A pair of Sunday afternoon results solidified series sweeps to close the Premier Hockey Federation’s second to last regular season weekend.
Connecticut Whale 4, Buffalo Beauts 2
Connecticut extended its third place lead to four points ahead of Minnesota with their first weekend sweep in Buffalo. Both times the Beauts scored, the Whale answered back with two goals of their own. In the second period, Claudia Kepler opened the scoring 19 seconds after puck drop with her ninth goal of the season. The Whale replied with Tori Howran’s first of the year at 7:12, and Kennedy Marchment’s 16th of the year at 14:59 was part of a two-point performance that extended her record point-streak to 16-straight games. Then in the third period, Summer-Rae Dobson notched her fourth of the year for Buffalo at 7:25, but Connecticut came back with Caitrin Lonergan’s 10th at 7:56, and Emma Keenan’s third against her former team at 9:16. Abbie Ives earned her second win of the series with 20 saves, while Samantha Ridgewell stopped 26 in the Beauts final home game of the season. Both teams will wrap up the regular season next weekend on the road when the Whale travel to take on the Whitecaps, and the Beauts visit the Riveters.
Montreal Force 3, Metropolitan Riveters 4
The Riveters earned their first weekend sweep on home ice against the Force, bringing an end to Montreal’s historic expansion season. Sarah Lefort’s seventh goal of the year came on the power play at 19:09 of the first period and gave the visitors the lead after 20. Riveters captain Madison Packer tallied her ninth of the season and third in four games just 32 seconds into the middle frame, followed by Minttu Tuominen’s eighth of the year and league-leading fifth on the power play at 8:17. Catherine Dubois scored her first career PHF goal for the Force at 12:49 to tie the game 2-2 heading into the third. The Riveters took the lead for good with Kendall Cornine’s third of the year at 5:47, followed by Sarah Bujold’s 10th at 8:35 which gave her game-winning goals in consecutive contests. Dubois scored again at 19:42 with the extra attacker to bring the Force within one. Rachel McQuigge made 28 saves in victory opposite Marie-Soleil Deschenes who stopped 32. The Riveters have moved ahead of Montreal into fifth place in the standings with two more home games remaining against Buffalo.
Cover photo by Mike Hetzel
