Boston extends lead atop overall standings, Buffalo earns historic sweep
The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) regular season is now more than three quarters complete with 66 games played out of the record 84-game schedule. A trio of doubleheaders took place over the weekend where the first place Boston Pride swept the fifth place Montreal Force, the second place Toronto Six split with the fourth place Connecticut Whale, and the seventh place Buffalo Beauts upset the third place Minnesota Whitecaps with a pair of road wins.
Here’s a closer look at the results, top performers, and notable highlights:
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2023
Game 61
Toronto Six 5
Connecticut Whale 3
Box Score | Highlights
Toronto scored three goals in the second period including two power play tallies in the span of 2:40 by Leah Lum and Lexi Templeman which held as the game-winner.
Game 62
Buffalo Beauts 4
Minnesota Whitecaps 2
Box Score | Highlights
Buffalo won their first road game of the season powered by multi-goal performances by Mikyla Grant-Mentis and Emma Nuutinen to snap Minnesota’s six-game winning-streak.
Game 63
Montreal Force 1
Boston Pride 4
Box Score | Highlights
Boston’s first two goals were scored 14 seconds apart in the second period with Loren Gabel’s league-leading 18th of the season followed by Christina Putigna’s game-winner.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2023
Game 64
Toronto Six 4
Connecticut Whale 6
Box Score | Highlights
Connecticut scored four goals on special teams including Melissa Samoskevich’s power play game-winner as part of a two-goal effort that broke a 4-4 tie midway through the third period.
Game 65
Buffalo Beauts 1
Minnesota Whitecaps 0
Box Score | Highlights
Samantha Ridgewell turned aside 31 shots for her first career win and shutout and Jenna Suokko scored the only goal the Beauts needed to secure their first weekend sweep of the season.
Game 66
Montreal Force 1
Boston Pride 2
Box Score | Highlights
Kaleigh Fratkin broke a 1-1 tie with just 2:05 remaining in regulation time to lead the Pride to victory over Montreal in front of a 49-save performance from Corinne Schroeder.
FINAL QUARTER STANDINGS
Only 18 games remain in the 2022-23 PHF regular season which means the schedule is past the three-quarter mark. The Boston Pride (16-2-1) won both of their weekend games in regulation and added six points to the standings to bring their first place total to 46. They have already clinched a berth in the 2023 Isobel Cup Playoffs along with the Toronto Six (14-4-2) who added just three of a possible six points but remain in second place with 42 points. The Minnesota Whitecaps (10-6-2) lost both of their weekend games and remain in third place with 32 points. They will have another opportunity next weekend to clinch a semifinal seed along with the Connecticut Whale (9-8-2) who gained three points and hold fourth place with 29 points. The Montreal Force (7-12-1) lost both weekend games and continue to rank in fifth place with 19 points, followed by the Metropolitan Riveters (6-12-0) who return to action next weekend in sixth place with 16 points, and the Buffalo Beauts (4-12-2) who picked up six points to stay alive in seventh place with 14 points.
BOSTON WINS FIRST SEASON SERIES OVER MONTREAL
The new era’s first installment of the Boston and Montreal rivalry favors the Pride who secured three victories in four games and 10 of a possible 12 points over the Force during the 2022-23 regular season. Boston outscored their opponent 12-4 overall but were outshot by Montreal in all four games with cumulative shot totals of 185-146 that includes two 50-shot efforts by the Force which represents their season highs. Boston has won all three of their completed season series to date, while Montreal has been on the losing side of all four of their completed head-to-heads this expansion season.
TORONTO AND CONNECTICUT SPLIT TOP-FOUR TILT
T6 and the Whale showed fans what a potential playoff matchup could look like after splitting a set of high scoring weekend contests to conclude their season series with two regulation wins and six points apiece. The teams also tied 17-17 in goals scored after each winning a two-goal and a three-goal decision. They produced equal shots in both games of their first head-to-head encounter before Connecticut produced differentials of 11 and 14 on home ice. Toronto continues to hold the all-time regular season advantage by a 6-3 margin since joining the PHF in 2021 but have never met in playoff competition.
BUFFALO MAKES HISTORY IN MINNESOTA
The Beauts not only pulled off their first weekend sweep of the season over the Whitecaps but won their first road game in over a year, and for the first time in franchise history won two road games in two consecutive days. These latest outcomes provide a season split with both teams winning twice in regulation for six points each in the standings. Minnesota outscored Buffalo 11-9 overall and outshot them three times with a four-game differential of plus-33. They also hold a 13-5 all-time advantage in regular season meetings since the 2018-19 season.
