Beauts begin home stretch on the road against the champs

Game 13

Buffalo Beauts (8-4-0) vs Metropolitan Riveters (3-9-0)

Puck Drop: 2:00PM Saturday, February 2 | Barnabas Health Hockey House | Newark, NJ

TV: Twitter Game of the Week! Follow @NWHL

Know Your Opponent

Metropolitan Riveters

Record: (3-9-0) | 6 PTS

Last 10: 3-7

League Standings: 5th Overall

PP: 4th (8.5%)

PK: 5th (79.5%)

What to Watch

1. Return to the scene

It’s been nearly a year since Buffalo graced the hallowed halls of Barnabas. Last time the team was in town, the Riveters scored a 1-0 victory for the right to hoist Lady Isobel’s prize. While the Beauts look distinctively different than they did last season, each player understands the significance of this game - some for the memory of the championship game and some for the home playoff implications.

Buffalo has a lot to gain and even more to lose this weekend. It’s a clutch matchup for a team that needs two points to keep pace in the standings. Boston is pit against the last place Whale, which means Buffalo has no choice but to emerge victorious.

2. Two outta three is nearly perfect.

The Beauts have won every game that they’ve led after two periods, except for one. It’s a good sign for the club; the Riveters’ strongest period is the first and it gets progressively worse from there.

If Buffalo can control play through two periods, the Riveters’ worst frame is the final one. There is little question that Metro is still a fast, physical, pest of a team, but the Beauts are also a fast, physical, pest of a team; and seemingly better at it this year then the Riveters are.

3. One for the road

The Beauts are an excellent home team - undefeated at HarborCenter this year; their only loss in the city of Buffalo came at KeyBank Center - 2-1 against the Whitecaps.

The road has been a cruel lover for the Beauts; the team has a 2-3-0 record outside of the city limits. It will be interesting to see if Buffalo can dominate the Riveters in their house the way that the club did when Metro came to the Queen City.

It will be interesting to see if the Beauts can rectify their record in Newark. There is no doubt the Riveters have had this game marked on the schedule since the January 12 embarrassment, which was the last game they played.

Buffalo Beauts

Forwards

Hayley Scamurra-Maddie Elia-Dani Cameranesi

Emily Janiga-Kelly Babstock-Juliana Iafallo

Corinne Buie-Annika Zalewski-Taylor Accursi

Defense

Blake Bolden-Emily Pfalzer

Lisa Chesson-Savannah Harmon

Jacque Greco-Emily Pfalzer

Blake Bolden - Sarah Edney

Starting Goaltender: Shannon Szabados

Metropolitan Riveters

Forwards

Miye D’Oench-Madison Packer-Amanda Kessel

Rebecca Russo-Alexa Gruschow-Audra Richards

Kristin Lewicki-Erika Lawler-Kelly Nash

Defense

Michelle Picard-Chelsea Ziadie

Courtney Burke-Jenny Ryan

Kiira Dosdall-Kelsey Koelzer

Starting Goaltender: Katie Fitzgerald