Lethbridge – With three weeks remaining in the first semester of the Canada West schedule, the Lethbridge Pronghorn men's hockey team looks to put an end to an eight game slide on home ice, hosting the Manitoba Bisons.
 
The Pronghorns and Bisons will square off Friday night at 7:00 and Saturday afternoon at 1:00pm at Nicholas Sheran Arena. Both games will be streamed live on www.canadawest.tv.
 
"It's a tight conference where one weekend can make the world of difference," said Pronghorn head coach Spiros Anastas. "The schedule is difficult for everybody, but we believe we have a really good opportunity to right the ship this weekend with two games at home."
 
"If we come out strong over the next four to six games and string some solid performances together with good process, then all of a sudden things will look alright, but it has to be approached with a gone game at a time mentality."
 
This will be the first meeting of the season between the Pronghorns and Bison but a season ago, Manitoba won the season series, winning three of four games.
 
A look at the teams:
 
Stuck in a eight game losing streak, the Pronghorns (1-8-1) are six points out of the final playoff spot as they near the midway point of the season. The Pronghorns have scored the fewest goals in Canada West and are only averaging 1.8 goals per game. They have also allowed the second most against with 48.
 
On specialty teams, the Pronghorns hold the sixth ranked penalty killing (73.8%) and seventh ranked power play (10.6%).
 
The Bisons (6-4-0) enter the weekend heading the opposite direction, riding a four game winning streak after sweeping the Mount Royal Cougars and Regina Cougars. Manitoba holds a minus two goal differential this season, scoring 33 goals for and allowing 35 goals against.
 
Manitoba sports the third best power penalty killing unit in Canada West at 82.6% and the fifth ranked power play (23.3%).
 
Players to watch:
 
Captain Mitch Maxwell continues to lead the Pronghorns in scoring and is tied for seventh in Canada West scoring with four goals and seven assists. Justin Valentino sits second on the team with three goals and four assists.
 
The Bisons are led by Michael St. Croix who has registered three goals and eight assists. The former Edmonton Oil King played three years of pro hockey prior to joining the Bisons, including a 13 game stint in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolfpack.
 
In the crease, Byron Spriggs has played nine of the Bisons games thus far and holds a 3.22 goals against-average 0.894 save percentage.
 
Up Next:
The Pronghorns will head out on the road next weekend, traveling to Regina to face the Cougars before closing the first semester with a home-and-home series with the Calgary Dinos.
 
 
 
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