Beauts face Riveters for first time since championship

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