PHF Weekend Primer: December 11-12
Published on December 10, 2021 under Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) News Release
Four games will be played across the Premier Hockey Federation this weekend with a pair of matchups that feature the Toronto Six and Metropolitan Riveters who are separated by just three points in the standings, and the Minnesota Whitecaps and Buffalo Beauts who have just two points between them.
Here's a closer look at the weekend ahead.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 11, 2021
2:00 PM ET - Metropolitan Riveters (2-1-1) vs Toronto Six (3-1-1)
(ESPN+ with Kelly Schultz and Alexis Pearson, Twitch International with Mark Schoenster)
The fourth place Metropolitan Riveters make their first ever trip to Canada with the opportunity to gain ground on the third place Toronto Six who look to rebound on home ice. The Six suffered their first two losses of the season last weekend in Boston, while the Riveters split their most recent series against Buffalo with a home ice win November 21. The Riveters are led offensively by Rebecca Russo who earned Player of the Month honors with nine points in four games, while captain Madison Packer is also near the top of the charts with eight points in four games. Reigning MVP Mikyla Grant-Mentis leads the Six with eight points in five games followed by Michela Cava with six points in five games, both despite being held off the scoresheet last weekend. The first and only meeting between the teams was on January 23 in Lake Placid. It was also the very first game in T6 history spoiled by the Riveters with a 3-0 shutout led by Sonjia Shelly's 40 save performance and Leila Kilduff's two goals.
8:00 PM ET - Buffalo Beauts (1-2-0) vs Minnesota Whitecaps (1-4-1)
(ESPN+ with Kelly Schultz and Alexis Pearson, Twitch International with Josh Eastern)
The Buffalo Beauts travel to Minnesota to take on the Whitecaps for the first time since Season 5. Buffalo enters the weekend series in sixth place, two points behind fifth place Minnesota with three games in hand. Both clubs won their only game of the season on November 20 with the Beauts scoring in overtime to edge the Riveters, and the Whitecaps shutting out the Pride. Only four current Beauts were part of the team's last visit to the State of Hockey including co-captains Taylor Accursi and Marie-Jo Pelletier, plus veterans Erin Gehen and Cassidy MacPherson. The Whitecaps won the January 11-12, 2020 series by scores of 8-2 and 7-1 with Meaghan Pezon and Nicole Schammel amassing five points each, plus four point weekends for Jonna Curtis, Audra Morrison, and Allie Thunstrom. Minnesota holds an 8-2 all-time record over Buffalo in regular season competition and are a perfect 4-0 at home. Look for the Whitecaps to come out in special jerseys for Hockey Fights Cancer.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 12, 2021
2:00 PM ET - Metropolitan Riveters vs Toronto Six
(ESPN+, ESPN International & TSN Direct with Josh Eastern and Kaylyn Kyle)
3:00 PM ET - Buffalo Beauts vs Minnesota Whitecaps
(ESPN+, ESPN International & TSN Direct with Kelly Schultz and Alexis Pearson)
THE END AND START OF CENTURIES (AND A HALF)
Saturday will feature the 100th regular season game in Metropolitan Riveters history. Since 2015-16 the founding four team has played to a 42-48-9 all-time record. The Buffalo Beauts, another founding four team, recently wrapped up their first century in PHF regular season history playing to all-time results of 45-47-8. While they embark on a new century of games, their counterpart the Minnesota Whitecaps will begin their second half century having played 50 PHF regular season games to date amassing a record of 33-14-3 since joining the PHF in 2018-19.
FAMILIAR FACES
A pair of Toronto Six free agent acquisitions will face their former team for the first time. Defender Saroya Tinker and goaltender Tera Hofmann were both members of the Metropolitan Riveters during the shortened 2021 campaign after being selected by the team fourth and 16th overall respectively in the 2020 draft. Tinker earned her first career PHF point with Metropolitan while Hofmann won her first and only career start as a member of the organization. On the flipside, Riveters defender Kristen Barbara played her first PHF season with the Six including four regular season games and one playoff appearance. Riveters forward Kelly Babstock was also originally signed to be a member of Toronto's inaugural year but was part of a pre-season trade to Metropolitan. It'll be a homecoming for the duo who are both from Ontario with Barbara hailing from Mount Hope and Babstock from Mississauga.
