GRANT-MENTIS NETS TWO IN WIN OVER FORCE

Buffalo came to Montreal locked in and ready to play, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period en route to a 3-1 victory on Saturday evening.

Samantha Ridgewell came within a couple of minutes of her second shutout this season, stopping all but one of the 33 shots she faced. Montreal’s goalie Tricia Deguire made 24 saves in the defeat.

Mikyla Grant-Mentis got the scoring started in the first period. The Beauts were on the penalty kill with Whitney Dove in the box for tripping. Montreal tried to set something up near the blue line, but Courtney Maud intercepted a pass and chipped it ahead to Grant-Mentis, who turned on the jets and deked past Deguire to make it 1-0 Buffalo at the 8:59 mark.

Less than two minutes later, the Beauts struck again. Madi Nichols fired a shot from the left wing that Deguire saved, but she gave up a rebound that bounced right to Kristina Schuler, who tapped it into the net for her first career PHF goal.

Not content with just one goal, Grant-Mentis decided to add another with just over five minutes remaining in the first. She skated in on the right wing and sniped the puck cleanly past Deguire to make it 3-0 Buffalo.

The game was filled with penalties; each team finished with six infractions apiece, but nobody capitalized with the extra skater until the last couple of minutes. With Maddie Truax in the box for hooking, Jade Downie-Landry picked up a drop pass and fired the puck past Ridgewell to make it 3-1 with 1:53 left in the game.

The late goal wasn’t enough for Montreal, who weren’t able to get past Ridgewell again for the rest of the contest.

Buffalo will look to keep its playoff hopes alive on Sunday afternoon. The two teams will battle again with the puck drop scheduled for 1 p.m. EST.

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 the 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, Montreal Force and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup.

Contact: For media information, please contact Nate Oliver: noliver@beautshockey.com.