UNews - Edmonton

Comparing approaches to learning a second language

caroline.zentner — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:46:48 +0000

Recent waves of immigration have led to a burgeoning bilingual population in Canada and second-language programs offered by the public education system have flourished in response.

The ability to speak a second language at a level that approaches native-like proficiency can positively affect academic and career success. However, graduates of second-language programs often produce speech errors that impair how well they are understood and sometimes lead to stereotypical judgments of their capability.

Now, thanks to $150,000 in funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Dr. Fangfang Li, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, will be able to examine the factors that might influence speech errors. Li hopes to better understand the origins of such speech errors after she found some rather puzzling results from research she conducted with elementary-aged children in local French Immersion programs.

“In my past research, I looked at students in Grades 1, 3 and 5. At the time, we thought students in the higher grades should make fewer speech errors than students in lower grades but that’s not the case,” says Li. “We found that, if students make pronunciation errors when they are in Grade 1, it’s going to persist in Grade 5. They’re not getting substantial improvement over time.”

As Li pondered possible reasons for the finding, she hypothesized that local children in French Immersion programs continued to make the same speech errors because they most likely have an Anglophone background and are learning a second language that isn’t the dominant language in the community. These factors limit opportunities to speak French outside the classroom.

Li and fellow researchers from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Montreal have designed a further study to test out that hypothesis. Working with a colleague from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Montreal, one part of the study will have native French speakers evaluate students’ speech production and identify areas that need improvement. This information can then be used by teachers to design better educational materials.

“Once we obtain the normative data, we can then use it as a reference to design standard tests,” says Li.

In her previous study, Li spoke with school administrators who indicated a concern that no standard testing is available for students who are native speakers of English who acquire a second language such as French.

Another part of the study, done in collaboration with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, will look at a bilingual Mandarin Chinese and English program in Edmonton where the curriculum is divided equally between English and Mandarin.

“The student body is also divided so that native speakers of Mandarin Chinese and native speakers of English are mixed in the same classroom,” says Li. “That’s the kind of opportunity that French Immersion students, say in Lethbridge, don’t have. They don’t have the opportunity to talk to native speaking peers on a daily basis.”

Li expects that English students who have more opportunities to talk with native Mandarin-speaking peers and teachers will produce more accurate Mandarin speech as they move into the higher grades.

“If the Mandarin-English bilingual program proves to be better, I think it may be time to think about whether we can combine students from Anglophone backgrounds and Francophone backgrounds in the same school so they can learn from each other,” says Li.

Success built on relationships and trust

caroline.zentner — Thu, 19 May 2016 22:01:51 +0000

To be recognized by Wealth Professional Magazine as one of Canada’s best financial advisors even once is an impressive accomplishment, but Lyle Rouleau (BMgt ’89) has done it three times.

As First Vice-President with CIBC Wood Gundy’s Rouleau Investment Group in Edmonton, Rouleau has made Wealth Professional’s annual Top 50 list for the last three years. He was also a finalist in 2015 for Wealth Professional Advisor of the Year and Wealth Professional Multi-Service Advisor of the Year.

“It’s always nice to get recognized by a third party. I’ve never been one to brag or blow my own horn but we’ve been quite successful in building our business over the years,” says Rouleau. “Getting to this point and actually being recognized by an outside publication is quite humbling but I am proud of the work we’ve done to get to this point.”

Even though Rouleau, Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager, does business in one of Canada’s largest cities, he hasn’t lost his small town values. He’s originally from Eaglesham, a small farming community about an hour’s drive northeast of Grande Prairie. His roots and his education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge (U of L) gave him a foundation that has served him well since he started his career more than 20 years ago.

“Our business can be cyclical depending on what the markets are doing and what my clients are doing. To maintain it over the last few years — with the slowdown in the Canadian and global economies and with commodity prices — I think we’ve done a fairly decent job,” he says.

