By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
Your last chance to see the NWHL Buffalo Beauts will be this weekend at Northtowns Center in Amherst.
The #4 Beauts will take on #2 Minnesota Whitecaps at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 and 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, as both teams make moves to secure their place in the NWHL playoffs.
Buffalo is coming off a 6-5 shoot-out Saturday victory over the Riveters, followed by a loss to the Riveters last Sunday. The Beauts are 7-12-1OTL for 15 points while the Whitecaps are 9-9-3OTL for 28 points. Boston is sitting in first and the Riveters are in third.
Taylor Accursi is marking the league with 16 goals and 8 assists for 24 points; Marie-Jo Pelletier has 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points and Iveta Klimasova has 3 goals and 15 assists for 18 points.
Mariah Fujimagari and Kelsey Neumann have been minding the nets for the Beauts. Fujimagari has played in 20 games with 3 wins/8 losses and Neumann with 17 games 3 wins/2 losses.
Locally you will want to see former Buffalo State College players Emma Ruggierio, Nikki Kirchberger and Erin Gehen. All three also played for the WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey League. Then there’s Ana Orzechowski from Tonawanda who played for RPI; Maddie Norton, University of Buffalo and the WNYGVIH League and Richelle Skarbowski who played for SUNY Cortland. For RIT fans, Kandice Sheriff is also a Beaut.
A look at Minnesota.
Last time they met Buffalo the Whitecaps took home a 8-2 and 7-1 victory (January 11/12). They split at with Boston in their last games with a 3-4 win followed by a 4-2 loss.
The Whitecaps have three players in the League Leaders listings including Allie Thunstrom with the #4 position in points/27; #1 in goals/19; #1 in Shut-Out-Goals/3 and second in Game Winning Goals with 2.
Teammates Amanda Boulier is second with assists at 22 and Meghan Lorevee is second with short-handed goals at 2.
Former Buffalo Beaut Goalie Amanda Leville continues her winning ways at Minnesota as she is # 2 in the NWHL with save percentage at .932 and #2 with wins at 13 and sits at #3 with GAA at 2.13.
General admission is $15 per game. Free parking.
