Women's Hockey | 1/25/2017 10:46:00 AM

FRIDAY: vs. Saskatchewan, 7 p.m., The Co-operators Centre
SATURDAY: at Saskatchewan, 7 p.m., Rutherford Arena

The University of Regina women's hockey team will play the Saskatchewan Huskies in a home-and-home set this weekend, as the Cougars trail the Huskies by just three points for fourth place in the Canada West standings.

The Cougars enter the weekend at 9-10-3-0 after splitting a pair of games at Mount Royal, falling 2-1 on Friday but rebounding for a 3-2 shootout win on Saturday afternoon. Kylee Kupper scored on Friday before Lilla Carpenter-Boesch and Kylie Gavelin had goals in regulation on Saturday. Emma Waldenberger scored the winner while Morgan Baker didn't allow a goal in the shootout.

Last weekend's results means both the Cougars and Huskies have clinched post-season berths, but now the jostling for home-ice advantage begins. The top two teams in the conference will receive a first-round bye, while the No. 3 and 4 seeds will host a quarterfinal series.

The Cougars will be without their two leading scorers and team captain this weekend, as Jaycee Magwood, Kylie Gavelin and Alexis Larson will be competing for Team Canada in the 2017 FISU Winter Universiade in Almaty, Kazakhstan beginning on Sunday. The Huskies will also be without their leading scorer, as Kaitlin Willoughby (9G, 10A) will join the Cougar trio on Team Canada.

Among Cougars who will look to step into a larger role this weekend are Kupper (7G, 7A), Bailey Braden (5G, 7A), Waldenberger (5G, 7A) and Tamara McVannel (1G, 8A).

Baker got both starts for the Cougars against Mount Royal, stopping 33 shots on Friday and 25 more on Saturday. Baker has four wins to go along with a 1.95 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage this season. Jane Kish has eight wins under her belt, with a 2.43 GAA and .914 save percentage.

The Huskies (9-7-3-3) are coming off a split against the No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds, dropping a 2-1 double-overtime decision at home but responding with a 5-4 win in overtime the second night.

Lauren Zary is the top scorer for Saskatchewan in Willoughby's absence, with four goals and 14 assists to her credit. Rachel Johnson has 11 points, while Kennedy Harris has pitched in with nine.

Fifth-year netminder Cassidy Hendricks has seen most of the action between the pipes for the Huskies, sporting eight wins with a 1.67 GAA and .930 save percentage.

The Cougars and Huskies matched up in late October for a home-and-home series, which saw the Cougars take 2-0 and 3-1 wins for the weekend sweep. Larson, Gavelin and Magwood combined for seven points in those two games.