If you're looking for championship pedigree, look no further than the U of M campus this weekend.
Title experience is all over, starting with Wayne Fleming Arena, where the defending champion Bisons and rival Huskies meet for the first time since the 2018 Canada West Women's Hockey Final. On the court, Bison men's basketball host the defending national champion Calgary Dinos, while the women look to get back on track after a three-game losing skid.
That, and what else to look forward to, in our weekend preview.
#3 Women's Hockey vs. #9 Saskatchewan – November 23 (7 PM), November 24 (4 PM)
WATCH: CanadaWest.tv
LISTEN: UMFM.com
UPDATES: follow @umbisonsWHKY on Twitter
As far as first half matchups go, it doesn't get much better than this. The No. 3 ranked Bisons (7-3-2-0) and No. 9 ranked Huskies (5-3-3-1) meet for a pair at Wayne Fleming Arena, jockeying for position in the standings. There's also fresh memories of last year's Canada West Final, where Manitoba won in two games to secure their first ever conference title on home ice.
The Huskies, true to past seasons' form, are a team that's thrived in close games. Three of their eight wins this season have come in overtime, while their goal differential is just four. Leading the way has been forward Bailee Bourassa, who's tallied nine points in 11 games (four goals, five assists). They also have an established goaltender (and former Bison) in Jessica Vance, who is fourth in CW with a 1.08 goals against average.
Vance's matchup with
Lauren Taraschuk is one to watch, just as it was last spring. Taraschuk has marked a 7-3 record this season with a 1.49 GAA and 242 total saves. Manitoba will also look for scoring creation from Jordy Zacharias, who has five of her six goals in the last four games.
Tickets for Bison hockey are $10 at the door, with U of M students and fans 17-and-under in free.
Basketball vs. Calgary – November 23 (6/8 PM), November 24 (5/7 PM)
WATCH: CanadaWest.TV
UPDATES: follow @BisonWBB and @BisonMBB
After mixed results in Regina, Bison basketball are back home for their third home series in four weeks — this time against the Calgary Dinos.
For the
Bison men (3-5), it'll be a challenge as they host the No. 3 ranked Dinos (8-0) and defending U SPORTS national champs. Guard Mambi Diawara has been the Calgary player to watch so far, as he totaled 34 points in two games against Victoria last weekend, and is third in conference scoring with 21.1 per game.
Meanwhile, the
Bison women face Calgary in a battle of 5-3 teams streaking in two different directions. The visiting Dinos have won three straight, having swept Victoria and beaten Saskatchewan. The Bisons have lost three straight, though; they'll look to
Taylor Randall to lead their potent scoring potential, as the third-year guard shot just 10-for-32 against the Cougars.
Bison basketball tickets are $10 and available at the door, with U of M students and fans 17-and-under in free.
Swimming – Canada West Championships – November 23-25
Fourteen Bison swimmers are headed to Calgary for this year's Canada West Championships, as the men's and women's teams look to earn hardware and add to their U SPORTS qualifiers. So far,
Kelsey Wog and
Dora Modrcin are in on the women's side, while
Anthony Iliouchetchev,
Alex Shogolev, and
Reid Glatz are in on the men's side.
For a full preview of the CW Championships, check out gobisons.ca on Friday morning.
You can watch all the CW Championship action on CanadaWest.TV.
Volleyball at Calgary – November 23 (7/8:30 PM), November 24 (5/6:30 PM)
WATCH: CanadaWest.tv
UPDATES: follow @BisonWVB and @BisonMVB on Twitter
With just two weeks left in their first half, the Bison volleyball teams head on the road to face Calgary.
The
Bison men (3-5) meet up with the Dinos (2-4) as both teams look to snap losing streaks. Manitoba battled hard with a ranked Alberta team last weekend, and is hoping that momentum can snap their three-game skid. Still leading the Herd's attack is
Kevin Negus, who is fourth in CW with 3.81 kills per set.
Brendan Warren is also leading CW in blocks per set with 1.34.
For the
Bison women (3-5), the challenge is the No. 1 team in the nation. Calgary, at 8-0, has dominated proceedings with 24 sets won to four lost. Libero
Cassie Bujan, recently minted as the second Bison to surpass 1,000 career digs, will be key against a powerful Dinos attack — led by hitter Kate Pexmen, who's fourth in CW with 3.85 kills per set.
Men's Hockey at #2 Saskatchewan – November 23 (7 PM), November 24 (7 PM)
WATCH: CanadaWest.tv
UPDATES: follow @umbisonsMHKY on Twitter
After a pair of heartbreaker losses to UBC, the Bison men (2-9-1) will look to rally a victory against No. 2 ranked Saskatchewan (11-1-0). After a season-opening split, the Huskies have won ten straight; they currently have the best goals against mark in the conference at 23.
That can be credited to goalie Taran Kozun, who has a GAA of 1.85 and a total of 223 saves. The blue line matchup is also one to watch for, as Huskie Jesse Forsberg (two points, ten assists) and Bison
Brett Stovin (four goals, three assists) will be leaders for their team.
Notes from the Range
