This weekend the Queen’s Golden Gaels are coming to town to take on the undefeated Blues women’s hockey team, so expect nothing short of a puck maelstrom. The two teams are vying for first place in the OUA East-both are undefeated and both are tearing up the competition. Currently, U of T is in a tenuous first place, having played one more game than Queen’s so far this season.

The looming back-to-back games against Queen’s, the toughest team the Blues have played to date, does not phase head coach Karen Hughes. In fact, Hughes barely bats an eye at the prospect. “I haven’t seen them [play], so it’s hard to know,” she says. So far the crippling force of the Golden Gaels exists only on paper. Until they bring their game to Varsity Arena on Friday night, Hughes isn’t making any assumptions about the competition.

But the numbers should, and do, speak for themselves. Queen’s has been blazing through the province, leaving teams bruised and whimpering in their wake. Against Brock, a team that dealt U of T their only tie of the season (1-1), Queen’s delivered a 9-2 pounding. The Gaels are routinely scoring six or seven goals per game, and have five players in the double-digits for point scoring. Toronto’s highest point scorers are logging in at a respectable seven.

Hughes is eager to see “how well our defence can play against their offence, and vice versa.” The Gaels are formidable offensively, to be sure, but with only nine goals against all season, their defense appears to be just as rock solid. The Blues, with 10 goals against, should give point-hungry Queen’s a run for their money.

The two day battle begins Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Varsity Arena, and picks up where it left off on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. “It will be an interesting game,” says Hughes, but she ends the weekend’s predictions there. The outcome is anyone’s guess, even for the coach. “Who’s to say?” she shrugs.