Rouleau has built his business based on the belief that he needs to establish a relationship of trust with clients so he can understand their objectives and make decisions in their best interests.

“In this industry, you have to have an understanding of the finance side and knowledge of accounting and taxation. On the relationship management side, you have to be able to listen and know what each client’s needs are,” says Rouleau. “You can be the smartest money manager but if you don’t listen to a client and know them and their needs and objectives, I don’t think you can do a good job.”

Along with the ability to listen, being able to present oneself in a professional manner is key, says Rouleau. The business can be stressful and he only has to think back as far as 2008. Rather than clam up in the face of panicking clients, Rouleau and his staff made sure they responded.

“We bit the bullet and answered every email or picked up our phone. That ability to communicate and walk them through these things is very important in good times and in bad times. I’m lucky I took a couple of psychology courses because sometimes it’s managing emotions,” he says. “One thing about this industry is you’re never going to be 100 per cent right, but the thing is you don’t want to be 100 per cent wrong.”

He didn’t imagine a career in finance when he came to the U of L after completing two years at Grande Prairie Regional College. He didn’t want to complete a degree at a large institution and he’d heard positive things about the U of L’s Faculty of Management, like its small class sizes and the chance to get to know his professors. He majored in marketing and recalls Professor Emeritus Hiroshi Shimazaki inviting his international marketing class home for karaoke and sake. Rouleau recalls a Saturday seminar class he found especially helpful because business people in the community were invited to share their expertise on topics like giving a presentation or writing effectively for business.

Outside of his studies, Rouleau found it easy to make friendships outside his faculty, including meeting his future wife, Dana Stafford (BN ’90).

“I think it was those experiences that made a big difference in my career. I can’t say enough good things about the U of L. It was a great time,” he says.

The Rouleau Investment Group includes an associate investment advisor, an administrative associate and Rouleau’s son, Nolan, who completed a business degree at MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in April and recently joined the firm.

Artist Tanya Harnett elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts

caroline.zentner — Thu, 07 May 2015 21:49:15 +0000

Tanya Harnett, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professor teaching in both the Art and Native American Studies departments, joins an illustrious group as a newly elected member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA).

Since 1880, members of the RCA have nominated and elected a new group of visual artists each year to join the academy as a way to celebrate their achievements in excellence and innovation.

“It’s a big honour,” says Harnett. “This year, 11 visual artists will be awarded the honour. The list of Canadian artists who have been recognized is impressive. I look at the list and I can’t help but think of how many others deserve the honour more than me.”

Lethbridge has a reputation for supporting and recognizing visual artists, she says. Janet Cardiff and George Bures Millers, former U of L instructors, were winners of the Venice Biennale, the world’s premier contemporary art exhibition, and David Hoffos (BFA ’94) has exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada.

“Organizations like the Southern Alberta Art Gallery also help create a strong artistic community and an environment conducive to creating art,” says Harnett. “It’s a fantastic art community and it has great outreach to other artists across Canada with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s ART NOW lecture series.”

Harnett joined the U of L in 2002. Originally from Saskatchewan, she is a member of the Carry the Kettle Band. She moved to Edmonton at an early age and eventually completed an MFA in Drawing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

“I think my first language was visual. If art is a language, and I believe it is, that’s how I conceptualize things first. It’s articulated in my mind and then it comes out as a response in my art practice,” she says. “I think through the senses and so my engagement with the world is about envisioning what that would mean in a two-dimensional substrate.”

She shares her knowledge of the language of visual art with her students as she teaches them about drawing, helping them learn to look, to think about what they see and to express their vision through art.

“Visual art is a fast medium. People can read an image in a very short period of time and say ‘Oh, I can see how many different ways that person is thinking.’ The vast ways of layering the image or content is something that I think about. How many ways can I have somebody read an image?” says Harnett.

