NAIT and RDP battle to exciting draw

Lloydminster, AB - In a thrilling, physical showdown at the ACAC Championships, the NAIT Ooks and Red Deer Polytechnic Kings battled in Game 2 of pool play. NAIT, the top seed from the North (8-2), and Red Deer, the South Division's second seed (6-3-1), delivered a match full of intensity, standout goalkeeping, and late drama.

The game kicked off with fast-paced, back-and-forth action as both teams looked to establish early dominance. Physicality was a key theme, with neither side backing down in the early exchanges.

NAIT's goalkeeper came up big with an early save on a dangerous effort from Red Deer's Grant Johnson, setting the tone for a defensive battle. Meanwhile, Red Deer's #31 stood tall, making a series of crucial saves to keep the game scoreless.

As the half wound down, NAIT finally broke through. Peter Jones found the net with 2:52 left, fighting through a tough Red Deer defense to give his team the lead. Less than a minute later, Luis (Alex) Arreaza doubled NAIT's advantage at 2:05, forcing Red Deer to take a timeout in an attempt to regroup.

In the second half, NAIT had an early chance to extend their lead with a 2-on-1 break featuring Jones and Arreaza, but they failed to capitalize. Red Deer responded with a golden opportunity of their own, but #10 Ajdin Sarcevic missed a close-range chance, keeping the deficit at two.

Red Deer's persistence finally paid off when Grant Johnson put the Kings on the board at 17:52, firing a well-placed shot from the left corner to cut NAIT's lead in half. As tensions rose, both teams ramped up the physical play, making for an intense final stretch.

With momentum shifting, Johnson struck again at 8:05, netting the equalizer to complete Red Deer's comeback. NAIT, determined to reclaim control, called a timeout with under two minutes left, looking for a late spark.

In the dying moments, NAIT generated a great scoring chance with just two seconds left but couldn't find the finishing touch, sealing the 2-2 draw in a thrilling contest.

Both teams will continue their next games in pool play.

Players of the Match for the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings was Grant Johnson, and for the NAIT Ooks was Emmanuel Mukolo.