With just five weeks left of regular season play, every game down the stretch is critical for the Herd's women's hockey program, who enter this weekend's home series against 14-4, second place Mount Royal in the sixth and final playoff spot, with 13 points. 

The Cougars beat Manitoba in both games at home earlier this year, however the Herd swept MRU last season at Wayne Fleming Arena in two all-time classics.

Both games at the 'Flem went to double overtime, with the Bisons getting the extra points. Forward Julia Bird scored the game-winner in last year's Friday matchup, and assisted on the Saturday game-winner. She has four career points in three seasons against the Cougars, which is tied for the second most in her career against a single team (she's scored five points against Calgary). 

Senior Kate Gregoire leads all Bisons with12 points on the season, including a career-high ten assists. She has 52 points in her UM career, the most of any active player on the roster. Her 50th point came on November 17 against Calgary, making her the 25th player in program history to tally at least 50 points as a Bison. Gregoire also had two points against the Cougars the last time the two teams met in 2023. 

Four different Bisons scored in Manitoba's first half series against MRU, and 15 different players have recorded at least one goal this season, led by sophomore forward Dana Goertzen and third-year forward Kylie Lesuk. Goertzen's five goals are a career high, as are her eight points. Lesuk has scored five goals in two of her first three seasons as a Bison (injured last year, only played eight games), and she's also matched her career high with 11 points, which is second on the team.