CALGARY - After getting the 2009 season off to a rough start last week, the Calgary Dinos field hockey squad will get every chance to right the ship this weekend as the rival Alberta Pandas come to town for a two game set.

Both teams will be in search of both their first goal and their first win of the young season in the weekend match-up. The Dinos and Pandas drew even in their season series in 2008, with both teams notching a victory to go along with two ties.

The Dinos lost both of their season opening games to the UBC Thunderbirds by scores of 3-0, and will need to find their offensive touch in time for an Alberta team that went to the CIS championship game in 2008, which they lost to the Victoria Vikes by a score of 2-1.

Steph Petrowitsch had her struggles in net this past weekend for the Dinos, but received no help from the rest of her team. Veteran players Courtney Campbell and Kaelyn Barrie will need to step up and lead their young team up front against a stingy Pandas defense, who gave up only one goal in their season opening weekend series.

The Pandas are reeling from a winless weekend of their own at the hands of the Vikes, where they lost by a score 1-0 on Saturday before deadlocking at 0-0 on Sunday.

First team All-Canadian forward Bunny Hughes leads the Pandas in her fifth year with the team, while second year goalkeeper Tory Spencer has been solid early for interim head coach AJ Facendi.

The action gets underway Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. on Hawkings Field.

-UC-