PHF Weekend Primer: March 12-13

March 12, 2022 - Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) News Release

It's the second to last weekend in the Premier Hockey Federation's regular season schedule where all six teams are in action for a trio of weekend doubleheaders. The first place Toronto Six host the third place Boston Pride, the second place Connecticut Whale welcome the sixth place Buffalo Beauts, and the fourth place Metropolitan Riveters take on the fifth place Minnesota Whitecaps.

Here's a closer look at the weekend ahead.

SATURDAY MARCH 12, 2022

2:00 PM ET - Boston Pride (10-5-1) vs Toronto Six (13-2-1)

(ESPN+ with Josh Eastern and Erica Ayala, Twitch International with Neal Ruhl)

There's a lot on the line this weekend in Toronto. The first place Six are undefeated on home ice during this historic season north of the border and face the Pride who represent the only team they haven't beat yet this year. Boston makes their first trip to Canada to face the only team they haven't lost a game to in 2021-22 and need every available point to preserve any hope of climbing into the top two playoff positions. The previous head-to-head December 4-5 accounts for two of the three blemishes in Toronto's record. Boston won the opener 2-1 in a shootout with the winning goal scored by Christina Putigna, the club's only player from Ontario who gets to suit up within an hour's drive from her hometown of Grimsby. The Pride's biggest offensive outburst of the season came in the rematch, winning 8-2 powered by seven multi-point performances including three-point efforts from club top scorer in captain Jillian Dempsey, and Amanda Boulier who sits two points back of Toronto's Taylor Woods for the scoring lead among defenders. Six top scorer Mikyla Grant-Mentis will look to redeem herself after being held without a point in the first two encounters, while goaltender Elaine Chuli will face the Pride for the first time in an attempt to set a PHF record with her 14th consecutive victory.

2:00 PM ET - Minnesota Whitecaps (5-12-1) vs Metropolitan Riveters (6-11-1)

(ESPN+, ESPN International & TSN Direct with Joe Malfa)

If playoffs started today, one of the preliminary round matchups would feature this exact scenario with fourth ranked Metropolitan holding home ice advantage over fifth seeded Minnesota. Whether or not an official date in Tampa Bay is in store for these teams, the season finale for both the Riveters and Whitecaps will go a long way in setting the tone for Florida. They split their last series February 19-20 with Minnesota claiming the opener 5-2 and the Riveters winning the rematch 7-4. It remains tied for the highest scoring doubleheader of the season with 18 goals scored in total, including seven on the power play. Top PHF goal scorer Allie Thunstrom tallied three times in those two games for the Whitecaps, with Theresa Knutson recording her first career hat-trick for the Riveters. Minnesota's Jonna Curtis and Metropolitan's Madison Packer both had two goals and two assists that weekend and are tied for third in scoring with 21 points. Since then the Riveters won just one of their following four games while the Whitecaps suffered two straight losses. In two seasons pre-pandemic, Minnesota has won three of four games in New Jersey with the Riveters winning the last battle 3-1 on January 5, 2020.

3:00 PM ET - Buffalo Beauts (4-12-0) vs Connecticut Whale (12-3-1)

(ESPN+, ESPN International & TSN Direct with Josh Tolle and Sam Fryman)

A pair of 10-game winning-streaks are on the line when Connecticut hosts Buffalo. The Whale's record run reflects their current 2021-22 abilities, however the Beauts have rattled off 10-straight road wins against their Founding Four rivals in pre-pandemic competition. This year's Beauts have won three of their last six games and have shown recently that they're no easy out. The Whale may have swept the first head-to-head series but the standings divide wasn't so evident in a pair of 3-1 victories. Both games were one-goal differences into third period action with top scoring newcomer Kennedy Marchment scoring the game-winner in the opener and adding a final frame insurance marker in the rematch. Her 24 points currently lead the team and are a new franchise single season figure, followed by first overall pick Taylor Girard with 19 points coming off an equally impressive weekend with four points against the Whitecaps. Both clubs have the ability to shuffle the standings with the right combination of wins and favorable outcomes around the league. Connecticut is just three points back of Toronto for first place while Buffalo is five points back of Minnesota for fifth. This will be the 15th time Buffalo visits Connecticut and first time since a 6-2 victory on November 30, 2019 led by two goals from Erin Gehen and three assists from Marie-Jo Pelletier.

