Buffalo Beauts Add Another Goaltender in Ridgewell

BUFFALO – The Buffalo Beauts have announced that they have signed goaltender Samantha Ridgewell for the remainder of the 2022-23 Premier Hockey Federation season. The deal is a one-year contract in the amount of $6,500. Ridgewell previously played in the PHF for the Toronto Six during the 2020-21 and 2021- 22 seasons. Most recently she played for HV71 in Sweden’s SDHL also during 2021-22 season.

“I chose to sign with the Beauts because they were willing to give me another opportunity to play the sport that I love,” said Ridgewell. “I have always had great conversations with (Beauts GM) Nate (Oliver) and (head coach) Rhea (Coad) and I believe they run an awesome organization. I am excited to get to work and get better on and off the ice.”

The Beauts were in need of another goaltender to finish out the season. Fellow Beauts netminder Kassidy Sauvé will be on long-term injured reserve for the remainder of the current PHF season due to a lower-body injury.

“It was important for us to bring aboard another veteran goalie who could further compliment Lollo Berndtsson and Tera Hofmann as we play into the back half of the season,” said Beauts GM Nate Oliver.

“We believe that we have another solid trio now in place while Sauvé recovers. It is very tough to lose any player to injury and we needed to make a move in order to secure our crease down the homestretch. Sam is an accomplished goalie at the professional level, and she is someone whom the Beauts have kept tabs on for quite some time.

Ridgewell appeared in three regular season games and one playoff contest through her two prior PHF seasons. Her finest performance came during a December 4, 2021 2-1 shootout loss to the Boston Pride where Ridgewell turned aside 41 of 43 shots. She has a .875 save percentage and a 0-1-0 record during her career with the Six.

Along with her time in the PHF, Ridgewell played two professional seasons in the SDHL – in 2019-20 with Djurgårdens and in 2021-22 with HV71. She was teammates with current Beauts Berndtsson and captain Dominique Kremer while with Djurgårdens.

Collegiately, Ridgewell was a top netminder for Merrimack College. She went 31-48-13 in 98 games for the Warriors from 2015-16 through 2018-19. Ridgewell put forth numbers of a .923 SV% and a 2.54 goals- against average in her career for Merrimack. Some of her Warrior teammates were current Beauts Kremer, Mikyla Grant-Mentis and Courtney Maud.

“I’m really looking forward to playing at a high level again,” said Ridgewell. “Not many people get the opportunity that I am getting - a second chance - and I am going to take full advantage of it and enjoy every minute of it. I’m also really looking forward to playing with three former Merrimack teammates again!”

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.