The University of Regina's women's hockey team plays host to the No. 7-ranked Manitoba Bisons this Friday and Saturday at The Co-operators Centre.

The Cougars opened their season last weekend with a pair of losses in a home-and-home against Saskatchewan, losing 7-1 in Saskatoon on Friday and 2-0 in Regina on Saturday night. Paige Wheeler scored the Cougars' lone goal of the weekend, while rookie goaltender Jennifer Schmidt and fifth-year netminder Lisa Urban each got a start.

Manitoba (0-2-0) also dropped a pair of games to open the conference schedule last weekend, losing by scores of 4-3 and 4-1 at home to the Alberta Pandas. One of four Canada West teams to be ranked in the first CIS Top Ten of the season, Manitoba enters the weekend at No. 7 in the national rankings.

Regina will hit the road next weekend for two games at UBC in Vancouver, while Manitoba will have a weekend off before hosting Saskatchewan on Nov. 4 and Nov. 5.

The Cougars have three home games remaining in the first half of the Canada West schedule. They'll host Lethbridge on Nov. 18 and Nov. 19 at The Co-operators Center and will entertain Saskatchewan in a rare Thursday game on Dec. 1 at the Brandt Centre.

NOTES: Entering the weekend, the two teams have faced each other 55 times in Canada West games, with the Cougars holding a 29-22-4 advantage in the all-time series ... Saturday's game will mark the 250th Canada West game played by the University of Regina's women's hockey team since the program's inception prior to the 1998-99 season ... the Cougars have a 134-92-22 all-time record in the 248 Canada West games they've played entering the weekend.