It'll be a fun Homecoming Saturday for Bison football, as alumni returns to campus for a pivotal matchup with the Regina Rams. On the road, men's hockey gets their season going while women's soccer look for wins in Alberta.

Here's what to look forward to for the weekend of September 28-30, 2018.

Football – September 29 vs. Regina (2 PM)

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

With just four weeks left in the Canada West regular season, the Regina Rams and Manitoba Bisons sit at 2-2 in the heart of the conference standings. With playoffs looming, a mid-season matchup doesn't get any bigger.

The Bisons come in winners of two straight, taking advantage of a struggling Alberta Golden Bears team in a home-and-home series in Weeks 3 and 4. The Bisons beat Alberta on home turf first, 37-21, then won at a snowy Foote Field, 37-27.

Manitoba's strongest area of play through four weeks has been their passing game, as third-year quarterback Des Catellier is tied for first in Canada West with 13 passing touchdowns and second in passing yardage, averaging 352 per game.

Another standout area has been special teams, namely return specialist Marcel Arruda-Welch. The second-year ripped off his second 80-plus return of the season against Alberta in Week 4, totaling 196 yards on returns in the win.

For Regina, any preview begins with fifth-year quarterback Noah Picton. A perennial standout in the conference, Picton is third in the conference — just behind Catellier — with 340.5 passing yards per game. The other side of the ball has been stout as well for the Rams, as they're giving up the fewest rush yards in the conference through four games — just 113.3 compared to 183.5 for Manitoba. In this matchup, the men up front on the defensive line may have a lot of swing in who wins the game.

Tickets for Saturday's football game are $17.50 and available on Ticketmaster. U of M students and fans 17-and-under get in free. Be sure not to miss all our Homecoming pre-game activities!

• FREE pancake breakfast from 11 a.m. to noon, sponsored by Smitty's
• Gallagher Tailgate Party from 12-2 p.m., including:
  • A family section with bouncy castle and face painting
  • 18-plus section with beer gardens and a live band
  • Ace Burpee and Virgin Radio live on location!

Men's Hockey at Calgary – September 28 (8 PM), September 29 (3 PM)

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

It's opening weekend for Bison men's hockey, as they play two games in Calgary before a conference bye week. Ranked sixth in the preseason coaches' poll, the Herd should have a decent chip on their shoulder as they play the third-ranked Dinos.

To get all the info you need on the men's hockey team as they open their season, check our team preview from Wednesday. After the bye, the Bisons will have their home opener Friday, October 12 at 7 p.m. versus the Alberta Golden Bears.

Women's Soccer – September 29 at Mount Royal (12 PM), September 30 at Alberta (1 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.tv (Sunday only)
UPDATES: follow @BisonWSOC on Twitter

Surviving some nasty weather, the 2-2-2 Bison women's soccer team grinded through a three-point weekend at home. Now, they're hitting the road again, as the team plays the 4-2-0 Mount Royal Cougars on Saturday and the 5-0-1 Alberta Pandas on Sunday.

Leading the way last weekend was midfielder Amanda Wong, who was named female Athlete of the Week. Against Lethbridge, she had a goal and two assists, then led the team in a tight 1-0 loss to Calgary.

Wong and the Bisons will face a test against Janai Martens of Mount Royal, who was named the Canada West women's second star this week. Last weekend, Martens had three goals, including two game-winners, against Regina and Saskatchewan.

Men's Golf – September 29-30 – Saint John's Fall Invitational / Augustana Fall Invitational

Bison men's golf are in action this weekend, with two groups splitting up for separate tournaments in Minnesota.

The individual riding the best streak of play is fifth-year Devon Schade, who's finished first in his last two tournaments. Schade, the team captain this season, finished first at the King's Walk Invite and tied for first at the Gustavus Twin Cities Classic.

Cross Country – September 29 – Saskatchewan Open

After two top-five finishes at the St. Olaf Invitational last weekend, both Bison cross country teams are headed to Saskatoon for Saturday's University of Saskatchewan Open. Riding high is Bison male Athlete of the Week Simon Berube, who won in Northfield last weekend with a time of 26:20.5.

Exhibition Rundown

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

• Women's basketball are at home this week, playing two games against the MacEwan Griffins at Investors Group Athletic Centre (Friday at 6 PM, Saturday at 5 PM). $5 entry for adults, free for U of M students and fans 17-and-under.
• Men's basketball will be part of the Guy Vetrie Invitational in Victoria, playing marquee matchups against Ryerson, Victoria, and Saskatchewan. The tournament will be available by paid webcast on CanadaWest.TV.
• Men's volleyball are heading west for an invitational in Brandon, as they take on McMaster, Saskatchewan, and the host Bobcats.
• Women's volleyball are heading east for an invitational in Ottawa, with two games against the York Lions and one against Lethbridge.

Notes from the Range

To set up for Homecoming, we talked to two alumni from the 80s who shared their memories of the game over the years.

Bison men's basketball coach Kirby Schepp and Team Canada from the 2018 Commonwealth Games were recognized as the "Summer Team of the Year" at the Canadian Sporting Awards.