VANCOUVER – After spending two weeks on the road, the No. 9-ranked UBC Thunderbirds women's hockey team (11-7-4-2) will return to the Doug Mitchell Thunderbirds Sports Centre this weekend to face the No. 10-ranked Regina Cougars (11-8-4-1) in the 'Birds final regular season home games. 

The teams will first face off on Friday, February 5 and again on Saturday, February 6. Both games commence at 7 p.m. (PT).

Graduating UBC players will be honoured this weekend for both their athletic and academic accomplishments. Forward Rebecca Unrau (Humboldt, Sask.), defender Cailey Hay (Oakbank, Man.) and all three of UBC's goaltenders, Samantha Langford (Pense. Sask), Laura Taylor (Kelowna, B.C) and Danielle Dube (New Westminster, B.C.), will be part of the pre-game ceremony on Saturday. 

UBC head coach Graham Thomas acknowledges that the skill of these senior players will be difficult to replace and that he admires their commitments to both their team and university. 

"They are all dear to my heart. To graduate as a student-athlete is something they should all be proud of," said Thomas.

Thomas appreciates the unique and important roles played by each of the T-Birds graduates.

"Unrau has been a skilled, top performers through the years. Hay is leader who cares a lot for our team. [Langford] has been here for a full five years, and is a very dedicated player. Dube has been an inspiration and role model to our entire team. Taylor is going to be a neurosurgeon...and stepped up big for us when we needed her."

UBC currently occupies the top spot in Canada West standings with 43 points, with Regina trailing by only one point. Both teams have clinched playoff spots. Their proximity in the standings at this crucial point in the season indicates that this weekend's games will be hard fought. 

The Thunderbirds were dealt their first loss since January 8 when they fell to Lethbridge 2-1 last Saturday. Prior to the loss, UBC won in a shootout to extend its season-high win streak to six games, a span in which the T-Birds outscored their opponents 22-9. 

Haneet Parhar (West Vancouver), who registered three points last weekend against Lethbridge, is riding a seven-game point streak, comprised of five goals and four assists since January 9. 

Unrau continues to lead her team with 21 points, while Kathleen Cahoon (Calgary), Logan Boyd (Waterdown, Ont.), Kelly Murray (Medicine Hat, Alta.), Nicole Saxvik (North Vancouver), Stephanie Schaupmeyer (Kelowna, B.C.) as well as Parhar have point totals in the double digits. 

UBC has been able to rely on sturdy goaltending from both Dube and Langford. Dube, ranked 11th nationally, has maintained a .933 save percentage and 1.57 goals-against average through 12 starts, while Langford has logged a .906 save percentage and 1.86 goals-against average through 13. 

Regina's offence has been unmatched this season, with their 64 goals and 105 assists putting them in first place in the league for both categories. Forwards Kylie Gavelin and Jaycee Magwood, who have 24 and 23 points, respectively, currently sit in seventh and eighth place in the CIS. 

Emma Waidenberger, Stephanie Sawchuk and defender Alexis Larson are also contributing to Regina's stellar point totals with 16, 13 and 12 points, respectively. 

Regina goaltender Toni Ross has started in 21 of her team's 25 games this season, the most of any goaltender in the league. She has recorded 15 wins and maintains a .923 SV% and 1.78 GAA. 

The Cougars have won five of their last six games and are fresh off a 4-1 win over Mount Royal. 

While Thomas appreciates that his team has clinched a playoff spot, he still knows how crucial the final four games of the season are.

"It's a huge weekend, and next weekend will be too. It's playoff mentality right now," he said. "We need to put a focus on our compete level and treat these weekends as do or die."