Beauts’ “Buffalo Believes Classic” Outdoor Game Returns to Riverworks This Friday

BUFFALO – The Buffalo Beauts will host their third “Buffalo Believes Classic” outdoor game this Friday evening at Buffalo RiverWorks at 7 pm EST. The Beauts will play host to the visiting Toronto Six – a rematch of last Premier Hockey Federation season’s outdoor contest between the two teams which the Beauts took by a score of 3-0. This matchup will be the Beauts fifth regular season game of the 2022-23 PHF campaign.

“We are very excited to bring the ‘Buffalo Believes Classic’ back for a third time,” said Beauts GM Nate Oliver. “The atmosphere of the game and being at RiverWorks on a wintry night I think is what gets everyone most excited – players, fans, officials, and staff alike. It’s a lot of fun, and even though it’s going to be a cold one, it is an experience that has become something that many Buffalonians and our Beauts fans really look forward to.”

The Beauts are 1-1 overall in the “Buffalo Believes Classic” games. The very first one was held back on December 28, 2019 when the Beauts fell 7-4 at RiverWorks to the Metropolitan Riveters despite a 4-goal third-period output by former Beauts’ captain Taylor Accursi. No outdoor game was held during the 2020-21 PHF season because the season was played remotely in Lake Placid due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Beauts alternate captain Cassidy MacPherson is the only player who will have played in all three “Buffalo Believes Classic” games. She currently sits in third place for Most Games Played in the history of the Beauts franchise.

“It’s something unique that only the Beauts have done so far,” said MacPherson. “The ‘Buffalo Believes Classic’ is one of my favorite games of the season! Everyone gets so pumped up and the energy from fans is always amazing.”

Last season the Beauts shut down and shut out the Toronto Six during the “Classic” on February 21, 2022. Buffalo defeated the heavily favored Toronto by a score of 3-0. Beauts forward Claudia Kepler scored the game-winning goal early in the second period of the game. The team then secured the victory by adding a pair of empty-net goals from current captain Dominique Kremer and forward Autumn MacDougall in the final minutes of regulation.

“Last season’s (‘Classic’) victory was a special memory for our organization, and we are looking forward to continuing the tradition,” said Kepler. “Outdoor games are always so fun and exciting to be part of. It’s the type of game that brings your team closer together and reminds you to enjoy the moments of playing the game. I think if we can do that on Friday we will be at our best. Competing together as one and enjoying the experience will help us to achieve a great memory again like last season.”

The “Buffalo Believes Classic” is the first game of a two-game weekend between the Beauts and the Six. They will play each other again on Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm EST inside the Beauts’ regular home rink the Northtown Center. Saturday’s game will be the Beauts’ “Autism Acceptance” game. The team will be wearing specially designed jerseys in support of this cause. Niagara Falls, NY native and “Big Brother” Season 23 contestant Britni D’Angelo will be on hand to drop the ceremonial puck.

Tickets for both the outdoor game and Saturday’s contest can be purchased online at https://beauts.goigniter.com/ or at the door starting two hours before puck drop.

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.