Harnett’s election to the Royal Canadian Academy will be formally recognized at its annual meeting, held this year in Montreal from May 14 to 17. At the same time, an exhibition of Harnett’s work, and other newly elected members, will be hosted at a Montreal public institution.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ appoints Dr. Erasmus Okine as new Vice-President (Research)

trevor.kenney — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 20:09:24 +0000

One of the country’s top agricultural researchers and a proven cultivator of undergraduate and graduate student research is coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Dr. Erasmus Okine’s research interests focus on topics relevant to Canadian agriculture.

Dr. Erasmus Okine is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s new Vice-President (Research) after being approved by the U of L’s Board of Governors earlier today. His appointment is effective July 1, 2015.

Okine joins the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, where he has served most recently in a dual capacity as the Associate Vice-President (Research) and Associate Vice-President (Academic).

“We are very excited to have Dr. Okine join our leadership team,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon. “As the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has evolved from its primarily undergraduate focus to that of a comprehensive academic and research institution, the leadership of our Vice-President (Research) has been essential. Dr. Okine’s proven strengths will be a great addition to our team and help us continue to move forward.”

Okine’s research interests focus on topics relevant to Canadian agriculture, including: elucidating the roles of the key enzymes involved in marbling and synthesis of sub-cutaneous adipose tissue in beef cattle; providing insights into mechanisms controlling glucose and starch utilization for increased animal productivity; and residual feed intake (RFI), methane emission and mitigation in the ruminant animal, especially in beef cattle.

“One of the main factors that really makes me want to come to Lethbridge is the leadership team that is in place,” says Okine. “The visionary leadership the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has is incredible, and the fact the U of L has a very collaborative and multi-disciplinary research focus is also a very attractive feature.”

Okine is excited about the development of the Destination Project and its focus as a hub for scientific discovery.

“The fact that the campus is committed to the Destination Project, and how it involves community engagement, undergraduate and graduate research opportunities as well as commercialization and knowledge transfer, for me, it makes the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge the place to be.”

A native of Ghana, Okine completed his Bachelor of Science (1978) and Master of Science (1981) in Animal Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ghana in Legon, followed by his PhD (1990) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. He served as a lecturer at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ghana from 1983 to 1985, after which Okine came to Edmonton to complete his PhD under Professor Gary Mathison in Animal Nutrition and Digestive Physiology. From 1990 to 1994 he was a sessional lecturer/research associate and postdoctoral fellow in what is now the U of A’s Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science (AFNS). Okine then served as a senior research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development at the Lacombe Research Centre from 1994 to 2001. He joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta as an associate professor and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Chair in Ruminant Nutrition and Metabolism in AFNS in 2001, was promoted to full professor in 2007, and he served as Chair of the department from 2005 to 2014.

Okine has received a number of awards over the course of his career, including the Alberta Premier’s Silver Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research (2000), being named a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Animal Science in 2009 and Fellow of the International College of Nutrition (2006).

Having seen the tremendous growth in research at the U of L from afar, Okine is enthused about the opportunity to take the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to another level. The recent launch of AGILITY is another example of the U of L moving forward, and Okine looks forward to contributing to the initiative.

“I believe the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is in a position to be relevant, to be responsive and to further increase its reputation,” he says. “What has been achieved so far has been incredible. Working to expand research through innovation and entrepreneurship will become one of my priorities and something I’m really excited about.”

Use of innovative couples therapy to be expanded thanks to research grant and partnership with Alberta Health Services

caroline.zentner — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 16:23:15 +0000

A major two-year grant worth $153,000 from the Alberta Gambling Research Institute will allow ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Health Sciences professors, Drs. Bonnie Lee and Darren Christensen, and their team to gauge the effect of a specialized couples counselling model.

Developed by Lee, Congruence Couple Therapy (CCT) has already undergone a pilot randomized trial and proven its efficacy when used with couples where one member has a gambling disorder. Now Lee is excited to evaluate the use of the therapy in partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS).

“We are intrigued to compare the treatment outcomes using the model for gambling and for alcohol use disorder, which is at least six times more prevalent than gambling disorder,” says Lee.

