Lethbridge – Heading into the home stretch of the Canada West season, the Lethbridge Pronghorn men's hockey team will look to end a skid hosting the Manitoba Bisons for a pair of game playoff implications on the line.
 
The 'Horns and Bisons will hit the ice at Nicholas Sheran Arena Friday night at 7:00pm and Saturday afternoon at 1:00pm. Both games will be also streamed live on www.canadawest.tv, home for all Canada West webcasts.
 
Saturday afternoon also marks the Pronghorn Athletics Bell Let's Talk event. Pronghorn Athletics is proud to partner with Bell Let's Talk student-athlete campaign & 53 universities across Canada to grow the mental health conversation on campuses nationwide.
 
Heading into the weekend, the Pronghorns (8-9-3), who have lost four games in a row and Bisons (9-10-1) are tied for fifth in the conference with 19 points and are only three points ahead of the UBC Thunderbirds in a battle for the final two playoff spots.
 
Statistically not much separates the Pronghorns and Bisons entering the weekend. Through 20 games, both teams have a goal differential of minus three, the Pronghorns have scored two more goals than the Bisons (64-62) and the Bisons have allowed two fewer goals against (65-67).
 
On specialty teams, the Pronghorns have the third ranked penalty killing unit (84.1%) compared to the Bisons who are ranked seventh (75%), however, the Bisons own the higher ranked power play, ranked fifth (15.1%) but the Pronghorns are only one spot lower (13.3%).
 
Earlier this season the two teams spilt their weekend series in Winnipeg. The Pronghorns won the first game 4-2 before the Bisons rebounded with a 6-4 win.
 
Justin Valentino and Mitch Maxwell continue to lead the Pronghorns offensively with 19 points apiece. Valentino is tied for second on the Canada West goal scoring list with 13, while Maxwell leads Canada West in assists with 17.
 
For the Bisons, Jordan DePape and Shaw Merasty lead the Bisons scoring with 17 points, but DePape has missed five games this season. DePape is tied for the team lead in goals with Justin Augert with nine.
 
The 'Horns will remain at home next weekend and host another important set of games as the UBC Thunderbirds come to town.
 
 
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