the Pronghorns box on the right flank, Lahi Mansaray slid a pass to a wide-open Syed Shah for a tap in to break the deadlock.
 
Less than four minutes later, the Bears doubled the lead. Mansaray was on the receiving end of a nice cross from Harkirat Malhi. Mansaray went on to beat a Pronghorns defender and slotted home his first of the season.
 
Not going away quietly, the Pronghorns cut the lead in half only minutes later. Freshman Tyler Quinn picked up a redirected pass and beat Bears keeper Chris Ezoua to the low left corner.
 
The Pronghorns nearly completed the comeback with just more than four minutes before injury time but Ben Kutas' header went just over the bar and that would be as close as the Pronghorns would come to knotting the game up at two.
 
Alberta held a distinct advantage statistically, with 23 shot attempts to the Pronghorns five.
 
The Pronghorns will be back in action Sunday afternoon, hosting the MacEwan Griffins at the University Community Stadium at 2:15, while the Bears will complete a season opening road trip in Saskatoon on Sunday, taking on the Saskatchewan Huskies.