Dr. Bonnie Lee

Five researchers from the U of L and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta are involved in a research study that will be conducted at four AHS service sites over a two-year period. Researchers are now visiting each community, including Edmonton, Red Deer and Grande Prairie, to familiarize themselves with current operations.

“We’re paying site visits to understand the needs and variations of existing programs because we will be comparing outcomes using the CCT model to the usual treatment,” she says.

Counsellors with AHS will receive training in CCT and couples who volunteer for the study will be randomly assigned to receive either CCT or existing programs. After 12 weeks, treatment outcomes will be assessed by counsellors and the couples involved.

CCT addresses the roots of addiction and the impact of traumatic childhood family experiences that maintain it.

“Addiction is essentially a relationship disorder with breakdown of trust and communication beginning early in life. Those patterns are displayed in how a couple interacts. Healing partners in intimate relationships is a springboard to recovery,” says Lee.

In Lee’s pilot randomized trial, couples said the therapy was life-changing and gave them compassion for each other. They reported CCT helped them understand what lies behind the addiction to avoid blame, better listen and respond to each other, and revive their spirit and sense of worth. The results are less mental distress, improved relationships, often with their children as well, and decreased need for gambling.

“This innovation I’m bringing into the field is a systemic model that allows you to look at the whole package of what feeds into the addiction,” says Lee. “I’m passionate about bringing this conjoint couple therapy format into the field. It could well develop into a way of working with parents and adolescents.”

The research study also gives university researchers the chance to step into the field to interact with AHS service providers and clients themselves. Lee says funding agencies are increasingly seeing the value of collaborations and partnerships that allow researchers and stakeholders to work together. The Canadian Depression Research Network has added another $10,000 to the study to look at the effects of the intervention on depression, which commonly occurs with addiction.

“We hope through this kind of partnership with Alberta Health Services we can speed up the process of adapting scientific knowledge to the health-care system to make it more usable,” says Lee.

Throwers earn Pronghorn weekly honours

trevor.kenney — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 23:23:13 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns throwers Peter Millman and Kayla Gallagher earned their respective Subway Pronghorn Male and Female Athlete of the Week honours after impressive performances at the Canada West Track and Field Championships this past weekend.

Second-year thrower Millman continued his stellar start to his university throwing career, winning the gold medal in both the weight throw and shot put events at the Canada West championships hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

In his first event of the meet, the Truro, NS native set a new personal best in the weight throw, en route to his second career gold medal in the event. His throw of 18.82 metres won the event by over a metre. The next day in the shot put event, he set another personal best mark, hitting 16.91 metres on his sixth and final throw. It was the second time this season that he had set a personal best mark in that event.

With his outstanding performance at the Canada West Championships, Millman was named the Canada West Field Athlete of the Year.

Meanwhile, reigning CIS weight throw champion Kayla Gallagher was again the cream of the crop in her marquee event, claiming her second consecutive Canada West title. Setting a new personal best with a throw of 18.48 metres, Gallagher also beat the field by nearly a metre.

Despite not training shot put for much of the season, Gallagher was then three centimetres short of a new personal best and missed the shot put podium by only nine centimetres and finished fourth with a throw of 13.17 metres.

Gallagher, Millman, Ryan Sommer and Aaron Hernandez will travel return to Edmonton for the CIS Championships, Mar. 6-8.

Horns women's hockey team looks to get back on track

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 23:08:20 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team returns to action this week after their first half bye a week ago, hosting the Manitoba Bisons for a pair of games at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

The bye could not have come at a better time for the Horns, having lost three games in a row, including being swept by the Alberta Pandas in their last conference action in Edmonton.

The Pronghorns will look to limit scoring chances this weekend when they host the Manitoba Bisons for a two-game set at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Those two losses to the Pandas dropped the Horns to two games under .500 and they currently sit sixth in the conference with a record of 3-5-2. While the conference has seen some separation in the standings in the past few weeks, only eight points separate the first place Saskatchewan Huskies and UBC Thunderbirds and seventh place Calgary Dinos.

