Game 11
Buffalo Beauts (6-4-0) vs Metropolitan Riveters (3-8-0)
Puck Drop: 1:30PM Saturday, January 12 | HarborCenter | Buffalo, NY
TV: Twitter Game of the Week! Follow @NWHL
Know Your Opponent
Metropolitan Riveters
Record: (3-8-0) | 6 PTS
Last 10: 3-7
League Standings: 5th Overall
PP: 3rd (9.5%)
PK: 3rd (84.8%)
What to Watch
1. Rolling
After a close loss to Minnesota on a goal scored in the final minute and a half on December 29, the Beauts have outscored their opponents 9-0 in two games. Shannon Szabados and Nicole Hensley each pitched shutouts for the team, stopping a total of 63 shots.
The Beauts will need to continue their winning ways against the Isobel Cup champions. The Boston Pride will play the Minnesota Whitecaps in the NWHL nitecap, so one of those teams will pick up another pair of points in the standings. A Boston loss and a Buffalo win will tie the two teams for second place.
2. Shoot your shot
Metro’s team save percentage is .870 percent. It’s a silly number, and speaks more to the system than it does the goaltenders.
Nevertheless, Buffalo has some excellent shooters on their roster – five players are shooting above 15 percent. The Beauts have lost only one game in which they outshot their opponent. It only makes sense that the Beauts spend 60 minutes peppering the net – shoot from everywhere, as often as possible. Shoot for rebounds and cash in. It has been a recipe for success so far, and it will work again for the club.
3. Start hot
Despite a minus-19 goal differential, the Rivs have actually outscored their opponents in the first period. Buffalo is an impressive 4-1 when scoring first. Holding a lead is something the team generally does well.
In 440 minutes of second and third periods of hockey, the Riveters have managed only 12 goals – that’s only 1.63 goals per game. Buffalo’s team goals against is 1.40 overall and only 0.60 in the second and third periods.
If the Beauts simply perform the way that they have to this point in the season, they have a solid chance of pulling out the win.
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-Sarah Casorso
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: Maria Sorokina