Lethbridge – Returning to action after a month off, the Lethbridge Pronghorn women's hockey team heads out on the road in search of valuable points, traveling to Saskatoon to face the fourth place Saskatchewan Huskies.
 
The Pronghorns and Huskies will square off at Rutherford Arena Friday and Saturday night, puck drop is slated for 7:00pm. Both games will also be streamed live on www.canadawest.tv.
 
"Our team is excited to get back to the regular season schedule and playing games again," said Pronghorn head coach Michelle Janus. "U of S is a fast team and have the ability to play physical. We'll need to execute our passes in all zones to maintain possession which will allow us to see quality scoring chances."
 
"Goaltending and penalty killing has been our strength in the first half. We'll look to increase our goal scoring in the second half, starting with converting on our power play opportunities."
 
Earlier this season, the Pronghorns and Huskies split their weekend series in Lethbridge with the Pronghorns winning 2-1 in overtime, while the Huskies upended the Pronghorns 3-1.
 
A Look at the Teams:
 
With 12 games remaining in the Canada West season, the Pronghorns (3-9-2-2) trail the Calgary Dinos by five points for the final playoff spot.
 
Defensively, the Pronghorns have been solid this season, tied for the third fewest goals-against in the conference, allowing only 25 goals-against in 16 games. However, scoring has been an issue for the team this season, as they have scored the second fewest goals with 18.
 
The Huskies (9-6-0-1) enter the New Year as the best defensive team in Canada West, allowing 23 goals-against, but sit in the middle of the pack in goal scoring, tallying 26 goals in 16 games.
 
Much of the Huskies scoring woes can be attributed to their power play, ranked last in Canada West at 5.5%.
 
Players to Watch:
 
Third-year goaltender Alicia Anderson continues to give the Pronghorns a chance to win every night. Starting 15 of 16 games during the first semester, Anderson holds the second best save percentage at 0.958% and leads the Canada West in total saves with 527. She also has a 1.49 goals-against average.
 
Tricia Van Vaerenbergh leads the Pronghorns in scoring with four goals and three assists.
 
For the Huskies, Kaitlin Willoughby leads her team in scoring and sits in a tie for fifth in Canada West scoring with five goals and five assists.
 
In the crease, the Huskies have used three goaltenders this season with Jessica Vance holding the best numbers on her team with a 1.26 goals-against average and a 0.951 save percentage.
 
Up Next:
 
The Pronghorns will face a pivotal match-up next weekend in a home-and-home series with southern Alberta rival Mount Royal Cougars. The Cougars currently sit eighth, only two points behind the Pronghorns. The home-and-home series starts next Friday night in Lethbridge.
 
 
 
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