Lethbridge – Entering the semester break as one of the hottest teams in Canada West, the tide has turned on the Lethbridge Pronghorn men's hockey team and they face a must win weekend this week if they are to continue with a push to the post-season.
 
The Pronghorns host the UBC Thunderbirds for a pair of games at Nicholas Sheran Arena, puck drop is slated for 7:00pm Friday night and 1:00pm Saturday afternoon. All the action can also be caught on www.canadawest.tv.
 
Having lost six games in a row, the Pronghorns (8-11-3) are now fighting for their playoff lives along with the Thunderbirds (8-12-2). Following the Thunderbirds 4-2 win over the conference's top team, Saskatchewan Huskies, the T-Birds sit only one point behind the Pronghorns for the final playoff spot in Canada West.
 
The T-Birds swept the 'Horns in Vancouver earlier this season but both games went to double overtime. UBC won 4-3 and 3-2.
 
With three weekends remaining in the conference schedule, the Pronghorns are ranked fifth in goals for with 67 but are ranked seventh in goals against, allowing 80 goals in 22 games. The Thunderbirds have scored the second fewest goals this season in the conference with 54 and have allowed the third most goals against with 77.
 
On specialty teams, the Pronghorns should have the advantage as the T-Birds are ranked last in both power play (10%) and penalty killing (76%). The Pronghorns hold the fourth ranked penalty killing (83.4%) but are only one spot ahead of the T-Birds on the power play (12.4%).
 
Players to Watch
 
Despite only scoring once in his last six games, Justin Valentino is still tied for second in Canada West goal scoring with 13 and leads the Pronghorns in points with 21. Mitch Maxwell sits second in Pronghorn scoring with 21 points but leads the conference in assists with 18.
 
Anthony Bardaro leads the T-Birds in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists. Matt Hewitt and Derek Dunn have split duties in the T-Birds crease this season and despite Dunn having the better numbers, Hewitt played both games last weekend versus the Huskies. Hewitt allowed two goals in each of the games in his team's weekend split.
 
The Pronghorns head out on the road next weekend, traveling to Edmonton to take on the Alberta Golden Bears before returning home to host the first place Huskies in the final regular season games of the season



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