Women's Hockey | 10/4/2017 9:07:00 AM

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

The University of Regina women's hockey team is set to open the 2017-18 Canada West season this weekend with a home-and-home matchup against the Saskatchewan Huskies.

The Cougars won three of the four regular season matchups against the Huskies a season ago, winning 2-0, 3-1 and 1-0 but dropping a 2-1 overtime decision in Regina.

Regina played in nine exhibition games leading up to the regular season and won four of them, including a first-place finish at the Mandi Schwartz Challenge that came down to a 4-3 overtime win over the Manitoba Bisons.

Young Talent
17 of the 24 players on the Cougar roster are in either their first or second year of U SPORTS eligibility. The rookies made their mark in the Cougars' pre-season play, led by Jordan Kulbida. The Saskatoon product had two hat tricks at the Mandi Schwartz Challenge, while Jenna Grube and Ireland South both found the net multiple times. Also joining the Cougars this year are forwards Emma Coulter and Martina Maskova, and defenders Mackenzie Hutchinson, Shaelyn Vallotton and Jensen Smigelsky.

Veteran Presence
Leading the Cougars will be fifth-year athletes Bailey Braden, Kylee Kupper and Nikki Watters-Matthes. Also returning to the Regina lineup are Jaycee Magwood and Emma Waldenberger (pictured), the team's two leading scorers from last season.

Between The Pipes
Both goaltenders from a season ago return to the Cougars, as Jane Kish enters her third season and Morgan Baker will suit up for her sophomore year. Kish led the team with 10 wins in 19 appearances and had a solid .915 save percentage and a 2.28 goals-against average. Baker earned four wins as a rookie and posted numbers of .909 and 2.15.

Out For Revenge
It was the Huskies that ended the Cougars' season a year ago, taking 4-3 and 2-1 wins in a Canada West quarterfinal series in Saskatoon. That was the two teams' first playoff meeting since a marathon Canada West final series in 2014 that went to a third game and featured a total of eight overtimes.