The #4 ranked Bison women's hockey team finish the first half of the 2017-18 season in a first place battle against the #2 ranked UBC Thunderbirds on December 1-2 weekend at the Wayne Fleming Arena (U of M Fort Garry campus). Puck drop versus the Thunderbirds will be 7 p.m. CT on Friday and 1 p.m. CT on Saturday. Tickets available at the Arena door or at the Bison website (gobisons.ca).

The Bisons look to continue their winning ways as Manitoba holds a 10-3-1-0 record so far plus is on a nine game conference winning streak while also 4-1-1-0 mark at Wayne Fleming Arena this season.

Heading into the two game weekend series, Manitoba sits in first place in the Canada West standings with 32 points (three points given out for regulation win) and five points ahead of second place UBC and Alberta. UBC is 6-3-1-0 in last 10 games and has gone 5-1-0-0 on the road.

This is the already the second weekend series between the two teams this conference season. Earlier n 2017-18, the Herd played at UBC on October 6-7, 2017 and won 5-4 (Oct. 6) and lost 4-1 (Oct. 7). In the 2016-17 season, Manitoba went 1-3-0-0 against the T-Birds and played at UBC in 2016 Canada West Finals and lost 2-1 in that playoff series.

Manitoba has three players in the Canada West Top 3 scoring. For the Bisons, third year forward Jordyn Zacharias (nine goals, five assists) leads with 14 points and fourth year forward Venla Hovi (3g, 8a) and fourth year forward Alanna Sharman (3g, 8a) are tied for second with 11 points. Fourth year forward Lauryn Keen (4g, 4a) is tied for 12th with eight points. In conference defenceman scoring, fourth year Alexandra Anderson (1g, 7a) is third with eight points followed by rookie Lauren Warkentin (0g, 6a) tied for fifth with six points and fourth year Erica Rieder (4g, 1a) T-7th at five points.

In the nets, Bison first year netminder Lauren Taraschuk leads the conference with 0.95 Goals Against Average, third in CW Save Percentage at .952, tied for second with two shutouts and tied for first with six conference wins. Fifth year Bison goalie Rachel Dyck has five wins, good for fourth spot in CW.

Bison Notes: Manitoba has scored the most conference goals so far this season with 37 while allowing the fifth lowest goals at 25 entering the weekend series. In CW stats, the Bisons hold the number one power play at 26.2% (16/61) and number one penalty kill at home at 90.5% (2/21).