VANCOUVER – The last two Canada West women's hockey champions will meet this weekend in Vancouver to commence regular season play as the UBC Thunderbirds host the University of Saskatchewan Huskies at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

After winning the 2012-13 league championship, the Thunderbirds fell in the semifinal round of the 2014 playoffs to the Huskies, who ended up earning their first Canada West title.

After a record-setting regular season for the UBC program in 2013-14 with a 20-6-2 mark, good for third overall in Canada West, the team's drive for a national banner came to a premature end. UBC head coach Graham Thomas has high expectations for the team, but understands the challenges that a long regular season will bring.

"It's an extremely tough conference, we have to be at our best every weekend," he said.

Thomas will enter his third season at the helm of the Thunderbirds, and looks to continue the development the program has seen in his first two years.

"Sticking to our process and working hard throughout the regular season is going to set us up for success."

The Thunderbirds welcome back for the last time key veteran players in Sarah Casorso and Tatiana Rafter, who will use up their fifth and final years of eligibility this season. Casorso comes off a stellar season, leading all Canada West defencemen in scoring with six goals and 13 assists. Rafter, a native of Winnipeg, led all players in the conference last season with 20 goals and 18 assists. She became the first player in UBC women's hockey history to be named Canada West Player of the Year. Both Rafter and Casorso were named First Team Canada West All-Stars and First Team CIS All-Canadians.

Fifth-year forward Nikola Brown-John will also enter her last season as a Thunderbird, as will fourth-year forward Lisa Trainor.

Newcomers to the Thunderbirds will get their first taste of Canada West action this weekend. Transfer Kelly Murray is one of four new defenceman for the 'Birds. After spending her first collegiate years playing for NCAA Division I Cornell University, the Calgary native returns to Canadian soil to suit up for the Thunderbirds. Rookies Madison Patrick, Kaylin Snodgrass and Celine Tardif will look to add to the Thunderbirds' defensive core.

Forward Logan Boyd was one of Canada's most highly-touted prospects in this year's recruiting class. She spent most of the pre-season playing on a line with Rafter and Brown-John.

There are new faces behind the bench as well as assistant coach Mike Sommer and assistant goaltending coach Brendan Metz join the program. Sommer is replacing Kim Coates, who is on a one-year leave.

After going 18-4-6 in regular season play, the Huskies defeated the Thunderbirds in the third game of a best-of-three series in last year's conference semifinal en route to a Canada West championship, and ultimately a bronze medal at the 2014 CIS women's hockey championship tournament.

In his ninth season as head coach, Saskatchewan's Steve Kook was named the Canada West and CIS Coach of the Year.

Kaitlin Willoughby returns for her second season as a Huskie, after being awarded the titles of Canada West and CIS Rookie of the Year; both firsts in program history. The Prince Albert, Sask., native tallied 13 goals and 12 assists in her university debut. Having graduating last year's leading scorer in Cami Wooster, the Huskies will look to Willoughby to lead the offensive charge in the 2014-15 season.

UBC and Saskatchewan tied for third in the Canada West preseason coaches' poll. However, the Huskies won the tiebreak as they garnered more higher-placed votes.

The Thunderbirds will look to put last year's premature playoff exit behind them, seeking closure in this weekend's games.

"It's going to be a hard-fought series," stressed Thomas. "This is the league champion; they've got something to prove. We also have something to prove. Both teams are going to be fired up and ready to play. It's going to be a good matchup."

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. PT on both Friday and Saturday evening at Doug Mitchell Thunderbirds Sports Centre.