CALGARY – It may seem counterintuitive to claim that a team gained momentum in a losing effort, but the Calgary Dinos just might be able to boast such praise heading into a home series against the Saskatchewan Huskies – the Dinos' only two-game home series before Christmas.

After a tough shootout loss at Father David Bauer on Friday in which Alberta scored in the waning seconds to push it to extra-time, the Dinos nearly upset the No. 1-ranked Bears (7-1) at Clare Drake on Saturday, losing 2-1. The Dinos had previously lost their last eight games in Edmonton by a combined score of 45-17, so to push the Bears in their own confines was a definite sign of progress.

With one of the tougher schedules in Canada West to deal with to start the season, facing the Bears four times in their first eight games, head coach Mark Howell and the Dinos now set themselves for another tough series against the perennially successful Saskatchewan Huskies, who are 3-3 on the year. Should the Dinos continue their positive momentum and make out with a multiple point weekend in the standings, they will be flying high moving forward.

Calgary owns a 5-2-1 advantage over Saskatchewan over the past three years, with a 3-1 edge at home. However in 2010, the Huskies have been better on the road, going 2-1 and scoring all five of their power-play goals. Both of Calgary's home games this season have gone past regulation time, with one victory over Lethbridge in OT and the most recent shootout loss to Alberta.

Reid Jorgensen continues to lead the Dinos in scoring, with his 10 points standing up for a tie for third in Canada West. The fourth-year Vancouver native scored a goal in Saturday's narrow 2-1 defeat, and added an assist in Friday's shootout loss.

Calgary forward Matt Isbister came to life in Friday's loss to Alberta, scoring two goals in the third period, while Brock Nixon and Torrie Wheat each had two-point weekends as well. Nixon, who has six assists on the year, ranks second in the conference in shots, counting nearly four per game thus far.

Rookie netminder Kris Lazaruk stepped up in a big way this past weekend, getting the start on the road against the Bears, where he made 33 saves in the 2-1 loss. The rookie is making a strong push on the incumbent starter, Dustin Butler, who has played well himself, going 2-0 in stopping 92% of his shots.

Going 3-3 in their first six games, Saskatchewan has been fairly up-and-down, splitting each of their weekend series' against their prairie rivals, Regina and Manitoba. However while their three losses have come by a combined four goals, in their three victories the Huskies have outscored the opposition 15-4, with a 9-1 thrashing of the Cougars proving to be the most lopsided.

The Huskies are led by goaltender David Reekie, who sits atop Canada West in both GAA and save percentage, where he has posted 1.26 and 0.956 respectively. In the scoring department, Saskatchewan has received a strong team contribution, with defenceman Brett Ward leading a group of 11 multi-point earners with a goal and four assists.

Following the weekend series, Calgary will head to Winnipeg to face the Manitoba Bisons in a two game set, while Saskatchewan will host the UBC Thunderbirds.

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