LETHBRIDGE - The Pronghorns battled through a tight, physical affair Saturday night, getting a timely finish from captain Ben Gingras to secure a 1-0 victory over the Alberta Golden Bears.
It was a defensive battle from the opening whistle, with both teams struggling to find much space in the final third. Lethbridge created some of the better chances early, with Robert Woodroffe-Brown testing the Alberta defence throughout the opening half.
Woodroffe-Brown nearly opened the scoring in the 17th minute, getting his head onto a corner from Hauke Knobloch, but his effort was turned aside by Alberta goalkeeper Trystan Read. He continued to be a threat, adding three more shots before halftime as the Pronghorns went into the break locked at 0-0.
The second half continued in much the same fashion, with neither side willing to give the other an inch. Lethbridge continued to press for an opening while goalkeeper Tegan Romaine and the Pronghorns' back line held firm at the other end.
Then, in the 75th minute, the breakthrough finally came.
Following a Pronghorns corner, the Golden Bears were unable to fully clear the ball from danger, and Gingras pounced. The captain fired a shot past the Alberta goalkeeper, Trystan Read, to give the Horns a 1-0 lead.
From there, the Pronghorns locked things down defensively. Romaine made five saves on the night, including a stop on Alberta's final shot of the game, as Lethbridge held on for the shutout victory.
The Pronghorns will look to complete a perfect opening home weekend when they host the MacEwan Griffins on Sunday, September 20 at University of Lethbridge Community Stadium.