If the Horns are going to make a move up the standings this season, they will need to shore up their defensive game. The Horns are tied for the most goals allowed in the conference with 31. Shauntelle Williams and Crystal Patterson have split the goaltending duties thus far, with both starting five contests, but neither of them rank among the top ten in Canada West goals against averages.

Another area of concern for the Horns is the team’s specialty team units. Currently, the Pronghorns are ranked last in the conference in penalty killing (79.5%) and seventh in power play (98.1%).

Offensively, the Horns have scored 21 goals in 10 games are led by the trio of Sadie Lenstra, Sarah Spence and Kirsten Reeves. Lenstra has four goals and two assists, while Spence and Reeves each have six points.

For the Bisons, the 2013-14 season has been up and down through the first five weekends of action, and they sit one spot above the Horns in fifth place with a 5-4-1 record. Despite splitting their last two series with the Calgary Dinos and Regina Cougars, the Bisons have earned at least one point every weekend thus far.

The Bisons rank in the middle of the pack in both goals for and goals against with 22 and 21 respectively, but have the third best penalty killing unit in the conference, killing off 91% of their penalties.

Between the pipes, the Bisons have had three different goaltenders see action but rookie Amanda Schubert has the superior numbers of the three. In five appearances, Schubert has a 1.29 goals-against-average and a 0.942 save percentage.

Meagan Vestby leads the Bison offensive attack with one goal and a conference best 11 assists. Kyleigh Palmer and Maggie Litchfield-Medd lead the team in goals with four apiece.

Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday night’s games are scheduled for 7 p.m. and the games will also be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv

Hockey programs take it on the road

trevor.kenney — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 22:01:33 +0000

For the first time this season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team heads out on the road for a two game set, traveling to Edmonton to face the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas.

Through the first four weeks of the season, the ‘Horns have only played one road game, the front half of a home-and-home series with the Calgary Dinos.

If the early season results are any indication, every point is going to be valuable. So far, five points separate first to seventh in the Canada West standings, with the Horns sitting in sixth at 3-3-2. The Pandas (4-2-2) enter the weekend in fourth place, only two points ahead of the Horns.

After splitting their series last weekend with the Saskatchewan Huskies, the Horns need to string some wins together if they hope to move up the standings.

Head coach Chandy Kaip continues to platoon the goaltending duties between Shauntelle Williams and Crystal Patterson with both seeing action in four games. Williams has the better numbers with a 1.83 goals-against-average. Sadie Lenstra and Sarah Spence lead the Horns offensively with six points and are tied for eighth in conference scoring.

The Pandas enter the weekend after losing both games to the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver last weekend, but earned a point in Saturday’s 2-1 shootout loss.

Puck drop in Edmonton is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday, and both games with be webcast on http://canadawest.tv.

Pronghorn men

Still in search of their elusive first win of the season, the Pronghorns men’s hockey team heads out on the road again this weekend, traveling to Vancouver to face the UBC Thunderbirds for a pair of games.

This weekend will also put an end to a difficult stretch to open the season, as seven of the Horns' first eight conference games have been played on the road. After this weekend, the Horns will play five of their next eight games at home.

Offensively, the Horns have struggled, scoring just six goals in six games and if they are going to right the ship this season, they will need to increase their productivity. Specialty teams continue to be an area of concern as well, with the Horns ranking last in power play efficiency and second last in penalty killing.

Third-year forward Cass Mappin leads the team in scoring and has been involved in more than half of the Horns goals with four points.

For the Thunderbirds (1-5-0), the 2013-14 season has also gotten off to a rocky start and they enter the weekend having lost three games in a row, including being swept by the Alberta Golden Bears last weekend in Edmonton.

