LETHBRIDGE – With three weeks remaining in the regular season and sitting four points out of a playoff spot, the Lethbridge Pronghorn women's hockey team begins a tough stretch facing the two top Canada West teams back-to-back, starting this weekend with the defending U SPORTS Champion Manitoba Bisons.
 
The Pronghorns and Bisons will take the ice at Nicholas Sheran Arena Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at: http://www.uleth.ca/tickets. Both games will also be streamed live on www.canadawest.tv.
 
A look at the teams
 
Entering the final six games of the season, the Pronghorns (6-12-1-3) sit seventh, four points behind the Mount Royal Cougars for the final playoff spot, while the Bisons (14-4-2-2) sit atop the Canada West standings. While the Bisons have clinched a playoff spot, they are only one point ahead of second place Alberta Pandas.
 
Offensively, the Pronghorns and Bisons are opposite ends of the spectrum. The Bisons have scored a league high 67 goals for, 15 more than the next closest teams. The Pronghorns have scored the second fewest goals in Canada West with 26.
 
Defensively, the Bisons have allowed 33 goals against, which ranks them fourth in that category, while the Pronghorns sit fifth in goals against with 48.
 
Earlier this season in Winnipeg the Bisons swept the Pronghorns winning 8-0 and 4-1.
 
Players to watch
 
Tricia Van Vaerenbergh and Ali Borrow lead the Pronghorns in scoring with eight points each. Van Vaerenbergh leads the team with six goals, while Borrow has four goals and four assists.
 
In the crease, Alicia Anderson has played in all but two games this season and leads all Canada West goalies in minutes played (1202:52), saves (663) and sits tied for second in shutouts with five. She also sports a 1.90 goals-against average and a 0.946 save percentage.
 
For the Bisons, Lauryn Keen sits third in Canada West scoring with 22 points and is tied for the lead in goals in the conference with 11.
 
Blue liner Erica Rieder is tied scoring lead among defenders with 15 points.
 
Carrying the bulk of the load in the Bison net this season, Lauren Taraschuk has made 19 appearances this season and holds a 1.55 goals-against average and a 0.933 save percentage.
 
Up Next
 
The Pronghorns will host the second place Alberta Pandas next weekend before wrapping up the regular season with a home-and-home series with the Mount Royal Cougars the following weekend.