LETHBRIDGE – On the strength of two first half goals, the Alberta Golden Bears outlasted the Lethbridge Pronghorns 2-1 Sunday afternoon at the University Community Stadium in Lethbridge.
 
After starting the season with three consecutive ties, the Bears earn their first win of the season and improve to 1-0-3. The Pronghorns fall to 0-3-0 with the loss.
 
David Chung and Everett Orgnero scored for the Golden Bears, while Kai Sakaguchi replied for the Pronghorns.
 
The Golden Bears opened the scoring in the 7^th minute. Third-year midfielder David Chung collected the ball just outside the 20-yard mark and beat Pronghorn keeper Armaan Thawer high to the far side. The goal was Chung's first of the season.
 
Bears nearly doubled their lead in the 17^th minutes on a wild goalmouth scramble that saw Pronghorn fullback Ryan McMurtry block one shot before the ref called a Alberta foul to end the sequence.
 
Following the midpoint water break due to the heat wave southern Alberta is experiencing, Alberta did double the lead in the 32^nd minute. Having just come onto the pitch as a sub, Everett Orgnero slotted a shot off the post and in.
 
A short time later, the Pronghorns had their best chance off a corner kick, but Damon Field's header slid wide of the far post.
 
Just prior to first half stoppage time, the Pronghorns cut the lead in half on a goal from Kai Sakaguchi. Coming off a two goal game on Friday Danilo Morales faced down the flank past a Bears defender and crossed the ball into the box and a fortuitous bounce off Pronghorns rookie Cole Jackson left Sakaguchi with a wide open goal to net his first career Canada West goal.
 
In the half, the Bears held a shot advantage of seven attempts to four for the Pronghorns.
 
In the 59^th minute, the Bears came narrowly close to regaining the two goal lead. Thawer made a great point blank save off Habib Assem and then Ryan McMurtry made his second save of the game on the line, blocking Rilind Idrizi on the rebound.  
 
The Pronghorns had a great opportunity to tie the game in the 73^rd minute after a Golden Bear foul was called on the edge of the penalty area. Karim Bey's shot deflected off a Bears defender and into the arms of Liam Collens.
 
Pushing forward, looking for the equalizer, Bey had another good look less than 10 minutes later, cutting back, but his shot was blocked by a sliding Bears defender.
 
The Pronghorns continued to push forward in the final minutes and stoppage time but could not beat Collens to find the equalizer.
 
The Pronghorns finished the game with 14 shot attempts and forced the Collens to make six saves in the second half. Lethbridge held the Bears to only five shot attempts in a scoreless second half, only one was on target.
 
Next up for the Pronghorns is a road trip to Calgary next weekend to take on the Mount Royal Cougars and Calgary Dinos. Alberta will play a single game next weekend versus crosstown rival MacEwan Griffins.