Lethbridge - Coming off a second consecutive seventh place finish in Canada West and missing the postseason for the second year in a row, the Lethbridge Pronghorn women's hockey team enters the 2014-15 season with a good mix of returning veterans and newcomers.
 
This weekend marks the opening of the Canada West conference schedule and the 'Horns host the perennial power Alberta Pandas to kick start the season.
Puck drop goes both Friday and Saturday night at 7:00pm at Nicholas Sheran Arena.
 
The 'Horns return 14 players from last year's squad as well as adding one American College transfer and eight true freshmen.
 
For this coming season, the success for the Pronghorns starts in the crease. 2011-12 Canada West First Team All-Star Crystal Patterson returns for her final season in the 'Horns net and looks to cap her career with a stellar season.
 
Two incoming freshmen will battle it out for the backup role and try to get a leg-up in taking over the starting role in a season's time. Both southern Alberta products, Brook Paisley joins the 'Horns after playing AA midget boys hockey while Jessica Lohues played for the Southeast Tigers in Vauxhall.
 
Offensively, the 'Horns return their top three scorers from last season and will lean heavily on Kirsten Reeves, Sadie Lenstra and Sarah Spence to lead the way. Reeves and Lenstra tied for the team lead in both goals and points last season.
 
Of the newcomers, Chelsea Kasprick joins the 'Horns after two years' experience in the ACHA with Robert Morris University Illinois and the hope is she will make a seamless transition to CIS hockey. Other newcomers, Delaney Duchek, Cora Place, and Brittney Sawyer look to contribute in their first season.
 
On the back end, the 'Horns have five returning defenders but will have a big hole to fill with the graduation of Glenda Edie. The top pair of Jocelyn Sabourin and first-year defender Jodi Gentile will look to fill that void but the 'Horns do have depth at the defender position with seasoned veterans Courtney Minor, Katie Mucha, Rebecca Blinkhorn and Amber Yuha.
 
Gentile has been impressive during the non-conference schedule and her future with the program looks bright.
 
Last season the Pandas won 11 of their last 12 regular season games, and in the process leapt up the standings to finish first overall with a 20-5-3 record. The program did struggle in the post-season however, losing in three games, at home, to the Regina Cougars to end their season on a surprising note.
 
Now, with a healthy mix of veterans and a nice crop of rookies, Howie Draper's team has the make-up of a Canada West contender. While the team will miss the presence of Jayden Skoye, who finished third in team scoring, as well as captain Katie Stewart and Jocelyn Zabrick, who led Alberta's blue-line in scoring, Alberta does seem prepared to fill those holes.
 
Third-year forward Jessica Kampjes should lead the team in offence, once again, after finishing last season as the team's leading scorer, and seventh in Canada West, with 11 goals and 22 points in 28 games. Ali Campbell, who finished second in team scoring last season with 20 points, is also back, while fourth-year forward Janelle Froehler will serve as the new team captain. Tess Houston, Ashley and Deanna Morin and Amy Helfrich are all impact players that return up front as well.
 
Goaltender Lindsey Post, now in her third year since moving from Chelsea, Quebec, will be the team's starting goalie. Post finished last season with 15 games played, and a 9-6 win-loss record, but was named a Canada West first team all-star, and a CIS second team all-Canadian, thanks to a conference record seven shutouts.
 
Alberta's blue-line looks strong as well with Kirsten Toth, Hannah Mousek and Kayla Lavallee all back in the fold. Lavallee, in fact, is Alberta's lone fifth-year player on the roster this season.
 
Rookie forward Hannah Olenyk, who hails from Cochrane, Alberta, looks to be an impact player in her first season, while fellow forward freshmen Sasha Lutz, who is a transfer from MacEwan University where she led the team in scoring, and defenceman Jessie Olfert will be key players from the beginning of the season as well.