Women's Soccer | 10/5/2016 12:03:00 PM

FRIDAY: vs. Saskatchewan, 5 p.m., U of R Field
SUNDAY: at Saskatchewan, noon, PotashCorp Park

The University of Regina women's soccer team is ready for a home-and-home set against the Saskatchewan Huskies this weekend as the Canada West schedule crosses the midway point.

The Cougars will host the provincial-rival Huskies on Friday night at the U of R Field before heading north to Saskatoon for a rematch on Sunday afternoon.

"A big thing for us this weekend will be our mental game," fifth-year defender Racquel Marshall said Tuesday. "The Huskies are our rival but we'll need to be focused on our gameplan and forget about who we're playing. If we execute our gameplan and do what we normally do on the pitch we think we'll be successful."

Regina (2-4-2) is coming off a weekend split at home, defeating the Lethbridge Pronghorns 1-0 on Saturday afternoon before falling 2-0 to the No. 3-ranked Calgary Dinos on Sunday. The Cougars sit in fifth place in Canada West's Prairie Division, five points back of third-place Saskatchewan (4-3-1). Sienne Krynowsky scored the winner in Saturday's match, hammering in a bouncing ball off a long cross from Cassie Longmuir.

The Huskies also battled the Pronghorns and Dinos last weekend, playing Calgary to a 1-1 draw before topping Lethbridge 3-0. Erica Hindmarsh leads the Huskie attack with three goals and four assists on the season. Leesa Eggum and Meagan Manson each have two goals, while Taneil Gay and Rebecca Weckworth have one apiece.

The Cougar back line has been very strong this season, allowing just six goals, the third-lowest total in the division.

"Defensively we've just kind of clicked," Marshall said of her fellow defenders Olivia Bolen, Angela Lalonde and Longmuir. "It's the first season that I've played with any of the three of them and I think our styles really balance each other out. Obviously it starts with the forwards and midfielders as well, they do a great job of coming back and our defensive success has been a complete team effort." 

NOTE: Friday's match is in support of the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association, to raise awareness in athletes and spectators.