SUNDAY MARCH 13, 2022

1:00 PM ET - Boston Pride vs Toronto Six

(ESPN+ with Josh Appel and Erica Ayala, Twitch International with Mark Schoenster)

2:00 PM ET - Buffalo Beauts vs Connecticut Whale

(ESPN+, ESPN International & TSN Direct with Josh Tolle)

Stats Preview

2:00 PM ET - Minnesota Whitecaps vs Metropolitan Riveters

(ESPN+ with Joe Malfa and Josh Eastern, Twitch International with Donny Baarns)

NEW BOSTON AND TORONTO OWNERSHIP

Two PHF teams that were in the news this week for announcing new and diverse ownership groups go head-to-head with the opportunity for early bragging rights over one another. Hockey Hall of Famer and sports pioneer Willie O'Ree expands his legacy in Boston, while Canadian hockey and community leaders like Anthony Stewart, Angela James, Bernice Carnegie, and Ted Nolan have purchased their hometown Six. For more on what O'Ree's involvement means, check out this ESPN.com story by Greg Wyshynski and a replay of Thursday's digital edition of The Drop. James and Stewart appeared on Sportsnet's Hometown Hockey on Monday night for an interview with Ron MacLean and Tara Slone. Also among the coverage was an NHL.com story by William Douglas in his weekly Color of Hockey blog.

BELINSKAS SIGNS WITH BOSTON

The Pride have officially signed forward Delaney Belinskas to their roster for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. The 24-year-old who graduated from Boston College after a 20 goal season with the Eagles in 2019-20 was originally a second round pick of the Riveters but spent last season with the New Hampshire chapter of the PWHPA. The Port Orange, Florida native made her PHF debut on a PTO suiting up for both of the club's last weekend games against Metropolitan. Sixth-year forward Mary Parker has also officially signed with Boston after playing four games on a PTO.

MARCON TAGGED BY TORONTO

The Six have added some forward depth ahead of the March 14 roster freeze by signing 24-year-old Randi Marcon. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native spent four seasons competing with Quinnipiac University, serving as an alternate captain her final two years including a 2018-19 senior campaign where she recorded 12 goals and six assists for 18 points in 36 games. That Bobcats team included the likes of Whale forward Melissa Samoskevich and goaltender Abbie Ives.

BALDWIN AND BLESI MAKE IT OFFICIAL IN MINNESOTA

The Whitecaps get a boost on the blue line with the re-signing of defender Sydney Baldwin. The 26-year-old from Minnetonka, MN was a member of the team the past two seasons recording 21 points in 21 games which stands as the best all-time points-per-game average for a PHF defender. She spent her collegiate career with the University of Minnesota, captaining the Golden Gophers as a senior in 2017-18. The club also signed goaltender Breanna Blesi for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. The 2021 graduate of the University of Wisconsin appeared in two games last weekend against Connecticut on a PTO making a total of 36 saves in a relief appearance and a 4-1 loss.

TRIVIGNO RETURNS TO PHF WITH BUFFALO

Forward Dana Trivigno is back in the PHF and will skate in her fourth career season, signing as a member of the Beauts. The 28-year-old from Setaukat, NY previously competed with Connecticut in 2016-17 and Boston from 2017-19 totalling 21 points in 40 games. She's a former captain of Boston College amassing 47 points in 41 games her senior season between appearances with the U.S. National Women's Team where she won gold at the 2015 and 2016 IIHF World Championships. Her last pro experience was the PWHPA's New England unit in 2019-20.

STRACK STAYS IN CONNECTICUT

The Whale officially signed third string goaltender Jessica Strack to a contract for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. The Reading, MA native has been a part of the team for the majority of the campaign, making her lone PHF appearance November 21 on a PTO against Toronto where she stopped all five shots faced in relief. The former Franklin Pierce University captain posted a 5-0 record during her 2019-20 senior season and was a member of the PWHPA a year ago.

CREASE CUTS

The PHF's top two goaltenders will go head-to-head as Boston's Katie Burt stands opposite Toronto's Elaine Chuli. Burt has seven wins and three shutouts for an overall goals-against-average of 1.34 and save percentage of .959, while Chuli carries a 13-0 record with a 1.38 GAA and .946 SV%.

Two of the PHF's busiest goaltenders will also do battle with Connecticut's Abbie Ives up against Buffalo's Carly Jackson. Ives has already won more games in a single season than any other Whale netminder with nine and leads the PHF in minutes played over her 13 starts. Jackson is the only backstopper to face more than 400 shots, totalling 406 to date. Lovisa Berndtsson and Mariah Fujimagari both played the last games for the Beauts and Whale allowing one goal each.

Last weekend Metropolitan and Minnesota also started two goaltenders. The Riveters played Brooke Wolejko in Saturday's loss and Sonjia Shelly in Sunday's win over Boston. They both have three victories in 11 and seven starts respectively. The Whitecaps had given rookie Jenna Brenneman playing time in five of six games before last weekend's action until an injury pulled her in favor of Breanna Blesi who made her PHF debut against the Whale.

