The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team opens the second half of the Canada West schedule this weekend with a pair of home games at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

The Horns will host the University of Manitoba Bisons for games Friday and Saturday nights, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m.

The two-game set kicks off a crucial stretch for the Horns, who are currently on the outside of the playoff race. With 12 games remaining, the U of L (4-9-3) sits eight points back of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the fourth and final playoff spot. If the team has a playoff push inside it, now is the time for it to begin.

The Bisons (9-3-2) come into the weekend second in the Canada West standings and boast the best defensive record of any team in the league, allowing a paltry 2.36 goals per game. The Horns, meanwhile, have surrendered the most goals in the conference and will need to shore up defensively to earn a pair of wins.

The teams opened the Canada West season in Winnipeg with the Bisons recording a sweep (3-2, 4-0).

In other weekend Canada West home action, the Pronghorns men's and women's basketball teams will host the University of Calgary Dinos, Saturday night at the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

Both the men's and women's teams boast 5-5 records and are squarely in the hunt for Canada West playoff spots. The Dinos men's team leads Canada West with an 8-2 record while the women Dinos are at 6-4 on the year.

Tip-off Saturday night is at 6 p.m. for the women's game and 8:15 p.m. for the men's contest.