LETHBRIDGE – Making their return to the Canada West playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Lethbridge Pronghorn men's hockey team will conclude the regular season with a home-and-home series with the Mount Royal Cougars.
 
The weekend set opens in Calgary Friday night at the Flames Community Arena. The back half of the home-and-home series concluding in Lethbridge Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for Saturday night can be purchased online at: http://www.uleth.ca/tickets.
 
Both games will be webcast live on pay-per-view at canadawest.tv.
 
A look at the teams
 
The Pronghorns (8-16-2) officially clinched a playoff berth last Saturday with Manitoba's loss to the UBC Thunderbirds and will travel to Calgary next weekend for a best of three series versus the Calgary Dinos.
 
While the Cougars (11-10-5) have clinched a playoff spot, this weekend's game are still of importance as they are attempting to lock down a home playoff date. The Cougars enter the weekend one point ahead of the UBC Thunderbirds for fourth place. The Cougars and T-Birds will face each other next weekend but the location is still to be determined.
 
Statistically, the Cougars are ranked in the middle of the pack in both goals for and goals against, sitting fourth in both with 80 goals for and 68 goals allowed. The Pronghorns sit fifth in goals for with 66 and sixth in goals against with 100.
 
Both teams have struggled with the man advantage this season, with the Cougars sitting last at 10.7% and the Pronghorns one spot above in seventh at 11.6%.
 
The Cougars won both games versus the Pronghorns earlier this season.
 
Players to watch
 
Fifth-year forward Justin Valentino sits 10^th in Canada West scoring and leads the Pronghorns with eight goals and 17 assists. He is three points shy of his career best of 28 points and enters the weekend with 94 career points as a Pronghorn.
 
With three assists last Saturday in a 9-5 loss to the top ranked Golden Bears, Brooks Maxwell tied his career high of points in a game and has 13 points in 16 games this season.
 
Offensively, the Cougars are led by the quartet of Ryley Lindgren, Chris Gerrie, Colton Kroeker and David Stephens, who all have 20 points this season. Lindgren leads the Cougars with 10 goals and Kroeker is second in Canada West rookie scoring.
 
Up Next:

The Pronghorns will travel to Calgary next weekend for a best of three Canada West quarterfinal, starting Friday night at Father David Bauer Arena. All three games if necessary will be played at Father David Bauer Arena.