CALGARY – Despite back-to-back tough weekends against nationally ranked teams, the University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey team remains in the thick of the playoff race.

While the four top spots are virtually locked up (a 13 point gap exists between fourth place and fifth place), the Dinos sit only three points back of sixth place, held by the Regina Cougars. Better yet, they are just four points back of fifth place, held by the Mount Royal Cougars. The top six teams after the regular season advance to the Canada West playoffs.

This weekend, the Dinos are set to welcome the fourth-place Saskatchewan Huskies. Similar to the Dinos, the Huskies rely on strong goaltending to give them their best chance to win. However, unlike Calgary, the Huskies have split time between Jessica Vance (10 games played), and Chloe Marshall (six games played). Two other goalies have also played a combined four games. For the Dinos, standout Kelsey Roberts has started in 18 of the Dinos' 20 games. 

"We're extremely fortunate to have such a great goaltender to play in front of," explains Dinos assistant captain Kate Lumley. "But facing another top goalie means that we need to capitalize on every opportunity around the net and have a high shot count. Practice this week has focused on getting shots through and going for every rebound." 

Certainly, it would be nice for the Dinos to come out of the weekend with points, but the defining stretch of their season is to come in the following two weeks. 

After the series with the Huskies, the Dinos will face the fifth place Mount Royal Cougars, followed by the sixth place Regina Cougars. However, the Dinos must ensure they stay focused on this upcoming week, as any points against the Huskies would give Calgary a greater opportunity to control their own destiny. 

"We know that these next few weekends are crucial for us, and every point counts," stated Lumley. "It's important for us as a team to be focused on our goal every time we step on the ice, especially at practice. How we practice these next few weeks is what will dictate our success, and hopefully that hard work will result in a playoff spot. "

DETAILS:  
Dates: Friday, Jan. 19 and Saturday, Jan. 20 
Start times: 7:00 p.m. MT Friday and 6:00 p.m. MT Saturday  
Venues: Father David Bauer Arena @ Calgary

HEADLINES:   

• In their first meetings of the season in October, the Dinos dropped a 3-0 decision on the Friday, before falling again in a hard-fought 1-0 game on the Saturday.  
• Both teams have the opportunity to advance in the standings with victories this week. The Huskies can potentially surpass the Pandas for third place, while the Dinos can pass Regina for sixth.
• Both clubs are undefeated when leading after 20 or 40 minutes. Similarly, both teams have never won a game when trailing after the first or second periods. 

CALGARY DINOS (6-12-0-2) 

• Nine of the Dinos' 20 games have been one-goal affairs. They hold a 4-3-1-1 in one-goal games.
• Although the Dinos have been struggling offensively, goaltender Kelsey Roberts continues to be the story. The team ranks third in the nation both in total saves, and save percentage. Roberts has started in all but two games.
• After being held scoreless in both games against the Pandas, the Dinos are looking for some offensive production. Saige Desjardins, Delaney Frey, Rachel Paul, and rookie Laine Grace are all tied for the team lead in points.

SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (12-7-0-1) 

• After four consecutive wins dating back to Dec. 2, the Huskies fell to the Manitoba Bisons last Saturday, in the second game of their weekend series.
• The Huskies' offense has struggled all-season, having only scored 34 goals. In addition, the power play has been struggling, with only four goals in 69 tries.
• Making up for the lagging offense, the Saskatchewan goaltending has been outstanding. Having only allowed 26 goals, they lead Canada West in this category, while ranking fifth nationally.