The #5 Bison women's hockey team host the Saskatchewan Huskies on February 3-4 weekend at the Wayne Fleming Arena (U of M Fort Garry campus) with senior game (highlight graduating student-athletes) on Saturday. Puck drop versus the Huskies will be 7 p.m. CT on Friday and 4 p.m. CT on Saturday. Tickets available at the Arena door.
The Bisons look to continue their winning ways at home as Manitoba holds an impressive 7-3-1-1 record so far at Wayne Fleming Arena this season.
Heading into the two game weekend series, Manitoba sits in a tie for second place in the Canada West standings entering the weekend with a 14-5-3-2 record for 50 points (three points given out for regulation win) and tied with second place Alberta. Manitoba has won their last four consecutive games and seven of last ten games. Saskatchewan is fourth in the eight team conference with a 9-8-4-3 record for 38 points and has gone 4-6 in last ten games.
This is the second weekend series between the two teams this conference season. Earlier in 2016-17, the Herd swept the Huskies on the road (W 2-1 in 2nd OT on Nov. 25/16 and W 3-2 in 1st OT on Nov. 26/16).
Manitoba has six players in the Canada West Top 15 scoring. For the Bisons, third year forward Lauryn Keen is in first place with 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists), third year forward
Venla Hovi (10g, 11a) is in sixth with 21 points while third year forward
Alanna Sharman (8g, 9a) is in 11th with 17 points. Third year defenceman
Alexandra Anderson (4g, 12a) is tied for 12th with 16 points. Fourth year forward
Karissa Kirkup (7g, 8a) and third year defenceman
Erica Rieder (6g, 9a) are T-15th with 15 points. Keen is first in Canada West with 20 assists while Hovi is tied for fourth with ten conference goals.
In the nets, Bison fourth year netminder
Rachel Dyck has played in 18 conference regular season games and in fourth place in Goals Against Average with 1.45, second in Save Percentage at .932, first with 13 conference wins, second with four shutouts. Bison fourth year goalie
Amanda Schubert has 1.54 GAA with .906 Save Pct. and four conference wins plus two shutouts.
Bison Notes: Manitoba has allowed the second lowest goals against so far this conference season at 38 and scored the second most goals in Canada West with 75, heading into the weekend series.
