CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey team (11-8-3) will take on crosstown rivals the Mount Royal Cougars (14-5-3) in the Crowchild Classic this Friday at the Scotiabank Saddledome before returning to campus Saturday to wrap up the season series at Father David Bauer Arena.
 
Back after a two-year pause, the Crowchild Classic at the Scotiabank Saddledome is an annual celebration of university sport in Calgary. It is the largest gathering of students in the city each year and will once again feature a hockey doubleheader, with the women's game set for 4 p.m. with the men to follow at 6:45 p.m.
 
Tickets are available for the Scotiabank Saddledome game at godinos.com/cc.
 
The Saturday rematch at Father David Bauer Arena will begin at 6 p.m.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
 
1. KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE – The Dinos are currently on a five-game winning streak, while the Cougars are on a four-game losing streak. However, Calgary sits in fifth place in Canada West, while Mount Royal is in third. The middle of the pack in the conference sits very tight in points, so this weekend's set will be important for both teams in determining playoff seedings.
 
2. ROOKIE MILESTONE – In this past Saturday's game against the Regina Cougars, rookie forward Sydney Mercier had a great showing and earned herself her first hat trick as a Dino and helped to secure a 4-3 win. The goals pushed her to 17 points this season (8g, 9a), and has propelled her to third in points on her team and 11th in the conference.
 
3. COUGAR TO WATCH – Cougar captain Tatum Amy continues to lead the conference in points and is fifth in the nation, with seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points. This comes despite the fact she has missed the last four games. Amy was selected to represent Canada in women's hockey at the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, NY.
 
4. DURABLE DURANTE – Calgary netminder Gabriella Durante continues to top the U SPORTS list in saves, racking up 536 this season in 21 games. In this past weekend's matchup against the Regina Cougars, Durante came up big and made a total of 52 saves, with 34 of those in the Saturday contest alone. The next closest keeper in the CW saves standings sits at 489 entering the weekend, while third place is a distant 411.
 
5. COACH'S CORNER – "We are really excited that the Crowchild Classic is back. Undoubtedly, both programs circle this date on their calendars because of how fun the event is. The natural rivalry is always entertaining, but playing the game at the Dome with our fellow Dinos filling the crowd is a unique experience and one that we all look forward to. These are moments you want to take in and enjoy. This game is a perk of being a Dino. Our group has been focused on our task at hand this second half and that won't change. Once the puck is dropped, it is another opportunity to grow our game and ensure we are executing our details to the level we want. There's a lot of positive energy going into this week, we are looking forward to the weekend." – head coach Carla MacLeod
 
-UC-