Friday - [Stats] [Webcast]
Saturday - [Stats] [Webcast]

The four-game homestand continues for the No. 6-ranked University of Regina's women's hockey team as it hosts Mount Royal on Friday night (7:00) and Saturday afternoon (3:00) at The Co-operators Centre.

Playing at home for the first time in Canada West action last weekend, the Cougars won 2-0 over UBC on Friday to pick up their fifth consecutive win to start the season but finally lost one after a 3-2 setback to the Thunderbirds on Saturday. Goalie Jennifer Schmidt stopped 41 shots for the victory on her Friday, earning Canada West First Star of the Week honours as well as becoming the first University of Regina student-athlete to claim the CIS Female Athlete of the Week award since former wrestler Ali Bernard back in February of 2007.

The Cougars (5-1-0) still sit atop the Canada West standings, one point up on second-place Alberta. The team saw strong play from a number of players over the weekend including rookie forward Kristin Boan, who opened the scoring on Friday after deflecting a Carleen Meszaros point shot past the UBC goalie for her first career goal. Brooklyn Moskowy, Bailey Braden, and Stephanie Sawchuk also found the back of the net for the U of R over the course of the weekend, while second-year forward Kylie Gavelin had assists in both games.

Sawchuk and Meghan Sherven come into the weekend tied for the team lead with four points. Sawchuk has three goals and an assist this season, while Sherven's offensive output came courtesy of goals in each of the team's first four games of the conference schedule.

Schmidt and Toni Ross both have three starts apiece between the pipes for the Cougars. Both have sparkling numbers, including Schmidt who ranks second in the conference with a 0.64 goals-against average and has stopped 97 of 99 shots this season to lead Canada West outright with a .980 save percentage. Ross isn't far behind with a 1.59 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage.

Though Mount Royal (1-5-0) comes into the weekend in last place in the Canada West standings, the Calgary-based Cougars opened up the conference schedule with a road split at Saskatchewan three weekends ago and played current No. 9 Alberta tough two weeks ago in a 1-0 loss to the Pandas in Edmonton. Generating offence has been difficult for Mount Royal, as the Cougars have scored more than one goal only once this season and have a total of just five goals scored in their first six games.

Though she had just a pair of assists in 20 games played last season, second-year forward Janessa Jenkins has emerged as Mount Royal's leading scorer with two goals and two assists for four points in six games played so far this year.

Goalies Jess Ross and Katie Sigurdson have split the netminding duties for Mount Royal in each of the previous two weeks, though Sigurdson lasted only nine minutes last Saturday at Manitoba after allowing three early goals to the Bisons. Ross, who is Canada West's leader in minutes played, has a 2.48 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage coming into the weekend.

The two teams will kick off the weekend series on Friday night at 7 p.m. and take to the ice again at 3 p.m. for an afternoon matchup on Saturday. Chris Hodges and former University of Regina defenceman Hillary Lerat will have the call for both games live at canadawest.tv.