By Janet Schultz, NYHOL; Photos by Janet Schultz©
The Buffalo Beauts are returning to home ice at Northtowns Arena on Saturday and Sunday (February 12/13). Their rival, the Metropolitan Riveters.
The Beauts are at the bottom on the pack in the PHF this season but are coming off a 6-2 win over the Whitecaps in Minnesota. That win snapped an eight-game losing streak and put more confidence back in the team.
Last Friday (Feb. 5) they lost 8-1 to the Whitecaps. The only goal game form Anjelica Diffendal on the powerplay, assisted by Autumn MacDougall and Allie MacPherson. The regrouped for the next day.
The Saturday victory was the Beauts first regulation win of the season and the first victory in Minnesota in franchise history. Add to that, Carly Jackson made a career record saving 40 saves. All six goals came from different players including Emma Keenan, Jenna Suokko, Emili Harley, MacDougall, Kennedy Ganser and Buffalo native Erin Gehen. Gehen hasn’t had a goal since March 2020.
More history with Elena Orlando playing in her 100th career game. She is the fourth PHF player to do so. Orlando played her first 17 games with the Riveters in 2014; then moved to 72 games with the Connecticut Whale over 5 seasons. She retired but then returned to play for the Beauts this season and has made her appearance in all 11 games.
Suokko’s puck is headed for the Hockey Hall of Fame as her goal made history. She is the first Finnish player to score in the PHF. She signed with Buffalo as a free agent and has appeared in all 11 games.
The Riveters will be looking for double wins in order to make a move in the standings. They are coming off a 4-3 win over Boston after losing three prior to that and having two games postponed.
Their two top scorers were members of the 2022 All Star lineup including Rebecca Russo and Madison Packer.
Goaltenders Brooke Wolejko and Sonjia Shelly have shared the net in all 10 games with Wolejko having a 2-4 record and Shelly, 1-3.
How to the Beauts compare?
The Beauts top scorers are MacDougall, Dominique Kremer and MacPherson. Kremer was one of seven players in the All Star game.
In goal Carly Jackson has played in 11 games with a 2-7-0 and Lovisa Berndtsson has 9 games in and has 2 losses. Jackson also was named to the All Star Game and actually made a goal in the shoot out!
For Buffalo they are missing five players to the 2022 Olympics including Megan Bozek, Dani Cameranesi, Savannah Harmon, Nicole Hensley and Buffalo’s own Hayley Scamurra. If you have been watching, they have all contributed to Team USA.
If you’re looking for familiarity, you will see an East Aurora native in the Riveters jersey. Emily Janiga played two seasons for Buffalo before moving downstate. Janiga played for Mercyhurst of the CHA before being drafted by the Beauts.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Northtowns in Amherst. Tickets are available at the door.
