Game Information
 
Date: Friday, Jan. 17 & Saturday, Jan. 18
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, Sask.
Venue: Merlis Belsher Place
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Get in the Action: Tickets
 
SASKATOON – In a matchup between two of the conference's top-dogs, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team will look to extend their winning streak this weekend against the visiting Calgary Dinos, as the Huskies continue their four-game homestand.
 
After entering last weekend tied with the Mount Royal Cougars on 29 points, the Huskies swept the visiting Pronghorns, while the Cougars were swept by the Alberta Pandas, giving the Huskies six points of separation between third and fourth-place in the standings.
 
The Huskies are chasing after the Dinos and Pandas in their drive to climb the standings. The Huskies (10-6-1-3) are seven points back of the first-place Dinos (13-5-1-1), but a pair of regulation wins this weekend would go a long way to shooting up the conference's pecking order.
 
The Dinos will be back on the road this weekend, after also being out East for a pair of games in Winnipeg against the Manitoba Bisons this past weekend. The last-place Bisons were able to shock the Dinos on Saturday in the final game of the series with a 2-1 victory to record the split against the first-place team in the conference, snapping Calgary's five-game winning streak. The Bisons dished out the visitors their first loss since Nov. 23, which allowed the provincial rival Pandas to gain ground on the Dinos. Alberta now sits only one point behind Calgary, with the clubs scheduled to play a home-and-home on Jan. 24 and 25, which grants the Pandas an opportunity to surpass the Dinos in the standings.
 
Saskatchewan swept Calgary at Father David Bauer Arena in their weekend series back on Oct. 25 and 26, with the result serving as two of the five regulation losses the Dinos have suffered this season. Sophie Lalor had points on three of the Huskies four goals over the weekend, while Brooklyn Haubrich and Abby Shirley tacked on two points of their own throughout the two-game series. With the Huskies electing to give one start to each of their netminders, Jessica Vance and Camryn Drever were outstanding during the pair of contests. The pair of goaltenders combined to stop 54 of 55 shots they faced, which included a 22-save shutout from Drever to seal the sweep on Saturday night.
 
5 Things
 
1: Saskatchewan has had Calgary's number over the past five seasons, with the club holding a 13-1-0-0 record over the conference foe during that stretch, which includes a 6-0-0-0 record on home ice.
 
2: Abby Shirley has provided no shortage of big-time tallies for the Huskies this season. Four of the five goals scored by the third-year forward are game-winners, which is tied for second in the Canada West.
 
3: Bailee Bourassa's three-game goal streak is tied for the longest in the Canada West this season. The fourth-year forward has eight goals over her last eight games, and ten on the season, which is tied for second in the conference with Calgary forward Elizabeth Lang.
 
4: From worst to first. It's been a remarkable turnaround for the Calgary Dinos, who finished with a 4-20-1-3 record last season. Calgary, who recorded 17 points in 2018-19, were 17 points out of the playoffs with the Regina Cougars claiming the sixth and final postseason spot with 34 points.
 
5: Shutting down Calgary's top line of Lang, Delaney Frey and Sara Craven will prove pivotal for Saskatchewan. The trio has combined to score 23 goals this season, exactly half of Calgary's tallies as a team.
 
Scouting the Dinos
 
Dinos head coach Danielle Goyette is poised to snap Calgary's three-year postseason absence, with the former Canada women's national hockey team member guiding the team to a sensational start to the 2019-20 season.
 
The aforementioned Lang and Craven have led the way up front for their team, with each sitting in the top-five of the Canada West in points. After tallying six points in 11 games played in her rookie season, Lang has made a significant jump in her second year with the Dinos. Lang is almost at a point-per-game pace, with ten goals and eight assists through 20 games this season. Meanwhile, Craven has recorded five goals and 12 assists in her fourth year with the program. Craven, Lang and Frey comprise the conference's top-three skaters in plus/minus.
 
Fifth-year blueliner and Dinos captain Paige Michalenko, who is a former Saskatoon Star, will be playing her final U SPORTS regular-season games in her hometown this weekend. Michalenko is in the midst of a breakout season for the Dinos. The defenceman has recorded a career-high three goals, while also surpassing her previous season-high of six points back in 2016-17, as Michalenko has ten points through only 19 games this season. The Saskatoon native's plus-four plus/minus rating is fourth in the Canada West this season.
 
The story of the season for the Dinos has been fourth-year goaltender Kelsey Roberts. The fourth-year netminder has been sensational this season, sporting an 11-4-1-1 record in 17 starts, along with a 1.34 goals-against-average and .947 save percentage, which sits second in the conference. However, Roberts did not see any action this past weekend in Winnipeg. Gabrielle Durante made both starts for the Dinos against the Bisons, with the rookie netminder stopping 25 of 28 shots she faced throughout the weekend.