VICTORIA – The University of Victoria Vikes women's field hockey team are after another six-point weekend against the Calgary Dinos, who visit this weekend, Oct. 12-13, for a Canada West double header. The Vikes are currently 2-0-1 in the conference, while the Dinos are 0-6 with only one goal for.
 
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The three-team schedule has been a challenge for the Canada West, as teams have to trade bye weekends and have little competition relative to the seven-team OUA Eastern conference. With the Vikes set to host this year's CIS national championship, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, only one Canada West berth will qualify, while two OUA teams will join the Vikes in the four-team tournament.
 
In their opening weekend, Sept. 21-22, the Vikes dominated the Dinos 6-0 and 2-0 at Hawkings Field in Calgary, Alta. Amanda Kurianowicz tallied a goal in each game, while five other Victoria players got on the board throughout the weekend.
 
On Sept. 28-29, the Vikes were set to host the UBC Thunderbirds, who are 4-0-1, however extenuating circumstances resulted in a game disruption on the Saturday and Sunday's game was postponed. As a result, the Saturday game was recorded as a 0-0 draw, while Sunday's game was moved to Oct. 26 in Victoria.
 
Despite the lack of Canada West action, the Vikes have been busy as they entered the season with a 3-0 pre-season record in Boston against Yale, Harvard and Dartmouth College and have since been competing in the Vancouver women's premier league with weekly match ups.
 
The team boasts strength in striker Kurianowicz and fourth-year Kayleen van der Ree up front, while midfielder and captain Kyla Kirby quarter-backs the midfield line. In the back row defenders Rosie Beale, Alana MacDonald and Kathleen Leahy have been solid tacklers and distributors to the speedy and relentless Victoria team. In addition, keeper Sheriden Goodmanson has yet to allow a goal in Canada West play.
 
The Vikes are lead by head coach Lynne Beecroft who enters her 30^th season and is on the hunt for her 12^th national championship banner.
 
The Dinos have had a change in leadership, as coach Henre Meyer has taken over Jenn Swagar, while fifth years Courtney Duggan, Keara Chicquen, Lindsay Koch, Steph Petrowitsch and Claire Beaton round out this year's graduating class. Petrowitsch has been an outstanding presence in goal for the Dinos, while Koch has anchored the back line in every game. Up front Chicquen is the ball handler that generates most of the Dinos offence as the midfielder looks to help the Dinos relive their 2011 CIS silver-medal performance.
 
The Vikes and Dinos will go head-to-head on Oct. 12 and 13 at 11 a.m. at UVic's artificial field hockey pitch. In addition the games have been scheduled in the middle of the annual Victoria-hosted Bridgman Cup, a prestigious high school tournament that showcases the best talent from across British Columbia.
 
The Vikes and Dinos games will be web streamed live at http://canadawest.tv
 
Note: The Sunday, Sept. 29 game originally scheduled between UBC and Victoria at UVic's field hockey pitch will be moved to Oct. 26 at 12:30 p.m. in Victoria. Full schedules are available at govikesgo.com