BY RANDY SCHULTZ –
AMHERST, NY — The Montreal Force defeated the Buffalo Beauts, 5-4, in a shootout Saturday night at the Northtown Center’s Feature Rink. It was the opening game for both Premier Hockey Federation teams.
The game also had some historical significance to it because it was the first game for the expansion Force.
The Beauts held the lead in the contest until the 15:35 mark of the third period when Sarah Lefort tied the game, 3-3 for the Force. Just nine seconds later Montreal took the lead, 4-4 on a goal by Kim Deschenes.
Less than a minute later the Beauts tied the score, 4-4, on Claudia Kepler’s goal. The game ended tied and went into a five-minute overtime.
Following a scoreless OT, Buffalo and Montreal then went to a shootout. Following seven rounds, both teams were still tied, with each club scoring a single goal in the shootout (Emma Nuutinen for the Beauts and Deschenes for the Force).
The Force finally broke the tie when Samantha Isbell scored and the Beauts Michaela Boyle missed on the Beauts final shot.
The three stars of the game were: third star, Ann-Sophie Bettez, Montreal (who scored the first regular-season goal in Force history); second star, Antonia Matzka, Beauts; 1st star, Samantha Isbell, Force.
The Beauts outshot the Force, 34-26.
The Beauts took a 3-2 lead after two periods of play, thanks to the lone goal of the period by Buffalo’s Anjelica Diffendal at the 10:49 mark of the 2nd period.
Buffalo and Montreal were tied after the first period of play. The Beauts opened up the scoring at the 9:12 mark of the 1st period on a goal by Antonia Matzka.
The Force tied the game, 1-1, at 15:26 on a goal by Ann-Sophie Bettez. Montreal went ahead in the game just 18 seconds later when Jade Downie-Landry scored.
But the Beauts were not to be denied, coming back at 18:28 of the initial period on a goal by Whitney Dove. Milyla Grant-Mentis had assists on both of Buffalo’s 1st period goals.
The two teams will play each other again Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the Northtown Center’s Feature Rink.
(Photo by Janet Schultz Photography/NY Hockey OnLine)