STATS SNAPSHOT

Toronto's Mikyla Grant-Mentis leads the PHF in scoring with 28 points in 16 games, followed by Connecticut's Kennedy Marchment with 24 points in 21 games, Minnesota's Jonna Curtis and Metropolitan's Madison Packer with 21 points in 18 games. Boston's Jillian Dempsey and Buffalo's Autumn MacDougall lead their clubs with 13 points in 16 games. Points-per-game leaders are Grant-Mentis (1.8), Marchment (1.5), Curtis, Packer, and the Whale's Taylor Girard (1.2), Connecticut's Amanda Conway, Minnesota's Allie Thunstrom, and Toronto's Shiann Darkangelo are all at 1.0. Thunstrom leads the PHF with 15 goals followed by Grant-Mentis, Marchment, and Packer with 11, and the Riveters' Kendall Cornine with 10. The Riveters' Rebecca Russo has four power play goals followed by three from Conway, Cornine, Thunstrom, and Toronto's Emma Woods. Thunstrom leads with three shorthanded goals. Minnesota's Audra Morrison and Ashleigh Brykaliuk have the longest active point-streaks at six and five games, followed by Marchment and Boston's Taylor Wenczkowski at four games each. Team shots on goal leaders are Grant-Mentis (81), Thunstrom (77), Boston's Christina Putigna (75), Cornine (73) and Marchment (73), and Buffalo's Cassidy Vinkle (50). Team faceoff leaders by efficiency are the Pride's Evelina Raselli (.613), the Whale's Catherine Crawley (.580), Darkangelo (.576), Riveters' Nora Maclaine (.559), the Beauts' Cassidy MacPherson (.539) and Brykaliuk (.523).

SPORTSNET'S 25 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN HOCKEY

From the players lifting the game to new heights to the executives and activists pushing for change outside of the spotlight, Sportsnet celebrated International Women's Day with a look at those who are leading the way in hockey in 2022. The PHF was represented on the list by Commissioner Tyler Tumminia (5), Toronto Six defender Saroya Tinker (20), and official Katie Guay (25). Check out the full list and in depth story by Emily Sadler for more.

AYALA AND SCHULTZ GET NHL CALL

PHF voices Erica Ayala and Kelly Schultz made history on Tuesday when they became the New Jersey Devils first all-woman digital broadcast team. Schultz called play-by-play alongside Ayala's analysis on Gender Equality Night against the Colorado Avalanche. For more about the well-deserved opportunity, check out this story on NHL.com by Mike Morreale and watch this feature by the Devils.

BOLDEN CONTINUES TO INSPIRE

Blake Bolden was the first Black player to compete in the PHF with Boston in 2015-16 where she won an Isobel Cup. After two seasons with the Pride she spent a year in Switzerland then returned for the 2018-19 campaign in Buffalo and earned Defender of the Year honors. The 31-year-old currently serves as a pro scout for the LA Kings and has been in the news lately as part of NHL Gender Equality features and an appearance on CBS The Talk where she discussed her career in hockey including PHF achievements.

FORMER NCAA CHAMPIONS IN ACTION AS 2022 TOURNAMENT CONTINUES

A total of 12 current PHF athletes were NCAA champions including nine members of the Whitecaps. The list includes Wisconsin's Breanna Blesi ('21 & '19) and Maddie Rowe ('19), Clarkson's Jenna Brenneman ('18 & '17) and Taylor Turnquist ('18 & '17), Minnesota's Stephanie Anderson ('12), Sydney Baldwin ('16 & '15), Amanda Leveille ('16, '15, '13), Meghan Lorence ('15, '13, '12), and Chelsey Rosenthal ('05 & '04). Other NCAA winners include Buffalo's Emma Keenan and Cassidy Vinkle who captured back-to-back 2017-18 titles with Clarkson, and Metropolitan's Madison Packer who won with Wisconsin in 2011.

Four regional finals on Saturday will determine the Women's Frozen Four field for next weekend's championship event in University Park, PA. Ohio State (1) takes on Quinnipiac who defeated Syracuse 4-0 in first round action, Minnesota (2) battles Minnesota-Duluth who shutout Harvard 4-0, Northeastern (3) faces Wisconsin who eliminated Clarkson with a 3-1 win, and Colgate (4) takes on Yale (5).

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Premier Hockey Federation Stories from March 12, 2022

• PHF Weekend Primer: March 12-13 - PHF
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