EDMONTON - The Golden Bears soccer team clinched the #1 seed in the Prairie Division thanks to a 3-0 win over the MacEwan Griffins at Foote Field. By securing the top seed, the Golden Bears will host the first weekend of playoffs, with a quarter-final and semifinal scheduled for Foote Field on October 25th and 27th. 

Alberta outshot MacEwan 16-10 in Sunday's win, which sees them go to 12-0-4 all-time against the Griffins. Marcus Velado-Tsegaye, Habib Assem and Frankroy Cain scored for the U SPORTS #6 ranked Bears, with Liam Collens making five saves for his 19th career win and 17th career clean sheet. 

Kaleb Lutz made five saves in net for MacEwan, who fall to 3-9-1 in conference play with the loss. 

Sunday's result never felt in doubt, as Alberta controlled the game from the opening kickoff. Velado-Tsegaye opened the scoring in the 21st, finishing off a cross from fellow graduating Bear David Chung for his fourth of the season. 

Assem, who was subbed into the match in the second half, scored his third of the season in the 69th. Assem added a spark off the bench, adding a couple more scoring chances that didn't get past Lutz in the Griffins net. 

While the Griffins did finish with 10 shots, none of their five shots on target challenged Collens in the Bears crease. Cain punctuated the Bears win with a rocket from 25 yards out in stoppage time for his fourth goal of 2024. 

The Bears and Griffins will meet once more next weekend to conclude conference play.