CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey team officially opens its 2022-23 season this weekend, hosting UBC for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader.
Friday's season-opening puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Father David Bauer Arena, while Saturday's rematch will get underway at 3 p.m. Both contests can be streamed live online on Canada West TV.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. LAST SEASON – Under then first-year head coach
Carla MacLeod, Calgary finished the 2021-22 season with an overall record of 7-13, one spot shy of a playoff berth.
2. THIS SEASON – Canada West released its annual coaches' poll earlier this week, with the Dinos climbing up to No. 5 in this year's conference projections.
3. ON MACLEOD NINE – Earlier this year, Dinos head coach
Carla MacLeod was also named the head coach of the Czechia women's hockey national team. Her guidance already paid massive dividends, as MacLeod coached the squad to a bronze medal at this summer's IIHF World Championships in Denmark. That is a significant improvement from the squad's seventh-place finish at the 2022 Winter Olympics and is by far the highest finish at Worlds in Czech history.
4. NEW DINOS – Eight newcomers have joined this year's Calgary squad and will look to make their impact felt on the ice.
Amelia Awad,
Keagan Goulet,
Jada Leung,
Miri Licis,
Jolie Nafziger and
Sophia Zuck all join the Dinos from the high school ranks, while
Jada Burke is a fifth-year transfer from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Missouri, and second-year
Josie McLeod comes to Calgary after a season at Union College in upstate New York.
5. SERIES HISTORY – Dating back to 1998, UBC holds a slight 28-27-1 all-time record over the Dinos in Canada West action. The Thunderbirds finished second overall in conference play last season, but the young Dinos claimed three of the four head-to-head showdowns – all of which were played in Calgary.
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