GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Oct. 22 & Saturday, Oct. 23
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Regina, SK & Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Co-Operators Arena & Merlis Belsher Place
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Listen: HuskieFAN

TICKETS || WATCH LIVE 

Another year of University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey is set to get underway this weekend in a series against the provincial-rival Regina Cougars.

The Huskies and Cougars will do battle in the Queen City on Friday night, before travelling into Saskatoon for a Saturday night affair at Merlis Belsher Place.

Unlike the rest of the Canada West, the Huskies have yet to play a game, with the rest of the eight teams in the nine-team conference getting their seasons started this past weekend. 

The Cougars were one of those eight to begin their 2021-22 campaign in a weekend-series against the MacEwan Griffins. Regina split the series, recording a 2-1 win in their season opener before falling the following night by a score of 2-1 to MacEwan, who were competing in their first-ever weekend of Canada West action.

But now the attention turns to the provincial rivalry. It's one of the best matchups in the Canada West year-in and year-out. It's historic - Saskatchewan defeated Regina in their first-ever conference championship back in 2013-14. And year-after-year, back-and-forth battles seem to emerge every weekend. The past two seasons are no exception. The pair of programs split their season-series in both 2018-19 and 2019-20 and if this year's preseason contests are any indication, it would appear this year should be no different, as they split the contests one apiece.

The two exhibition tilts between the Cougars and Huskies served as two of the six preseason tilts for Saskatchewan, this weekend will serve as the first official opportunity to get a look at the new-look Huskies.

And with the team not taking the ice in nearly two years, you can only understand there are some new faces in the mix. Gone from the team are long-time staples like Leah Bohlken, Jessica Vance, Brooklyn Haubrich and Morgan Willlougby, among others.

And with the departure of Vance, it all starts with Edmonton, Alta. native Camryn Drever. Drever is entering her third-year of eligibility, but has been with the program since the 2018-19 season and she'll be counted upon heavily as the team's starting netminder. Drever finished her 2019-20 season with a 1.19 goals-against-average and .941 save percentage, earning a 5-3-1 record.

It will be a relatively new-look blue line for Saskatchewan in front of Drever. Returning to the program are Isabella Pozzi and Holly Angus who will be counted on to provide leadership to this young defensive corps which six first-years, along with Meg Dyer, a transfer from the now-defunct Lethbridge Pronghorns program. Among those defensemen is Larissa Bohlken, sister of now-graduated Huskies standout Leah Bohlken who played five seasons with the program.

Up front, it's all about Bailee Bourassa. The talented fifth-year is one of the most prolific goal-scorers in the country and she'll be counted on to put the puck in the back of the net this season for the Huskies. She led the team with 12 goals in 2019-20. Bourassa is set to skate on a line with fellow returnees Abby Shirley and Kate Ball, while Sophie Lalor, Kara Kondrat and Mallory Dyer figure to start the season on a top-nine line with some serious size.

5 Things 

1. Despite a young Huskies team which features 14 first-years and only two players in either their fourth or fifth years of eligibility, Steve Kook is attempting to lead his team back to the postseason for the 14th straight season.
2. Saskatchewan was tabbed fourth in the Canada West women's hockey preseason coaches poll, buoyed off a 3-2-1 record in preseason play.
3. The Huskies will be honouring 2020-21 fifth-year players Jessica Vance and Emily Upgang during Saturday night's game.
4. Bourassa was named the Huskies captain for the 2021-22 season. Bourassa, a native of Weyburn, Sask. led the Huskies with 12 goals in 2019-20. Shirley and fellow forward Kennedy Brown will join her on the leadership group after both were named alternate captains. 
5. Cougars Trinity Grove and Rachel O'Toole both enter the weekend on two-game point-streaks after each found their way onto the scoresheet during both of the team's opening-weekend games.