In the thick of the playoff hunt, both Bisons football and women's soccer hit the road this weekend for important games.

For the former, it's a matchup with the No. 7 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies, who they beat handily in Week 1 but are looking strong after a win over Calgary. For the latter, it's matchups with their fellow leaders in the Prairie division in Alberta and MacEwan.

Also, women's hockey opens their season on the road in Lethbridge and Bisons golf compete in their first Canada West Championship. Get ready for it all in our weekend preview.

Football at Saskatchewan – Friday, October 4 (8 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.TV, Bell MTS Fibe TV channel 1802
UPDATES: follow @MBBisons on Twitter

In a matchup of two teams tied for third in the Canada West standings, the Bisons meet the No. 7 ranked Huskies on Friday.

In a season where the Bisons have gone 3-0 at IG Field, this week's road game may be the biggest yet in a standings battle with Saskatchewan. Manitoba beat the Huskies in Week 1 at home, 43-19, and would assuredly hold the tiebreaker with a win this Friday.

Saskatchewan, meanwhile, is coming off a statement 29-15 win at home over No. 8 ranked Calgary, their second straight victory over the previously undefeated Dinos dating back to the 2018 Hardy Cup.

Manitoba will be looking for a repeat performance from their defence in Week 6, as they forced the Huskies into seven turnovers in their season opening win. The Herd's D has continued to be solid since, as they have eight interceptions (7^th in U SPORTS) and five fumble recoveries (9^th in U SPORTS) while playing clean on both sides of the ball. The Bisons have the third-lowest penalties (43) in the nation for the third-lowest penalty yards (347).

The front seven for Manitoba will be tested against the conference's leading rusher in Adam Machart. The third-year back out of Saskatchewan's U18 program — named the Canada West Offensive Player of the Week — is miles ahead of his peers in rushing attempts (109) and yards (882).

For more on this weekend's football game, read our Week 6 game notes.

Women's Soccer – October 5 at Alberta (1 PM), October 6 at MacEwan (1 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.TV
UPDATES: Follow @BisonWSOC on Twitter

With six matches to go, two points separate the top four teams in Canada West's Prairie division, which includes Manitoba (4-3-1), Alberta (3-1-3), and MacEwan (4-1-2). Needless to say, this weekend's matches are important for positioning.

Coming into this season, Manitoba was looking to balance a strong defence with improved offence, which they've done through four weeks. They've already matched their goals total from 2018-19 with 15, with 10 of those coming from first-years: Jessica Tsai (5), Stefanie Young (4), and Dalima Chhibber (1). Tsai, currently the points leader in Canada West with ten, was named the conference's Second Star after scoring two goals including a game-winner last weekend.

The Bisons' first opponent, Alberta, are looking to snap a streak of three matches without a win. The Pandas have been in plenty of low-scoring matches this season already, scoring just nine goals (10^th in CW) but making up for it by allowing just eight (5^th in CW). Their back line has been strong, as third-year goalkeeper Ashley Turner has needed just 22 saves to get her goals against average of 1.14.

MacEwan, meanwhile, have been lights out — allowing just two goals this season and ranking first in the conference in shots (156) and fifth in goals (14). Griffins goalkeeper Emily Burns has five shutouts already and a 0.29 GAA. Leading the offence for MacEwan has been Suekiana Choucair, who has six points (three goals, three assists).

Women's Hockey at Lethbridge – Friday, October 4 (8 PM), Saturday, October 5 (2 PM)

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

After two straight strips to nationals and a graduating class of nine, there's plenty new about the Bisons women's hockey program heading into 2019-20. Ten new recruits will be on the roster as Manitoba opens their season on the road in Lethbridge this Friday and Saturday.

Familiarity is here too, though, as five-time conference Coach of the Year Jon Rempel returns to the bench after a year of professional development. Rempel's squad returns nine players from last season, including two forwards expect to lead the charge — fifth-year Jordyn Zacharias and fourth-year Sheridan Oswald. The two combined for 20 goals and 31 points in 2018-19.

For Lethbridge, after a season where they sat on the outside of the playoff picture, a lot of attention will continue to go to fifth-year goaltender Alicia Anderson. One of the conference's top puck-stoppers in a deep pool of talent, Anderson led the Pronghorns with seven wins and five shutouts in 2018-19. The Calgary native also helped back up Canada West's third best penalty kill, who clocked in at 87.7%.

Canada West Golf Championships – October 4-6

For the first time ever, Canada West will officially decide a conference champion in men's and women's golf. The competition will take place on the Okanagan Golf Club Bear Course in Kelowna, BC, with UBC Okanagan the host school.

Men's and women's student-athletes from Alberta, UBC, Calgary, the University of the Fraser Valley, Lethbridge, Manitoba, and Victoria are joining their hosts in to write a new chapter in Canada West championship history.

The Bisons men will be sending a team of Josh Neufeld, Aaron McIntyre, Cameron McIntyre, Connor Stewart, and Cole Peters. The younger McIntyre brother Cameron has been the top finisher for Manitoba at two tournaments for the Bisons this season, doing so at the Saint John's Fall Invitational and the Pioneer Creek Collegiate. For Neufeld and Aaron McIntyre, this will be their last official tournament as graduating fifth-years.

The Bisons women, meanwhile, field a team of four: Marissa Naylor, Dayna Dubnicoff, Brynn Todd, and McKyla Poponick. Naylor finished as the top Bison in two tournaments this season, the SMSU Mustangs Invitational where she placed 4^th overall and the Tracy Lane Memorial.

Notes from the Range

• Bisons men's volleyball hosts a non-conference invitational at IGAC this weekend, with Dalhousie, McMaster, and Winnipeg all competing. Check out the full tournament schedule, with the Bisons playing the Marauders at 6:30 PM on Friday to tip off.
• Bisons men's hockey are also in exhibition, as they take on UND on Saturday, October 5 and Omaha Nebraska on Monday, October 7. Conference play resumes next weekend.
• We talked to Kate Gregoire about her pursuit of success in golf and hockey in her first year as a Bison, and how each sport feeds improvement in the other.
• A record 129 Bison student-athletes were Academic All-Canadians in 2018-19. Get the full list now.