The No. 2 ranked Bison women's hockey team starts the first of two consecutive road weekend series, with only three weeks left in 2017-18 season, as they travel to play at the Regina Cougars on January 26-27 weekend. Puck drop versus the Cougars will be 7 p.m. CT on Friday and 3 p.m. CT on Saturday.

The Bisons are in a battle for first place in the Canada West conference as the Herd sit tied for first with a 14-5-2-1 record for 47 points. The Bisons have already clinched a spot into the 2018 conference playoffs – sixth consecutive season in the post-season.

Heading into the two game weekend series, Manitoba is tied with UBC for first place in the Canada West standings with 47 points (three points given out for regulation win) and three points ahead of third place Alberta. Saskatchewan is in fourth only four points back of first while Regina is sixth in the eight team conference with an 6-12-1-3 record for 23 points and battling to gain on of the Top 6 playoff spots this season.

This is the second weekend series between the two teams this conference season. Earlier in 2017-18, the Herd played at home on November 10-11, 2017 and won 4-0 (Nov. 10) and won 2-1 (Nov. 11).

Manitoba has two players in the Canada West Top 10 scoring. For the Bisons, third year forward Jordyn Zacharias (ten goals, five assists) is tied for fourth place with 15 points. Fourth year forward Alanna Sharman (3g, 10a) is tied for seventh with 13 points. In conference defenceman scoring, fourth year Erica Rieder (6g, 3a) is fifth while fourth year Alexandra Anderson (1g, 7a) and rookie Lauren Warkentin (1g, 7a) are tied for sixth at eight points.

In the nets, Bison first year netminder Lauren Taraschuk leads the conference with 0.75 Goals Against Average, T-1st in CW Save Percentage at .961, tied for third with three shutouts and tied for third with eight conference wins. Fifth year goaltender Rachel Dyck is tied for third with eight conference wins and fifth in CW minutes played.


Bison Notes: Manitoba has scored the third most conference goals so far this season with 48 while allowing the fourth lowest goals at 36 entering the weekend series. In CW stats, the Bisons hold the number one power play at 19.6% (19/97) and first in CW on the road with a 24.4% (10/41) power play.