Sitting eight points behind MacEwan's 18 for the third and final playoff spot in Canada West's East Division, Manitoba understands what's at stake. They need a sweep at home this weekend to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Herd have a victory over GMU, 4-1 on the road last October, but the Griffins took game two of that two-game series 4-3 in overtime. Manitoba had a late second period lead in game two, but the hosts pushed back with a short-handed goal courtesy of Brendan Boyle. Sam Simard then won the game in the dying seconds of OT for GMU.

Simard has 13 points in 20 games so far this season for MacEwan, while Marc Pasemko leads the team with 19 points in 18 games. Vincent Scott has added 14 points, and was one of five different goal scorers for GMU the last time the two sides faced off.

Manitoba will look for the success they had in night one against the Griffins last October. Their first two goals were scored on the power play, and they tallied three markers over the two games with the extra skater.

Manitoba captain Jonny Hooker scored two of Manitoba's three power play goals, and has ten goals on special teams this year, four shy of the school record set in 2005-06 by Paul Deniset.

Riley Stotts, the Herd's leading scorer with 24 points in 20 games, scored the first goal of the weekend against GMU. The former All-Canadian with the Calgary Dinos is fifth in Canada West with 19 assists, including five in one game against Trinity Western last weekend, a 7-2 victory for the Bisons.

Bisons freshman forwards Eric Alarie and Skyler Bruce have also combined for 23 points, and are both in the top five in rookie scoring this season.