GIRARD SETS NEW SHORTHANDED STANDARD
On Sunday afternoon Taylor Girard scored her fourth shorthanded goal of the 2022-23 campaign to set a new PHF single season record. Connecticut’s reigning Newcomer of the Year has eight goals through 19 games with the other four all scored on the power play which ties her for the PHF lead in the category. As a penalty kill unit, the Whale rank fourth with a .828 efficiency but lead the league with seven shorthanded snipes. Last season Allie Thunstrom led the PHF with three shorthanded goals.
SCHROEDER AND CHULI STARTS REACH TEAM HIGHS
Corinne Schroeder started her 19th game of the season in the Boston crease on Sunday afternoon, the same time Elaine Chuli made her 17th start of the year for Toronto. Both figures represent new franchise records with Schroeder surpassing teammate Lovisa Selander who started 18 games for the Pride during the 2019-20 season, and Chuli upping her own personal best of 16 set last season. Both goaltenders rank one-two in minutes played this season and in wins with 16 and 11 respectively for the league’s top two positioned teams.
RIDGEWELL RECORDS FIRST WIN AND SHUTOUT
It was a special Sunday to remember for Samantha Ridgewell who recorded a pair of goaltending firsts between-the-pipes for the Beauts. The 26-year-old from Outlook, Saskatchewan stopped all 31 shots she faced for her first career win and shutout in the 1-0 victory over Minnesota. The performance comes in her first start and second appearance with Buffalo after signing with the club earlier this month. As a previous member of the Toronto Six she started two games during the 2021-22 season, and once during the shortened 2021 campaign.
FIRST CAREER GOAL FOR GARDINER
T6 newcomer Courtney Gardiner opened the scoring at 14:53 of the first period in Saturday’s 5-3 road win over Connecticut for her first career PHF goal. The 24-year-old forward buried a rebound she will always remember while suiting up in her 19th game of the season to bring her rookie point total to four. The Goderich, Ontario native joined the PHF after playing four U SPORTS seasons with the York University Lions where she accumulated 18 goals in 81 games.
MULTI-GOAL GAMES
This weekend saw several PHF players score in bunches for the first time in their careers. On Saturday, Buffalo’s Emma Nuutinen struck twice to bring her goal total to four through 18 games, while Minnesota defender Sydney Baldwin recorded her first two goals of the season which counts as her first ever multi-goal game in 41 all-time appearances. It wasn’t the first of her career, but Beauts forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis also produced a multi-goal game for the first time this season, while Saturday also marked the first two assist effort in the career of T6 defender Dominika Lásková. Then on Sunday, Connecticut’s Melissa Samoskevich tallied twice for her first two-goal game in 26 all-time contests.
PHF SCORING RACE
Boston’s Loren Gabel now has 34 points including 18 goals and 16 assists in 17 games to lead the PHF in all three offensive categories with an impressive points-per-game average of 2.0. Connecticut’s Kennedy Marchment has climbed into second with 28 points in 19 games, ahead of Toronto’s Brittany Howard who missed another weekend with an upper body injury. Her 24 points are tied for third with Pride captain Jillian Dempsey, followed by Emma Woods of T6 and the Whale’s Taylor Girard who are tied for fifth with 22 points. Toronto’s Kati Tabin holds the scoring lead among defenders with 16 points in 20 games, one ahead of Minnesota’s Sidney Morin who has 15 points in 18 games.
SCORING STREAKS
Connecticut’s Kennedy Marchment continued to contribute on the scoresheet with incredible consistency and has built her consecutive point-streak to a league-leading 13 straight games. Boston’s Loren Gabel now has points in six-straight, followed by Jillian Dempsey with a five-game run. Four players also have three-game streaks intact through weekend action including Whale forwards Caitrin Lonergan and Alyssa Wohlfeiler, and Toronto’s Michela Cava and Shiann Darkangelo.
CAREY COMES TO MINNESOTA
PHF Commissioner Reagan Carey and members of the league’s front office staff made the trip to Minnesota on the weekend and attended Sunday’s game at Richfield Ice Arena. Carey performed the ceremonial faceoff before the Whitecaps took on the visiting Beauts. She also had the opportunity to connect with a couple of local media outlets including WCCO Radio and joined Will Hall in studio for an interview at KARE 11.
The PHF regular season continues next week with Minnesota hosting Toronto and Montreal hosting Buffalo for a pair of doubleheaders, while both Boston and Connecticut take on the Riveters. All the action is available live on ESPN+ and TSN+ as well as both Force games in French on TVA Sports.
Cover photo by Michelle Jay