MURPHY MAKES HER MARK
Riveters defender Colleen Murphy has made the most of her early season opportunities. The 28-year-old from Cary, NC has officially signed with the team for the remainder of the 2021-22 PHF season after suiting up opening weekend on a PTO. She's recorded three assists in four games thus far including a pair of helpers in the Riveters last win over the Beauts. This is the fourth PHF season for the Northeastern University graduate who played for Buffalo in 2017-18, Connecticut in 2018-19, and Metropolitan in 2019-20 where she recorded seven points in 24 games.
DON'T OVERLOOK DARKANGELO
Toronto captain Shiann Darkangelo is third in team scoring with five points through five games and has already surpassed her 2021 offensive output. Her point-per-game average matches that of her rookie season in 2015-16 as a member of the Whale, while her three-point performance in the team's last home game was a career-best. In addition to leadership qualities, the veteran forward brings success in the faceoff circle and is the team's most efficient in draws to date with a .618 winning percentage.
NEW BEAUTS FINDING BACK OF NET
It's only been three games but so far the new Beauts are contributing to the team's offense. Buffalo has scored 10 goals in 2021-22 and six have come from four of the club's 10 PHF newcomers. Second overall pick Emilie Harley and seventh overall selection Anjelica Diffendal both have two-goal games, with the latter tied for the club lead with four points. Free agent acquisition Cassidy Vinkle has also tallied once, as has 2021 third rounder Missy Segall. The remaining team goals have been scored by sophomores Dominique Kremer (2) and Autumn MacDougall (1) who have combined for just 18 games of PHF experience. The club's most experienced forward, fourth year veteran Taylor Accursi, has the other goal.
SCORING STILL DOWN FOR WHITECAPS
The Whitecaps offense is still searching for its stride to start the season having scored only 10 times in six games including three over last weekend's trip to Connecticut. Their 1.7 goals-per-game average is sixth in the PHF and well below past season averages of 2.8 (2021), 4.4 (2019-20), and 3.3 (2018-19). The club is yet to score a first period goal this season and their top scoring game was on opening night in a 6-4 loss to Boston. Veterans Jonna Curtis (4) and Allie Thunstrom (3) continue to top the list of primary contributors. Minnesota has also the lowest shots-per-game at 27 and have only surpassed 30 shots on goal twice.
GO-TO GOALTENDERS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD
If the first four weeks are any indication the Buffalo and Minnesota matchup will feature the likes of Carly Jackson and Amanda Leveille between-the-pipes. Both goaltenders are the only two across the entire PHF who have consumed all of their team's minutes. In three starts for the Beauts, Jackson has one win with a goals-against-average of 3.71 and save percentage of .896. Leveille's lone win for the Whitecaps was a shutout and her goals-against-average of 2.82 ranks fifth overall and save percentage of .924 is second. She leads the PHF in saves by a margin of 57 with 208 in total through six starts.
CHULI RETURNS TO THE CREASE
Toronto goaltender Elaine Chuli is expected to return to the Six crease after missing last weekend's trip to Boston. The sophomore stopper currently carries a 3-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .919 that rank second and fourth overall respectively. The only regular season loss of her career was the club's first ever game against the Riveters. Metropolitan counters with the tandem of Sonjia Shelly and Brooke Wolejko who both have a win so far this season. Shelly has faced the most action in three games posting a goals-against-average of 3.96 and save percentage of .887, while Wolejko carries a 2.44 goals-against-average and .923 save percentage over two appearances.
STREAKS TO WATCH
There are just five players across the PHF who have perfect 2021-22 season scoring-streaks still intact. The Riveters trio of Kendall Cornine, Madison Packer, and Rebecca Russo have all produced in all four of the club's games to date, while both Taylor Accursi and Cassidy MacPherson have points in all three of the Beauts contests. Brooke Boquist enters the weekend with a two-game streak for the Six.
STATS SNAPSHOT
Rebecca Russo has the top points-per-game average in the PHF at 2.3 followed by Madison Packer at 2.0 and Mikyla Grant-Mentis at 1.6. Packer leads the PHF with a +9 plus-minus rating. Saroya Tinker is tied for third with six blocked shots. Jonna Curtis and Allie Thunstrom both have 28 shots on goal which rank tied for seventh. Team leaders in that category include Shiann Darkangelo (24), Russo (19), and Anjelica Diffendal (13). Riveters newcomer Nora MacLaine has a .500 shooting percentage and .640 faceoff winning percentage which are both leading marks. Other faceoff leaders by teams include Darkangelo (.618), Buffalo's Cassidy Vinkle (.477), and Minnesota's Ashleigh Brykaliuk (.448).
Premier Hockey Federation Stories from December 10, 2021
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
