Returning from a pair of games south of the border, Bison men's hockey is ready to open proceedings at Wayne Fleming Arena, as they get set to take on the Alberta Golden Bears.

On the road, Bison football prepares for a stiff test against undefeated Calgary, women's hockey renews a rivalry with Alberta, and women's soccer positions for playoffs on the coast.

This, and what else to look forward to, in our weekend preview.

Men's Hockey vs. #2 Alberta – October 12 (7 PM), October 13 (7 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.tv
LISTEN: UMFM 101.5
UPDATES: follow @umbisonsMHKY on Twitter

They opened their conference schedule two weeks ago with a split against the Calgary Dinos. Now, Bison men's hockey opens the doors to Wayne Fleming Arena and invites a tough opponent in the Alberta Golden Bears.

Ranked no. 2 in the country, Alberta returns leading scorers Luke Philp (40 points in 2017-18) and Steven Owre (17 goals) from a team that won the University Cup last season. They were dominant in opposing ends last year, with the conference's best offence (132 goals) and power play (24.5%).

Backing the Bisons up is a red hot goalie, though, as fifth-year Byron Spriggs comes off a remarkable 52-save performance in an exhibition matchup with the UND Fighting Hawks. Spriggs led Canada West in saves last season and is looking for a repeat season in 2018-19.

Tickets for Friday and Saturday are $10 at the door. U of M students and fans 17-and-under get in free.

Football at #3 Calgary – October 12 (8 PM)

GAME NOTES
WATCH: CanadaWest.tv
LIVE STATS
UPDATES: follow @MBBisons on Twitter

The standings are airtight in Canada West, and with three weeks to go the 3-2 Manitoba Bisons are looking to secure playoff position. They're currently tied for second in the conference with Saskatchewan, who are also 3-2, and a game ahead of UBC and Alberta, both 2-3.

This week, they'll look to play spoilers against the undefeated, #3-ranked Calgary Dinos, who host the Herd at McMahon Stadium.

Due to Regina vacating three wins with an ineligible player, Manitoba comes in winners of three straight after opening the season 0-2. The 2018 season has been full of shootouts for the Herd, as a 32-31 overtime result with the Rams (pre-forfeiture) now has Manitoba and Calgary together at the top of Canada West in most major offensive categories.

To break it down, the Dinos are first in yards per game (573.6) and the Bisons are second (520.0). The Dinos are first in passing yards (2166) and the Bisons are second (1749). The Dinos are first in passing touchdowns (17) and the Bisons are second (16). Simply put, this matchup may come down to which team can make a stop first.

For Manitoba, that could come down to a couple key defensive players, who both had solid contributions against Regina in Week 5. Defensive end Brock Gowanlock got to Noah Picton for 1.5 of the Herd's four total sacks. The defensive end also had eight tackles in the contest. Fifth-year free safety Jayden McKoy also had an interception in that matchup; the 14^th of his career, he's now two short of tying the school record.

#1 Women's Hockey at #8 Alberta – October 12 (8 PM), October 13 (3 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.tv
UPDATES: follow @umbisonsWHKY on Twitter

The last time these two teams met, the Bisons and Pandas played 133 minutes of hockey in a 4OT classic at Wayne Fleming Arena. Manitoba's 1-0 win that night decided the Canada West Semi-Final, and there's no doubt the memory is fresh for both teams.

In this season's matchup, we get two ranked opponents, as the Bisons open 2018-19 as the nation's no. 1 team and Alberta opens at no. 8. Manitoba is coming off a 2-0 weekend against Calgary, as they won by a combined score of 7-2.

Alberta returns leading scorer Autumn MacDougall (30 points) as a significant weapon to the conference's best offence last season, as they scored 67 goals.

Manitoba, meanwhile, hopes to keep a fiery power play going. They scored on two of their six opportunities against Calgary, and led the conference last season, scoring on 18.1% of their man advantages.

Women's Soccer at UBCO (October 13, 3 PM), Thompson Rivers (October 14, 3 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.tv
UPDATES: follow @BisonWSOC on Twitter

Manitoba got a much-needed six-point weekend against Winnipeg. Now, the 4-4-2 Bisons hit the road looking to clinch a playoff spot and jockey for position. With 14 points, they sit three back of Mount Royal with four games remaining.

On Saturday, they'll face the 2-6-2 UBC Okanagan Heat, who have struggled to score this season. With just six goals on the season, the Heat are 14^th in the conference. Sunday's matchup brings the 2-7-1 Thompson Rivers, who have had inverse struggles. Allowing 27 goals so far this year, the Wolfpack are tied for last in the conference in their own end.

The Bisons, meanwhile, will look for continued strong play from their keeper Madison Wilford. Coming off two clean sheets against Winnipeg, Wilford is now in the top ten of Canada West career saves with 235.

Cross Country - UND Ron Pynn Invitational

After having Thanksgiving weekend off, Bison cross country returns to their event schedule with the UND Ron Pynn Invitational, competing in Grand Forks. At the Saskatchewan Open two weeks ago, the men finished second overall while the women finished fourth.

So far this season, fourth-year Belinda Guerra has two top times for the Herd, while Simon Berube has had a pair of top-six finishes on the individual standings.

Exhibition Rundown

It's a jampacked weekend for court sports as well, with exhibition games all over Canada.

• Women's basketball are headed east for a pair of games against the Memorial Sea-Hawks, who play out of the AUS conference in Newfoundland.
• Women's volleyball are over in Brandon for a pair of games against the host Bobcats on Friday and Saturday.
• Men's volleyball have a solo game at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Saturday at 7 PM, taking on the mysterious Unknown Legends. Which alumni will make a return to take on the current crop of talent?

Notes from the Range

• The speedy Nicole Davis was profiled this week, as she talked about her contributions to Bison women's soccer and what she hopes to bring to the Track & Field team in the spring.
• We also talked to men's volleyball first-year Ben Carleton about his move from Australia, and being the team's first international recruit in ten years.