Lethbridge – With their playoff lives hanging in the balance, the Lethbridge Pronghorn women's hockey team faces another home-and-home series this weekend, squaring off against the Mount Royal Cougars in a pair of virtually must win games.
 
The weekend series starts Friday night in Lethbridge, puck drops at 7:00pm at Nicholas Sheran Arena. Game two of the home-and-home series will go Saturday night at the Flames Community Arena in Calgary at 6:00pm. Both games will be streamed live on www.canadawest.tv.
 
Last weekend, the Pronghorns opened the 2017 portion of the Canada West schedule with a weekend split with the Calgary Dinos with both games finished by identical 2-1 scores and both games being won by the road team.
 
Entering this weekend, the 'Horns (3-12-1-2) trail Mount Royal by seven points for the final spot and with the league awarding three points for a regulation win, the 'Horns could play themselves back into playoff contention with a pair of regulation wins.
 
Statistically, the 'Horns have scored the fewest goals in Canada West with 25, while allowing 58 goals against, ranked 7^th in the conference. Both of the Pronghorns' specialty units are ranked seventh in Canada West (PP – 7.9%, PK – 80%).
 
Alicia Anderson has seen action in the 'Horns crease in 15 of the 18 conference games thus far and leads the conference in total saves with 611. She also sports a 3.06 goals-against-average and a 0.926 save percentage.
 
Tricia Van Vaerenbergh and Jenae Culp lead the 'Horns in points with seven a piece, while Van Vaerenbergh leads the team in goals with four and Culp has a team high six assists.
 
Also opening the second semester last weekend, the Mount Royal Cougars (6-10-0-2) earned a weekend split with the Saskatchewan Huskies on home ice, shutting out the Huskies 1-0 before falling the next night 3-2.
 
Through 18 conference games this season, the Cougars have scored third fewest goals in the conference with 29, while allowing 43 goals against. On specialty teams, the Cougars hold the fifth ranked power play (12.1%) and the sixth ranked penalty killing (81.5%).
 
In the crease, Emma Pincott and Zoe DeBeauville sport identical 2.20 goals-against-averages with Pincott making 12 appearance compared to DeBeauville's 7.
 
Offensively, the Cougars are led by Sarah Weninger who has eigth goals and four assists thus far. Tianna Ko sits second with 10 points on four goals and six assists.
 
The 'Horns head out on the road for the next two weeks after this weekend, travelling to face the Manitoba Bisons and UBC Thunderbirds.