Before the Premier Hockey Federation’s All-Star break the Buffalo Beauts got a needed boost with a 4-1 win over the Metropolitan Riveters on home ice.
But even bigger than the three points earned in the standings was the team’s united celebration of Pride and the affirmation to all fans at Northtown Center that PHF hockey is for everyone.
“It’s a great experience to be a part of something like this,” said Beauts forward Michaela Boyle. “My roommates and I got shirts made that say ‘Love is Love’ and I think that nights like this remind people that no matter what happens in the crazy world that you can find a community that supports you and the hockey world is here to support you. When it comes to Pride Night it gives people something to back, and a voice when they may feel like they don’t have one.”
The Beauts have now played 10 of their scheduled 12 home games, with Pride Night drawing one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds of the season, further illustrating how meaningful a theme it is. Boyle agrees that Pride Night has a special significance for everyone involved.
“It’s absolutely more than just a regular game,” she said. “I think that whenever you have the opportunity to represent something other than yourself or your organization it’s extra incentive to get to that final buzzer and get the win. You see a lot of people representing all forms of Pride in the stands. When it gives the fans something else to cheer for you get a great crowd with great energy. All around it was a great night to represent Pride and a great night to be a Beaut.”
As part of the Pride theme, the team wore special jerseys designed by Jordan Santalucia that featured rainbow colors inside the Beauts font and numbers. Drag Queen performer and mental health advocate, Damsel ‘N’ Disdress, performed the ceremonial faceoff.
“They were awesome. I love the colors on them,” said Beauts forward Claudia Kepler, when asked about the jerseys. “Everyone’s eyes were lighting up when we got into the locker room, and I think that’s the coolest thing about our theme nights. Every time we walk in and we see who we’re playing for it’s really special, and we were playing for something bigger than us tonight. I’m super proud to be part of this organization because inclusivity is one of the most important things that our team prides itself on. To come to the rink every day and have such an inclusive environment is really special.”
Captain Dominique Kremer is also proud of the culture the team has developed, and for the opportunity that Pride Night provides to show it.
“We come from a league that has a lot of people in the LGBTQ+ community and I think it’s really cool that we can celebrate that and show them that we care about them and we see them and we’re proud to have them on our team,” said Kremer. “We also have a strong fan base within the LGBTQ+ community and I think it’s awesome for them to also see that we appreciate them and love them just the same. It’s cool being a part of it.”
While Beauts veterans might be more accustomed to celebrating Pride around the PHF, newcomers are also recognizing and embracing the moment.
“I have never been involved with an organization that makes this such an emphasis before,” said first year forward Courtney Maud. “I think it’s really important going forward to show that everyone in our community belongs with us.”
No matter the result, the night belonged to the Beauts and their fans, however the win certainly provided more reason to celebrate and provide some momentum down the stretch.
“It was just a huge thing to prove to the league and all the other teams that we are in it and we can do it,” Maud said. “All of these teams that think they’re going to walk all over us, we’ve proved that we’re in every game.”
Kremer also notes how seeing the team’s hard work come to fruition in a positive way was a big deal.
“We were in this mindset that we have nowhere to go but up, and the big emphasis was that we’re going to do this together,” Kremer said. “Honestly, going through this last stretch of games was mentally tough, and physically tough on the team, but I think getting the win is a huge turnaround and will bring a lot of energy for us.”
This weekend Buffalo hits the ice in Toronto, with Saturday’s game coincidentally offering another celebration of Pride with T6. It’ll be a tough test for the Beauts who dropped their previous two decisions against their cross-border rivals. As in all situations this season, the Beauts will show their ‘no quit’ attitude.
“When it comes down to it you have two options and you either give up or keep going,” Kepler said. “When things get tough you just have to keep pushing through, and we did that (against the Riveters), and it finally turned in our favor.”
Cover photo by Mike Hetzel