While not as drastic as the Horns' offensive woes, the Thunderbirds are the third lowest scoring team in the conference with 16 goals in six games. They have also allowed 28 goals against, the second most in the conference.

Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday night’s games is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Live stats for both games can be found at http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/mens/en/stats/index.php?season_id=22.

U of L plays host to Canada West Women's Rugby Championships

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 17:16:20 +0000

Coming off a dominant and undefeated Canada West regular season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas head into this weekend's Canada West Women's Rugby Championships as the top seed and the team to beat.

Joining the Pandas in Lethbridge are the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos, host ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns and the UBC Thunderbirds.

The Pandas will play the Thunderbirds in Friday's first semifinal at 11 a.m. at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Sports Stadium, while the second semifinal will be a rematch of last year's thrilling semi in Edmonton, with the Dinos and Pronghorns squaring off at 1 p.m. The Dinos ended the Horns' six-year run as conference champions last year with a 33-32 victory.

Following their first conference championship in seven years, the Pandas were truly the class of the Canada West this season, racking up a 4-0 record and outscoring their opponents 192 to 20, or an average of 48-5 per game. The Pandas are also the top ranked team in the country and have claimed the CIS top ranking in the past three polls.

The bronze medalists at the 2012 CIS championship, this year's Pandas squad is perhaps the most veteran and experienced team in the country, with a roster that includes the majority of their players and starters from the 2012 season. On top of that, Chelsea Guthrie, a 2012 CIS All-Canadian and Canada West MVP, helped Canada to a third place finish at the 2013 Summer Universiade Games in Russia, a team that was coached by Alberta's head coach Matt Parrish, who won the Coach of the Year Award in Canada West last season as well.

Also back with the team this year are Amee Svatos (Back Row), Miranda Monty (Back Row), and Rebecca Fairbairn (Back 3), all of whom were all-stars last season, while Svatos, who is originally from Canby, Oregon, was the conference Rookie of the Year in 2012 after joining the Pandas from the Team USA U-20 squad and Oregon State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Louis Chavarie (Lock) is also a key player for the Pandas. Third-year back-three player Alanna Fittes, however, has been the straw that stirs the drink for Alberta in 2013. The Rimbey, Alberta native led Canada West in points scored (63), tries (8) and converts (10), while she also scored a penalty goal.

The second seeded Dinos, building off their first appearance in the Canada West Championship game a year ago, finished second in the Canada West standings for the second year in a row, and for a program that is only in its fifth season in the conference, have made a quick ascension up the rugby ranks.

The Dinos, ranked in the CIS Top Ten all season, opened the campaign with a tough loss to the Pandas but then swept their trip through BC, soundly beating both the Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds. In a preview of this Friday's second semifinal, the Dinos concluded their conference schedule hosting the U of L Pronghorns in early October with the game ending in a 26-26 draw.

For the Horns, while it is always a benefit to play on your home field, the 2013 season has been a roller coaster ride. After opening the season with a disappointing loss to the Victoria Vikes, the six-time Canada West Champions finished with a 1-2-1 record. The 'Horns rebounded from that season opening loss to beat the T-Birds, but after their draw with the Dinos, the 'Horns were beaten handily by the Pandas.

From the start of the season it has been a challenging year for interim head coach JJ Ondrus with captain Jillian Ankutowicz and Canada U-20 member Sarah Gordon missing the entire season due to injury. The club's depth was further tested with other key injuries during the regular season.

Offensively, the 'Horns relied on a balanced attack with eight players scoring at least one try. Senior Kim Leavitt (Back Row) led the way in tries (4), while fourth-year Tiffany Wideen (Centre) took over the kicking duties this season and hit six converts.

The fourth seeded UBC Thunderbirds went into the final weekend of the regular season needing to win and win big to qualify for the conference championships. Under the leadership of first year head coach Maria Gallo, the Thunderbirds had lost their first three games of the season but with their impressive 63-17 win over the Victoria Vikes, the T-Birds punched their ticket to Lethbridge.

