CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey team opens the 2023-24 season Friday at home, hosting MacEwan at 7 p.m. from Father David Bauer Arena.
The two teams will face off again Saturday at 5 p.m. in Edmonton.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
LOOKING BACK AT LAST SEASON – Calgary put together a 15-13 overall record a season ago, but finished the regular season as one of the most consistent programs in the conference with an 8-2 mark over the final two months. That led to the Dinos earning the No. 4 seed in the Canada West playoffs before falling to fifth-seeded Saskatchewan in the quarterfinals.
A PEAK AT THE POLLS – For the second consecutive season, the Dinos have been picked fifth in the Canada West preseason coaches' poll. Calgary received 47 points in this year's poll – just two shy of fourth-place Saskatchewan.
GOING PRO – Calgary head coach
Carla MacLeod announced earlier this month that she has accepted a head coaching job in Ottawa with the upstart Professional Women's Hockey League. She has been with the Dinos for two seasons and will remain with the program through the end of October to help with the transition, when current assistant
Josh Gosling will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
NEW FACES – A total of seven new players join this year's roster for the Dinos and will look to make an immediate impact on the ice.
Solana Cooper,
Brooklin Fry,
Jada Johns,
Evelyn Lawrence,
Kyla Mitenko and
Caitlyn Perlinger all come to Calgary from the high school ranks, while
Courtney Kollman joins the Scarlet & Gold after playing the last two seasons across town at Mount Royal University, where she racked up 49 points (21 goals, 28 assists) across all competition.
FOR STARTERS – The Dinos will be looking for their first win in a season opener since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. In fact, as luck would have it, Calgary has won just three of its last 10 season openers. Last year, the Dinos opened up against the defending champion Thunderbirds and held a 2-1 lead after one and were tied heading into the third but UBC was able to do enough in the final period to keep hold off last year's young Dinos squad.
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