The Manitoba Bisons enter this weekend just five points out of a top two spot in the Prarie Division in the conference standings, and can close the gap with wins against No. 6 MacEwan as well as Alberta. The Herd will host the defending national champs on Saturday at 12 pm, and will follow that up with a tilt against the Pandas the following day at the same time. Both games are being played at UM's west turf field. Click here to get tickets. 

MacEwan preview

MacEwan stands atop the prairie division with 18 points (6-2-0), and have won four games in a row. They're currently eight points ahead of Manitoba (3-4-1), a team that they faced in the pre-season. A well-rounded group, the Griffins have given up just one goal in their last four games and are third in the conference, having allowed just nine tallies all year, five of which came in one game. Manitoba isn't far behind, having given up just 12 goals this season.

Look for the battle in the midfield to be a critical storyline in this one, as veterans Alex Paul (605 minutes played, three shots), Jessica Tsai (720 minutes played, three points, seven shots on goal), Dalima Chhibber (720 minutes played, 11 shots), Breyanna Johnston-Krulicki (591 minutes played, two goals, nine shots on goal), Bianca Bucci 458 minutes played, one assist) and Chloe Morin (298 minutes played, one goal) and others look to keep pressure in the Griffins offensive third. 

The catalyst offensively for MacEwan this year has been Maya Morrell, who has three points, and also leads the team in shots (26) and shots on goal (12). Another dangerous scorer is Grace Mwasalla. She's come on hot as of late, and leads the team with five goals, three of which have come in the last two weekends.

Offensively for Manitoba, Bianca Cavalcanti will once again command the attention. The team's leading goal-scorer with four tallies also paces the squad with 21 shots, 12 of which have been on net. A storyline to watch will be how the Griffins defend her. Cavalcanti -- who has 13 goals in 18 career conference games -- is well known for being aggressive on the ball and in challenges, and she draws a lot of fouls and yellow cards that way. It can be easy for the opposition to get frustrated in that regard. 

Alberta preview 

The Pandas enter this weekend just three points ahead of Manitoba for fourth in the conference, at 4-3-1, the same record that Mount Royal has. Their 16 goals this year is top six in the conference, and they'll look to use their versatility to cause problems for the Bisons. 

A total of nine different players have scored at least one goal this year for Alberta, and they showcased their well-rounded play with a 5-2 win over nationally-ranked MacEwan early in the year with a 5-2 win. In that contest, five different players recorded a goal for the Pandas. 

The leader on offence for the U of A has been Adrienne Poulin, whose five goals leads the team and is tied for fourth in the conference. She also has the fourth-most  shots in Canada West, at 27. The leader in that department is her teammate Brooke Lang, who has 33 shots this season and two points overall. 

Manitoba counters with a versatile back line that has seen many players step up, led by crafty veteran Rebecca Waterman at the centre back position. She's played 675 minutes and has started every game. First true freshman Shannon Lee also returned from injury last week and looked solid against Regina and Saskatchewan. She is also capable of playing up in the rush, creating another weapon on the attack for her side. In net is veteran Karina Bagi, who has 27 saves on the year and is always a threat to play the ball up due to her strong and accurate leg.