This weekend, the lights are on at the West Turf Fields as Bison women's soccer returns to the pitch for a home series on Friday and Saturday night. Meanwhile, at Investors Group Field, Bison football looks to get a win in the column against the struggling Alberta Golden Bears.

That, and what else to look forward to for the weekend of September 14-17, 2018.

Women's Soccer – September 14 vs. #1 Trinity Western (6 PM), September 15 vs. Fraser Valley (6 PM)

UPDATES: follow @BisonWSOC on Twitter

The Bison women's soccer team had a strong opening to their 2018 season on the road last weekend. Getting a 2-1 over Regina got them a cool three points. They then followed that up with a 1-1 tie in Saskatoon, as a 90^th minute goal by fifth-year Bruna Mavignier earned a draw with a stout Huskies team.

Now, they'll play their home opener on Friday night, which will be a stiff test. Coming in is #1-ranked Trinity Western, who have their program's first top ranking in U SPORTS since 2014. In their first two games, the Spartans outscored Victoria and UBC by a combined 7-2, as fourth-year Jenaya Robertson (2 goals, 2 assists) was named the Canada West Women's First Star of the Week.

Friday is also International Student's Night, Spirit Cup, and Alumni Night, as the program invites and celebrates players from the past.

On Saturday, the Bisons will face off against the Fraser Valley Cascades, who come in 0-2-0 after a pair of losses to UBC and Victoria.

For Manitoba, first-year Nicole Davis looks to be a player to watch through two games. She had a goal and an assist against Regina, helping lead the Bisons to the win.

Tickets for Bison women's soccer are $5 and available at the gate of the West Turf Fields. U of M students and fans 17-and-under get in free both nights, while soccer alumni get in free on Friday and U of M alumni get in 2-for-1.

Football – September 15 vs. Alberta (2 PM)

GAME NOTES
WATCH: www.CanadaWest.tv
LISTEN: UMFM 101.5
LIVE STATS
UPDATES: follow @MBBisons on Twitter

It's been a rocky start to the 2018 season for Bison football, as their first two games have come down to key plays in the fourth quarter. Looking to right the ship, they host a fellow 0-2 team, the Alberta Golden Bears, for a Week 3 matchup at Investors Group Field.

For Manitoba, memories of a barnburner against #9-ranked Saskatchewan are fresh. The Huskies won the Bison Bowl 48-46, as the Bisons failed to get a two-point convert in the closing minute of play. Still, head coach Brian Dobie is confident about the team he has.

"We're pretty good. We honestly are," he said following the contest. "This is the best team we've had for sure in their performances since 2014. It just is."

Part of this confidence comes from the play of third-year quarterback Des Catellier. The starter has now thrown for 803 yards through two games, just 14 shy of the conference lead. He's also tied for the Canada West lead in touchdowns thrown with six.

Catellier has also been complemented by tremendous depth offensively. Receivers Dylan Schrot and Macho Bockru — the latter of which went off for 185 yards and two scores against Saskatchewan — are currently third and fourth in the conference in receiving yards. On top of that, running back Jamel Lyles had over 100 yards rushing this past weekend and is a threat to score every time he has the ball.

Besides the offence, Manitoba got a key contribution in the return game last week, as second-year DB Marcel Arruda-Welch tallied 132 kickoff return yards, including a 93-yarder in the first half to set up the Herd's second major of the game. For his efforts, Arruda-Welch was awarded the Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week.

Alberta, meanwhile, is coming off two tough losses to Saskatchewan in Week 1 (42-0) and Regina in Week 2 (51-13). The Golden Bears offence has struggled so far in 2018 — ranked sixth in the conference averaging just 271.5 yards per game. In Week 2, quarterback Brad Baker completed just 12 of 29 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown.

Tickets for Saturday's game are available on Ticketmaster for $17.50, and U of M students and fans 17-and-under get in free.

Golf – September 16-17 – Men: Crookston Fall Invite, Women: Jamestown Fall Invitational

Both Bison golf teams are coming off impressive performances in Bemidji heading into another weekend of play.

The men's team got their first win of the season at the BSU Invitational, shooting +3 and nine strokes ahead of second place. Fourth-year Josh Neufeld led the way for the Herd with an even-par tournament, good for second overall.

In the Tracy Lane Memorial, the women finished fourth as a team, as second-year Marissa Naylor got second overall with a +14 tournament.

This weekend, both teams are in North Dakota, as the men compete in the Crookston Fall Invite and the women play in the Jamestown Fall Invitational.

Women's Hockey - Exhibition vs. Saskatchewan - September 15-16

In non-conference play, Bison women's hockey will play a double-header against the Saskatchewan Huskies up in Dauphin, Manitoba. The trip sets them up for next weekend's Bisons Pre-Season Invitational, hosted at Wayne Fleming Arena and Seven Oaks Arena. Competing teams at the tournament include Team Toba U-18, Team Saskatchewan U-18, and the Regina Cougars.

Notes from the Range

• Ahead of the women's soccer home opener, we profiled two leaders for the Bisons, fifth-year Bruna Mavignier and third-year Alanna Shaw. Get to know these student-athletes in our profiles.
• After a barnburner at Investors Group Field, we caught up with Brian Dobie about what he likes about his football team and what to expect heading into Week 3 against Alberta.
• In preparing for this weekend's football game, we looked at the intense rivalry between Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and talked to head coach Brian Dobie about what needs to change from Week 1 to Week 2.
• In weekly honours, defensive back Marcel Arruda-Welch was named the Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week. It's the first weekly award for Manitoba this season.