Beauts Back to Action, Will Host Boston Pride This Weekend

BUFFALO – After over four weeks of hiatus from regular season play, the Buffalo Beauts are back in Premier Hockey Federation action this weekend. The Boston Pride come to the Northtown Center to face the Beauts on Saturday, December 10 at 7pm EST and again on Sunday December 11 at 1pm. The 1-0-1 Beauts will try to corral the first-place Pride (5-1-0) in the first meetings of the season between the two teams.

“Our mindset going into this weekend is to play simple, hard and smart,” said Beauts veteran forward Autumn MacDougall. “We know that Boston is the top team in the PHF right now, but if we all believe in our systems and in each other, then we will be able to walk away with two wins.”

With a snowstorm delay along with a gap in their schedule, Buffalo have played the least amount of games in the PHF and still have 22 games to go. Despite that being the case, the Beauts grabbed four out of six total points when they hosted the Montreal Force back on the weekend of November 5/6.

The Beauts most potent line in their games against Montreal is a trio that hasn’t garnered much outward attention. The line of Courtney Maud (0-1-1) at center with Claudia Kepler (1-2-3) on leftwing and Anjelica Diffendal (0-3-3) on the starboard side combined for seven points in two games. While Maud is a rookie in her first professional season, Kepler and Diffendal and in their second seasons with Buffalo.

“I think trust is one of the biggest qualities that linemates must have for each other,” said Maud. “That allows the line to succeed. I believe that Claudia, Jell and I all trust each other to do our own jobs first. We have really bonded as a line and we are able to bring intense speed, a hard forecheck, and awareness in the defensive zone. We have confidence that we will be able to produce in the offensive zone with these upcoming games.”

The Beauts have also gotten plenty of scoring output from their blue line as well. Of the team’s seven goals so far, five of them have come from their defense. Blueliners Whitney Dove (2), Allison Attea and rookies Antonia Matzka and Maddie Truax have each tallied.

“I think that the scoring from our D is indicative of the hockey team that we have assembled,” said Beauts GM Nate Oliver. “Everyone is able to contribute offensively, regardless of their position as a skater or where they are in the depth chart. We certainly have our ‘firepower’-players too, but each Beaut can put up points on the stat sheets.”

Saturday’s contest is the Beauts’ annual “Teddy Bear Toss” game. Fans are encouraged to bring unused teddy bears and other stuffed animals. When the Beauts score their first goal of the game, fans throw the stuffed animals onto the ice where they will then be collected and donated to WNY Heroes (https://wnyheroes.org/) to support the children of local military veterans.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s matinee game is “Tropical Day”. Beauts fans are encouraged to wear their beach, cruise, or otherwise tropical attire with the best dressed fan winning a pair of tickets to the outdoor “Buffalo Believes Classic.”

Tickets for both Beauts games can be purchased at https://beauts.goigniter.com/.

About the Buffalo Beauts

The Buffalo Beauts are a professional women's ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York and competing in the Premier Hockey Federation (formerly the National Women’s Hockey League). The Beauts are one of the Founding Four teams that stepped on the ice in 2015 and the 2017 Isobel Cup Champions. The team is owned and operated by NLTT Hockey Ventures. Visit beauts.nwhl.zone to learn more.

About Premier Hockey Federation (PHF)

The PHF is the leading home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, the NWHL rebranded to become the PHF in 2021 and maintains the mission to provide strong role models and fuel the continued growth of the sport. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup.