Lethbridge – For the first time in five seasons, the Pronghorn women’s hockey team (14-8-2 CW) returns to the Canada West playoffs but will have the daunting task of facing the first place Calgary Dinos in a best of three series in Calgary this coming weekend.
 
The Dinos (20-4-0), ranked third in the country won the season series versus the ‘Horns, 3-1-0. The ‘Horns won the first match-up of the season 1-0 in Lethbridge, but dropped the last three games against the Dinos by 3-1, 8-2 and 5-3 scores.
 
All three games of the series will be played at Markin MacPhail Centre Rink ‘A’, Canada Olympic Park. The series kicks off Friday February 17^th at 7:30PM. Game two will be Saturday at 8:00pm and game three, if necessary, will go Sunday at 6:00pm. Live stats for all three games can be found at: http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/womens/en/stats/schedule.php?season_id=23
 
Best season in Horns history
The ‘Horns stormed out to a 10-4-0 first half of the season en route to the best record in school history, but were inconsistent during the second half. The 14 wins double the previous best 7 win seasons in both the 2002-03 and 2005-06.  On the upswing the ‘Horns earned an impressive road sweep of the defending Canada West Champion Manitoba Bisons only three weeks ago, but the ‘Horns were swept by both Calgary and Saskatchewan in the second half and split a series with the 6^th place Regina Cougars in their last action.
 
If the ‘Horns are going to be successful versus the Dinos in the series, goaltender Crystal Patterson needs to be at her best. Patterson started all but one conference game this season, leading Canada West in minutes played (1401:22), shutouts (6) and saves (607). She was also second in wins (14), third in save percentage (0.928) and fourth in goals-against-average (2.01).
 
Offensively, fifth-year senior Shelby Ballendine, who will play in her first post-season action in her final season, led the team offensively and was tied for 9^th in conference scoring with 9 goals and 12 assists. Freshman Sadie Lenstra had a stellar first season with the Pronghorns and was the top freshmen in scoring with 10 goals and 9 assists.
 
Dinos dominant in the second half
It is not always the first place team that wins a championship but the team that peaks at the right time.  It seems like the Calgary Dinos might just be both. Entering the post-season, the Dinos are firing on all cylinders and have won 11 straight games dating back to the first game in the New Year. Their last loss came January 6^th versus the Alberta Pandas.
 
The Dinos sport the top offence and defence in the conference, scoring a Canada West leading 96 goals for, while only allowing 40 goals against.
 
Offensively the Dinos are led by Canadian national team icon Hailey Wickenheiser, who was second in conference scoring, registering 17 goals and 15 assists in only 16 games this season. Joining Wickenheiser among the top 10 in conference scoring are Russian national Iya Gavrilova who was fourth with 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) and Stephanie Ramsey. Ramsey finished 7^th on the conference list with 9 goals and 13 assists.