EDMONTON - Second-year defender Leo Kadezabek scored a 60th-minute goal to help the Lethbridge Pronghorns draw the Alberta Golden Bears 1-1 Saturday afternoon at Foote Field.
He evened the game at one after a Rodane Cato strike in the 28th-minute for the Golden Bears, who sit at 1-1-2, good for third in the Prairie Division in the early stretch of the year. The Pronghorns go to 0-1-2, and occupy the fourth position in the division.
It was largely a tale of two halves, where the hosts dominated the opening frame and the visitors battled back in the second. Alberta did add some pressure near the end, which reflected in the shot count where the Bears held a 11-4 advantage (4-2 on target), but goalkeeper Tegan Romaine was stellar, parrying some high-danger chances from the Canada West semifinalists.
The game started quietly with each squad getting their legs under them on a hot summer afternoon. Alberta played from the back in the first half, which helped them dominate the possession game as the 'Horns ball control was few and far in between. It helped the Bears in the 28th-minute when a Nicolas Lechelt free kick found its way onto the jumping shoulder of captain Thomas Hope, whose deflection was promptly booted past Romaine by Rodane Cato for a 1-0 lead. It was the first goal of the season for the reigning Second Team CW All-Star. Near the end of the half, the Bears were able to break the 'Horns line a few times, but Romaine and defender Kyle Boell were able to snuff out any danger before it got too serious. The half ended with a 1-0 advantage for Alberta as Lethbridge looked for a different tactic to pressure the hosts.
The second half was a much different story, as three Lethbridge subs made an outsized impact at the half. First though, Romaine had to parry an incredibly dangerous chance from Caden Ruby that almost found twine in the 50th-minute and would have put the hosts in the driver's seat at 2-0. However, the Pronghorns would rally from there, breaking a strong Bears backline frequently until the 61st-minute when substitute Leo Kadezabek hit a rebound off the hands of Read for his first of the year, in his opening action of the 2025 season, to knot the game at one apiece. The best chance of the period for the home side came in the 80th-minute, when Habib Assem got a wide-open shot from inside the box, but Romaine held it with strong hands to maintain the draw. Alberta mustered a possession-based response for the last minutes of the game, but were unable to solve the 'Horns defence as this one ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Bears return to Foote Field tomorrow for a date with the Saskatchewan Huskies, while the Pronghorns bus across the river to take on the MacEwan Griffins.
