by Austin Jankowiak
BUFFALO, NY— Brianne McLaughlin and league-best goaltender Brittany Ott started in goal for the respective teams Sunday afternoon for their teams’ last game of the regular season. The HarborCenter was packed full with spectators to watch the Beauts take on the league-leading Boston Pride. The Pride emerged victorious with a 3-2 win in regulation.
The Beauts and the Pride both had power play opportunities in the first half of the first period but the first real scoring opportunity wouldn’t take place on their respective power plays. Hannah McGowan would find a loose puck at center ice while the Beauts were shorthanded, skating it in on a breakaway. Brittany Ott stood her ground in the crease however, and the score remained tied at 0 until the end of the period, despite another power play chance for the Beauts.
The second period was the polar opposite of the first, featuring goals for each team with just a little over three minutes elapsed. Hailey Browne notched the first goal of the contest, putting the Beauts up 1-0 only 2:24 into the period. The goal wouldn’t go unanswered though, as a pair of Pride goals would put them on top, 2-1. Corinne Buie and Brianna Decker would strike with those goals to take the lead. Beauts penalties in the second by Paige Harrington and Lindsay Grigg gave the Pride more opportunities, but their scoring was contained at 2 for the time being. The Beauts would have better luck on the power play with a Meghan Duggan goal tying up the game with 4:20 left in the period.
Scoring certainly came at a premium in the third, with each team trading chances to no avail early in the period. It would take more than fourteen minutes of play for a goal to be scored by Jillian Dempsey on the power play. There was no looking back for the Pride once they went up 3-2, as they continuously put pressure on the Beauts and didn’t give them much else to work off of. A few good saves by Brittany Ott would dash any hopes that the Beauts had late in the period.
This game leads both teams into the playoffs, where the Pride will play against the Riveters at home and the Beauts will play the Connecticut Whale on the road in a best of three series. Tickets for the Isobel Cup are available now.
