Ticket Information

Winners of six of their last seven games and coming off a road sweep over No. 3-ranked Alberta, the University of Regina Cougars return to The Co-operators Centre to host Manitoba on Friday and Saturday (7 p.m.).

The Cougars (8-4-0) are now off to their best start since the 2005-06 season, when they also had 16 points through their first 12 conference games. The U of R moved up to second place in Canada West after last weekend's sweep, though only two points separate second through fifth in the conference standings.

Second-year goalie Jennifer Schmidt was the story last weekend in the series against the Pandas. Schmidt stopped 32 of 34 shots in a 3-2 win on Friday, then made 25 saves in a 2-1 victory on Saturday as the Cougars registered their first ever road sweep over Alberta. Brooklyn Moskowy scored twice on Friday – including the game-winning shorthanded goal with under two minutes remaining – while Carleen Meszaros and Rianne Wight scored for the Cougars on Saturday.

Wight, who needs three goals to tie Erin Tady (2000-05) for third on the U of R's all-time list, leads the Cougars offensively with 12 points. Second-year forward Stephanie Sawchuk assisted on one of Moskowy's goals on Friday and now has 10 points this year, which doubles her output from her rookie season. Defencemen Hillary Lerat and Meszaros both have two goals and three assists this year, while rookie blueliner Alexis Larson also has a pair of goals.

After splitting the netminding duties between Schmidt and Toni Ross for the first five weekends of the conference schedule, last week against Alberta represented the first time either goalie got both starts during a weekend series. Both goalies have sparkling numbers this year, as Ross is 4-1 with a 1.68 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage, while Schmidt is 4-3 with a 2.46 goals-against and a .917 save percentage.

Manitoba (4-6-2) comes into the weekend in seventh place in the Canada West standings, but trails Lethbridge for the final conference postseason spot by a single point. The Bisons only have one regulation loss in their last four games, picking up five points during that span. 

Maggie Litchfield-Medd and Meagan Vestby lead Manitoba with nine points apiece, as both third-year forwards have collected five goals and four assists this season. Kyleigh Palmer – a transfer from Mercyhurst University – ranks second among Canada West defencemen with eight points.

Dée-Ana Marion started both games for Manitoba last weekend, helping the team take three out of a possible four points against UBC. Marion has a 2-2 record, a 1.95 goals-against average, and a .903 save percentage heading into the weekend.

The Cougars are also home next Friday and Saturday against UBC.