BY Janet Schultz
The Professional Women’s Hockey League will be bringing their Take-Over Tour to Buffalo this weekend (February 22-23).
The Take Over Tour is a way for the PWHL to promote professional women’s hockey, build their audience and bring the league to new fans and generate excitement for the league and for the future of women’s ice hockey.
The league is made up of six teams including the New York Sirens and Boston Fleet who will be playing in Buffalo.
Ella Shelton and Allyson Simpson of the New York Sirens and Jill Saulnier and Sydney Bard of the Boston Fleet met with members of the media via Zoom this week to discuss the Tour.
Bard, a native of New Hartford, NY, is very excited to be bringing the PWHL to Buffalo.
“I am super excited. Being from upstate New York it will be exciting to have family and friends here,” said Bard. “Plus New York is our rival.”
“Hockey is part of the culture of Western New York,” said Shelton. “We expect a great, rowdy crowd.”
Fans will see an intense, fast-paced game. There is a rivalry between Boston and New York, with Boston coming out on top, that will make the game more intense.
“We all bring our A game to each game and are refreshed every morning,” said Saulnier, who played for Cornell University.
“Fans will see a fast game, defense to offense,” continued Saulnier. “Shots are fast, puck passing is fast and it is physical.”
They all agree that this is a way to bring young girls, and boys, to see a hockey game played by the best women players.
It’s also a way to show young players that you can have fun, chase your dreams in a sport you love.
There is no harm in trying something you love, have fun and if you fail, you get back up and try again.
This is the story that reflects the PWHL. Several tries for a professional women’s league were made and while they didn’t succeed the organizers kept trying.
The PWHL was launched January 1, 2024, after Mark Walter and the Kimbra Walter’s Mark Walter Group purchased the PHF (formerly NWHL) in June 2023. The league is made up of six teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. The PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game.
Players are paid to play and the average salary is $56,500.
The teams coming to Buffalo are rivals, as mentioned.
Statistically Boston Fleet are in the middle of the pack after playing 17 games they have a 9-8 record and the New York Sirens are 9-8; but with overtime wins and losses they are six points apart putting New York at the bottom of the standings.
Boston is carrying three native New Yorkers with Olivia Zafuto of Niagara Falls; Bard from New Hartford and Aerin Frankel of Chappaqua. Bard and Zafuto played at Colgate University.
New York has Goalie Abigail Levy of Congers. Add to that their coaching staff has recognizable names in Greg Fargo, who coached the women’s team at Colgate University and assistant coach Josh Sciba who coached the women’s teams at Niagara University and Union College.
Siren’s Micah Zandee-Hart played at Cornell and Kayle Osborn played for Colgate.
The Buffalo schedule includes the New York Sirens holding an Open Practice on Saturday, February 22 from 10 a.m. to Noon at LeCom HarborCenter followed by an autograph session from 12:20 to 12:40 p.m.
The Fleet take to the ice for an Open Practice Noon and upon that ending at 2 p.m. they will hold an autograph session from 2:20 to 2:40 p.m. This will also be held at LeCom HarborCenter.
The Boston Fleet vs New York Sirens game will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, February 23 at Key Bank Center.
Tickets for the event can be obtained by going to https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000617194991C52?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAn9a9BhBtEiwAbKg6fjP9C1UEUyQOZOWlcFeDlq89KM5LzUqm8wo51oXHRsbookPpEv_MPRoCB7kQAvD_BwE
