BOSTON, MA – (February 21, 2023) – The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced its Three Stars of the Week following weekend action played February 18-19, 2023. Top performers include goaltenders Corinne Schroeder of the Boston Pride, Samantha Ridgewell of the Buffalo Beauts, and forward Michela Cava of the Toronto Six.
First Star:Corinne Schroeder backstopped Boston to a weekend sweep over Montreal where she made 88 saves across two victories to keep the Pride in first place atop the PHF’s overall standings. On Saturday night she turned aside 39 of 40 shots faced in the 4-1 win over the Force, then stopped 49 of 50 in Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 triumph. Her two-game goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .978 improve her season totals to 1.57 and .958 which are both league-leading figures. She’s now faced 40 plus shots eight different times since turning pro from Quinnipiac University, including four games of 50 shots or more. Sunday’s game counted as her 19th start which set a new franchise single season record, surpassing teammate Lovisa Selander’s 2019-20 mark of 18. Schroeder’s 16 wins are also just one back of Selander’s PHF single season record of 17 set that same year. With five games remaining in the 2022-23 campaign, the 23-year-old All-Star from Elm Creek, Manitoba needs just 13 more saves to bring her season total to 678 which would establish another PHF single season record on top of the shutout mark she currently holds at seven. This is her fourth time receiving weekly recognition this season and her second time with top honors.
Second Star: Samantha Ridgewell was perfect between-the-pipes in her first start of the season for Buffalo, stopping all 31 shots she faced in a 1-0 victory on Sunday in Minnesota. The performance counts as both her first career PHF win and first career shutout. The 26-year-old from Outlook, Saskatchewan denied 12 Whitecaps shots in the first period, eight in the second, and 11 in the third to help the Beauts complete their first weekend road sweep. Ridgewell signed with the team earlier this month and made her first appearance on Feb. 5, playing 14:31 in relief against her former Toronto Six teammates and stopped two shots. She split the 2021-22 campaign between HV71 in the SDHL and T6, and was also a member of the T6 squad that debuted in the PHF during the shortened 2021 season. She made three starts throughout her tenure with the team, including a career-high 41-save effort on Dec. 4, 2021 in a 2-1 shootout loss to Boston. The Merrimack College graduate also played a full season in the SDHL in 2019-20 with Djurgårdens IF. This marks the first time this season that a member of the Beauts has been recognized among the league’s three stars.
Third Star: Michela Cava recorded four points in two games for Toronto who split their weekend series in Connecticut to maintain their second place standing. The 28-year-old forward from Thunder Bay, Ontario contributed two primary assists in the second period of Saturday’s 5-3 victory over the Whale, then scored the team’s second goal and contributed a secondary assist on their first power play tally despite Sunday’s 6-4 loss. She’s now riding a three-game point-streak and has five multi-point performances this season. Cava is currently fourth in T6 scoring with 17 points in 20 games including seven goals and 10 assists and part of an offense that ranks second in the league in total goals. She was also a member of the 2021-22 T6 team and produced seven points in 11 games before completing the year with the KRS Vanke Rays in Russia’s women’s league. The graduate of the University of Minnesota-Duluth also has professional experience with the CWHL’s Toronto Furies during the 2016-17 season, followed by four seasons in the SDHL. This is the fourth straight week a member of T6 has been listed.
2022-23 PHF Three Stars of the Week:
February 18-19:
1. Corinne Schroeder (BOS) 2. Samantha Ridgewell (BUF) 3. Michela Cava (TOR)
February 11-12:
1. Tricia Deguire (MON) 2. Elaine Chuli (TOR) 3. Alexandra Labelle (MON)
February 3-6:
1. Loren Gabel (BOS) 2. Shiann Darkangelo (TOR) 3. Corinne Schroeder (BOS)
January 17-22:
1. Loren Gabel (BOS) 2. Kennedy Marchment (CTW) 3. Brittany Howard (TOR)
January 14-15:
1. Allie Thunstrom (BOS) 2. Ann-Sophie Bettez (MON) 3. Jonna Albers (MIN)
January 6-8:
1. Taylor Girard (CTW) 2. Loren Gabel (BOS) 3. Elaine Chuli (TOR)
December 16-18:
1. Natalie Snodgrass (MIN) 2. Shiann Darkangelo (TOR) 3. Taylor Girard (CTW)
December 9-11:
1. Jillian Dempsey (BOS) 2. Loren Gabel (BOS) 3. Brittany Howard (TOR)
December 3-4:
1. Kennedy Marchment (CTW) 2. Minttu Tuominen (MET) 3. Sydney Brodt (MIN)
November 26-27:
1. Jade Downie-Landry (MON) 2. Ann-Sophie Bettez (MON) 3. Fanni Gasparics (MET)
November 18-20:
1. Sarah Bujold (MET) 2. Corinne Schroeder (BOS) 3. Leah Lum (TOR)
November 5-6:
1. Corinne Schroeder (BOS) 2. Brittany Howard (TOR) 3. Élizabeth Giguère (BOS)
About the Premier Hockey Federation
The PHF is the 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 provide opportunities for elite athletes to earn a living playing the game they love while fueling 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. As part of a two-year agreement with ESPN, live coverage of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 PHF seasons is available exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States, and provides international rights for games which includes TSN in Canada. For more information visit premierhockeyfederation.com.
