EDMONTON - Mount Royal Cougar Ruben Koudelka scored in the 80th minute to rescue a 1-1 draw against the Alberta Golden Bears Sunday afternoon at Foote Field.

It was a hotly contested fixture, with nine yellow cards issued between the two teams, in addition to a red card for Mount Royal. Joel Martins-Correia was the scorer for the home side, flicking in a header in the 64th minute.

Alberta still sits atop the Prairie Division with a 3-0-1 record, while the Cougars record their third straight draw and move to 1-0-4 on the year.

The first half, while scoreless, contained some phenomenal chances from both sides. MRU recorded four shots in the first 45, all on target, and had a golden chance from the boot of Miguel Da Rocha from a few yards out that found the gloves of Liam Collens in the seventh minute. The Bears hit the crossbar an astonishing three times, including a crazy sequence in stoppage time that saw two crossbars and an up close shot from Joel Martins-Correa that was put aside by Cougar keeper Aidan Dumoulin.

Martins-Correia broke the score open in the 64th minute with a headed goal after a flurry of activity in front of the net to make it a 1-0 Alberta lead. It was his first on the campaign, and defensive partner Thomas Hope recorded an assist on the play. Mount Royal amped up the pressure from there though, dominating play eventually culminating in an 80th minute goal from Koudelka that was an impressive kick from in the box that beat Collens to make it a 1-1 game. It was the first goal conceded by the Bears this season. The score would remain through an eventful stoppage time that saw a Mount Royal red card and several yellows issued.

Alberta takes their season on the road next weekend where they face the UBCO Heat and UBC Thunderbirds, while the Cougars visit Trinity Western and Thompson Rivers.