CALGARY - A road split in hand after a season-opening trip to Vancouver, the University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey team returns home this weekend to bring CIS competition to Calgary for the first time since 2002.

It's been more than seven years since the Dinos played a CIS home game – Feb. 2, 2002, in fact, when they fell to UBC by a 3-1 score. After a lengthy absence and a seven-year stint in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, CIS women's hockey returns to the Olympic Oval, site of the 2001 CIS championship tournament, Friday night when the eighth-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies roll into town.

A day later, the Dinos and Huskies will play in the first of four Saturday hockey doubleheaders at Father David Bauer Arena this season, facing off at 3 p.m. with the Dinos men taking on Lethbridge at 7 p.m.

Calgary's return to CIS against UBC last weekend was marked with nerves, uncertainty, and ultimately a 3-1 victory thanks to goals by Tanya Morgan, Calaine Inglis, and Beccy Niehaus along with an 18-save performance by rookie netminder Jessica Ross. A night later, however, the urgency wasn't there for the Dinos as they struggled through the opening period en route to a 4-1 defeat.

The Saskatchewan Huskies, meanwhile, moved up from No. 10 in the CIS Top Ten this week following a season-opening sweep of Lethbridge at Rutherford Rink in Saskatoon. The Huskies had few problems with the Pronghorns either night, cruising to 5-1 and 4-1 victories to take an early lead in the Canada West standings. Thanks to the nine-goal outburst, the Huskies feature two of the conference's top scorers in Breanne George (4-1-5) and Julie Paetsch (1-2-3). Calgary, meanwhile, counters with Niehaus (1-1-2) and Danielle Boyce (0-2-2) as their top two scorers early in the season.

There is a distinct Calgary connection with the Huskies, with four former Dinos suiting up for the green and white. Goaltender Vanessa Frederick spent the 2006-07 season with Calgary before heading east, while Charlotte Chanasyk followed a year later after two seasons in a Dinos uniform. Also, second year players Shelby Davey and Megan Frohaug, both Saskatchewan natives, jumped ship after the Dinos' ACAC championship last season to join the Huskies. Both are immediately eligible to play because the Dinos were still considered an ACAC team for transfer purposes this year.

The Dinos and Huskies met in an exhibition tilt last season in Oyen, Alta., with Saskatchewan coming out on top 4-0. However, in their lone pre-season meeting this year, the Dinos took a 2-1 shootout win at a tournament in Lethbridge, which the Dinos won with a perfect 3-0 record.

Friday's game faces off at 7:30 p.m. at the Olympic Oval, with a short turnaround for Saturday's 3 p.m. start at Father David Bauer Arena.

-UC-