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With an automatic berth in the 2013 CIS Championship and a trip to the Canada West finals on the line, the University of Regina's women's hockey team hosts the UBC Thunderbirds this weekend in a best-of-three conference semifinal series at The Co-operators Centre.

Game 1 will go at 7 p.m. on Friday with Game 2 to follow on Saturday night (7:00). If it's needed, a third and deciding game will be played on Sunday afternoon with a 3 p.m. start time.

Needless to say, a win this weekend would be huge for both programs. A series victory for the U of R would give the Cougars their first appearance in the CIS Championship since hosting the tournament in back-to-back years in 2002 and 2003. It would also put the Cougars in the Canada West final series for the first time since 2003.

And for UBC, two wins this weekend would give the school its first appearance in both the CIS Championship and the conference final series.

The two teams have only met one time in the postseason, with UBC defeating Regina by a 3-2 margin back in the 1999 Canada West third-place game. Regina holds a 37-9-1 advantage in the 47 conference games played between the two teams and won three of its four games against UBC this season.

The Cougars, who received a bye through last weekend's quarterfinals due to their second-place finish in the Canada West standings, were led offensively this season by the one-two punch of fifth-year forwards Rianne Wight and Paige Wheeler. Both players tied for the team lead with 12 goals, while Wight finished seventh in Canada West with 26 points over the conference schedule. Second-year forward Stephanie Sawchuk exploded for 19 points this year after collecting five in her rookie season, while Carleen Meszaros ranks among the conference's top blueliners with 15 points – the most by a U of R rearguard since Chelsa Heywood had 16 back in 2007-08.

U of R head coach Sarah Hodges has relied on a two-goalie system for much of the season, as Jennifer Schmidt got the start between the pipes in 16 games and Toni Ross started 12 games for the Cougars. Both netminders put up fine numbers during the conference schedule, as Ross ended up with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage while Schmidt had a 2.37 goals-against average to go along with a .912 save percentage.

UBC finished in third place in the Canada West standings and made quick work of Manitoba in last weekend's conference quarterfinals, defeating the Bisons 7-2 in Game 1 and completing the series sweep with a 4-1 win in Game 2. Tatiana Rafter (23 points) and Rebecca Unrau (22) led UBC in scoring during the conference schedule, while third-year blueliner Sarah Casorso had 15 points in Canada West play. Goalie Danielle Dube started both games last weekend against Manitoba and had a 1.67 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage during the conference schedule.

The winner of this weekend's series will play the winner of the Alberta/Calgary semifinal next weekend in a best-of-three Canada West final.

The Regina/UBC series will be available via live video webcast at www.canadawest.tv.