Box Score EDMONTON – Near-zero temperature and snowy terrain made for tough sledding at Foote Field in Edmonton on Sept. 15, propelling the No. 8 and still undefeated University of Alberta Golden Bears and visiting Victoria Vikes to a 0-0 draw. 

Senior netminder Connor James made three saves to keep pace with UBC's Jason Roberts for the conference lead in shutouts with three apiece after Saturday's action. The clean sheet also improves James' career conference total to 25, putting the Edmonton native only three back of Victoria's Dominic Butcher (1996-2000) for the Canada West record.

Fourth-year goaltender Jas Lally recorded five saves for his first shutout of the season and second of his career, also recording his third draw in only five games this season.

As both squads struggled with the inclement weather, they exchanged early scoring chances when third-year midfielder Jack Hill put a header off the crossbar in the 12th minute before third-year defender Noah Cunningham's low free kick slid across the slick ground to give Lally some trouble in the 17th minute, the Surrey, B.C. native forcing no change on the scoreboard with his first save of the game.

Though the visitors had the slight 6-4 shot edge in the first half of the game, the Bears pushed hard in the second half to break the nil-nil deadlock. Team-leading scorer Ajeej Sarkaria hit the second crossbar of the game in the 55th minute, kicking a shot off the woodwork in tight.

His shot was the best of 10 directed towards the Victoria goal in the second half while second-year forward Ian Whibley had the best chance for the Vikes, lobbing one past James but hitting the post in the 66th minute.

Sarkaria and sophomore forward Easton Ongaro, who notched a combined 12 points in the first five games of the Alberta season, collectively recorded six shots and four shots on goal this afternoon, but could not come away with a game-deciding tally, also ending Ongaro's three-game goal-scoring streak.

The now 5-0-1 Golden Bears host the 3-1-1 Fraser Valley Cascades at approximately 2:15 p.m. MT on Sunday while 1-2-3 Victoria head to the north of Edmonton to tackle with the 3-2-1 MacEwan Griffins on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. MT.