Busy weekend upcoming for Horns Athletics

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 18:23:28 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team took a small step back last season, missing the Canada West playoff party. On Friday night, the Horns will begin their quest to return to the post-season when they open the regular season against the defending Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

With 19 players returning from last season, the Horns have an experienced group, led by senior defenceman Glenda Edie and fourth-year defenders Courtney Minor and Katie Mucha. Add in the returning goaltending tandem of Crystal Patterson and Shauntelle Williams, and the Horns are in good shape in their own zone.

Despite being one of the lowest scoring teams in the conference last season, the Pronghorns possess a group of talented forwards and will need to score by committee to generate the offence needed to get them into the playoffs once again. Megan Bailey had a breakout season last year and her team leading 16 points tripled her output from the previous season. Third-year forward Kirsten Reeves led the Horns last season with 12 goals, putting her in a tie for third in the conference, and she will be leaned on heavily for production again this season.

With seven of their first eight games at home to start the year, the Horns have a great opportunity for a fast start.

Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday nights is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Horns Soccer

The Proghorns men's and women's soccer programs are both on the road this weekend, the men heading to Winnipeg to face the Wesmen, while the women are on the west coast to challenge the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria and Fraser Valley.

Coming off a weekend split last weekend with the Mount Royal Cougars, the men’s soccer team is at 2-6-0 on the season. With seven games remaining in the season, the Horns are only four points out of a playoff spot.

The Horns, who have scored just seven goals in eight games, will need to generate more offense if they are to make a push to the post-season. Guilherme Costa leads the teams in goals with two, both coming from the penalty spot.

The Wesmen (2-4-2 CW), won just one of their first six games but earned four points last weekend in Calgary, beating the Dinos 3-2 before completing the trip with a 1-1 tie the next day.

On the women's front, the Horns (0-5-2) are still searching for their first victory of the season after suffering two losses in Saskatchewan last weekend, dropping a 2-0 decision to the Saskatchewan Huskies and 2-1 to the Regina Cougars.

Offensive production continues to be the Horns undoing so far this season, only scoring three goals thus far.

Defensively, the Horns have been solid, having only allowed 11 goals in seven games.

Friday night, the Horns face the Victoria Vikes (4-2-0), before travelling to Abbotsford on Saturday to meet up with the Fraser Valley Cascades (2-3-1).

Women's Rugby

Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Pronghorns women’s rugby team heads out on the road for a pair of games versus provincial rivals Calgary Dinos and Alberta Pandas.

Sitting at 1-1 and with a guaranteed spot in the Canada West Championship tournament (which the Horns host Oct. 18-20), this weekend’s results will determine the seeding for the Canada West semifinals.

Friday in Calgary, the Horns will have revenge on their mind when they face the Calgary Dinos (2-1). The Dinos ended the Horns' 22-game conference winning streak last season with a 31-18 win and then knocked the Horns out of title contention with a 33-32 victory in the Canada West semifinal in Edmonton.

The Horns are led by Kim Leavitt’s three tries, which places her in a tie for second in the conference, and Tiffany Wideen, who has taken over the kicking duties this season and has connected on three converts. For the Dinos, Natasha Loucks leads a balanced attack with three tries and Kate Scotland has connected on six converts and two penalty goals for 18 points.

Sunday, the Horns take on the defending Canada West champion Alberta Pandas (3-0). So far, the Pandas have yet to be tested. Following their 62-17 trouncing of the Dinos to open the season, the Pandas shut out both of their BC opponents on the road, beating the Victoria Vikes 49-0 and the UBC T-Birds 39-0.

Men's Basketball

Finally, the Horns men's basketball team will host MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for a pre-season tilt, Friday night at 7 p.m. in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym.

MacEwan is currently an Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) team but will be joining Canada West next season. The matchup will be a solid first test for the Horns, who are itching to get into game action after a long practise schedule.

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