The #9 and third place Manitoba Bisons continue their playoff season in Canada West conference women's hockey as they now travel to the #4 and first place Alberta Pandas (19-1-7-41) to play in the Canada West Final best-of-three playoff series on the March 6-8 weekend. 

The winner of the series will advance to the 2015 CIS WHKY Championship held at University of Calgary from March 12-15.

The best-of-three playoff series commences on Friday, March 6 with a start time of 3 p.m. CT for game one then game two on Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m. CT and, if necessary, game three will be play on Sunday, March 8 at 3 p.m. CT. All playoff contests will be played at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton (Alberta campus) and shown on live webcast at canadwest.tv website.

During this season, Manitoba went 2-2 against Alberta as they split on the road (L 1-0 on Nov. 7/14; W 4-3 on Nov. 8/14) and also split at home (W 1-0 on Nov. 28/14; L 3-2 on Nov. 29/14). Since the beginning of the second half of the 2014-15 season, the Bisons went 6-3-2-1 in reg. season and won four of last six games away.

The last time both teams meet in the playoffs was in the 2010-11 season and Manitoba swept Alberta on the road by a 2-0 game margin (2-0 and 2-1 wins by the BIsons) in the conference final best-of-three series. This is the eighth time that both teams meet-up in post-season series action since women's hockey started play in Canada West during the 1997-98 season. Manitoba has met Alberta in every playoff occasion on the road and in the Canada West Championship and hold a 2-5 post-season record with wins in 2009 (2-1 in games) and 2011 (2-0 in games) while the rest of the results have fallen to the Pandas with 2-0 series victories in 2005-08 and 2010.

Manitoba is looking to advance to a CIS championship series for the first time since 2010-11 season, when they captured the Canada West championship. The Herd has made the CIS Championship in five different seasons so far during the program's history. 

This playoff season, the Bisons defeated Regina 2-1 in games during the conference quarterfinal series at home on Feb. 20-22/15 while Manitoba won 2-1 in games at #7 UBC in the conference semi-final series on the road (Feb. 27-Mar. 1/15).

Bison women's hockey - 2015 Canada Final series away schedule

Date                        Game                                                Time                 Place

Fri., March 6         Game 1: Manitoba vs. Alberta    3 p.m. CT       Alberta

Sat., March7         Game 2: Manitoba vs. Alberta    3 p.m. CT       Alberta

*Sun., March 8     Game 3: Manitoba vs. Alberta    3 p.m. CT       Alberta

* if necessary

Bison Notes: 2014-15 Canada West Rookie of the Year Alanna Sharman leads the team and tied for first in conference scoring so far in the 2015 playoffs with eight points (four goals, four assists) in six games. In addition, Bison captain Maggie Litchfield-Medd (2g, 4a) is tied for third in Canada West playoff scoring with six points and second year forward Alana Serhan (3g, 2a) is tied for sixth in Canada West playoffs with five points. Second year goaltender Rachel Dyck is third in Canada West playoffs with Goals Against Average at 1.65 while second with .932 Save Pct. with 4-2 record while starting and playing in all six playoff contests.

CANADA WEST WOMNE'S HOCKEY FINAL PREVIEW

#2 seed and #9 CIS ranked Manitoba Bisons

Head Coach: Jon Rempel (11th season)

Regular season record: 14-5-7-2 (3rd in conference)

Playoff record to date: 4-2 (CANADA WEST QF: W 4-1 vs. Reg. on Feb. 20/15; W 3-2 [1st OT] vs. Reg. on Feb. 22/15; CANADA WEST SF: W 2-1 [2 OT] at UBC on Feb. 28/15; W 2-1 at UBC on Mar. 1/15) (CANADA WEST QF: L 4-3 [2 OT] vs. Reg. on Feb. 21/15; CANADA WEST SF: L 2-1 at UBC on Feb. 27/15)

Season overall record (including non-conference games): 26-5-12-2

Season record vs. final team: 2-2 vs. Alberta (Bisons split on the road (L 1-0 on Nov. 7/14; W 4-3 on Nov. 8/14) and also Bisons split at home (W 1-0 on Nov. 28/14; L 3-2 on Nov. 29/14)

Top 10 final ranking (Feb. 17): #9

Top 10 best ranking: #8 (twice on Jan. 27/15 and Feb. 3/15)

Top 10 number of weeks ranked (15 polls total): five weeks (Jan. 20-Feb. 17/15)

Past CIS / Canada West award winners: Alanna Sharman (2014-15 Canada West Rookie of the Year); Jon Rempel (2014-15 Canada West Coach of the Year)

Past CIS / Canada West all-stars: forward Alanna Sharman (2014-15 Canada West First Team All-Star); goaltender Rachel Dyck (2014-15 Canada West Second Team All-Star); defenceman Michelle Pawluk (2014-15 Canada West Second Team All-Star); forward Lauryn Keen (2014-15 Canada West All-Rookie Team); defenceman Erica Rieder (2014-15 Canada West All-Rookie Team); defenceman Caitlin Fyten (2013-14 CIS and Canada West All-Rookie Team)  

Points leader: Alanna Sharman (1st in conference with 40 points – 17g, 23a)

Goaltender leader: Rachel Dyck (2nd in conference with 1.70 GAA, .927 Save Pct., 16 wins)

Goal leader: Sharman and Alana Serhan with 17 (Tied for 2nd in conference)

Assist leader: Sharman with 23 (1st in conference)

+/- leader: Sharman with +19 (Tied for 6th in conference)

Penalty minutes leader: Maggie Litchfield-Medd and Caitlin Fyten with 24

Power play goal leader: Sharman with 7 (Tied for 2nd in conference)

Shorthanded Goal leader: none

Shots on Goal leader: Lauryn Keen with 109 (6th in conference)

Conference Team raking: 4th in goals for with 79; T-16th in goals against with 53; 12th in power play at 17.9%; 4th in penalty kill at 85.3%

Longest win streak: 8 (Jan. 9-31/15 – Tied for 1st in conference)

CIS Team raking: 6th in goals for with 79; 3rd in goals against with 53; 4th in power play at 17.9%; 14th in penalty kill at 85.3%; 9th in GAA at 1.81; 14th in Save Pct. at .920 

Canada West finals appearances in history: 8th this season (2-5 in conference finals so far) 

Canada West championships won: 2 (2008-09; 2010-11)

Last Canada West championship: 2011

CIS championship won: none

CIS championship appearances: 5 (2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09; 2010-11)

Best CIS championship result: 3rd place in three different seasons (2005, 2007, 2008)

Last season playoff results: lost 2-1 in games at home against Regina in conference quarter-final best-of-three series

2014-15 playoff results: won 2-1 in games against Regina during the conference quarter-final best-of-three series at home on Feb. 20-22/15; Manitoba won 2-1 in games at #7 UBC in conference semi-final best-of-three series (Feb. 27-Mar. 1/15).