PHF Weekend Pulse: December 4-5
December 6, 2021 - Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) News Release
(Brooklyn, N.Y) - The fourth weekend of the 2021-22 Premier Hockey Federation season surpassed the quarter mark of the schedule with four games played including a pair of home ice series sweeps.
Here's a closer look at the results, top performers, and other notable highlights.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 4
Game 14
Minnesota Whitecaps 1
Connecticut Whale 5
Connecticut spread out the scoring with five different contributors powering an offense that netted four straight second period goals to break a scoreless tie and earn a franchise first win over Minnesota.
Game 15
Toronto Six 1
Boston Pride 2 SO
Christina Putigna and McKenna Brand both scored shootout markers to give Boston the extra point in a first place battle with the previously unbeaten Toronto.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 5
Game 16
Minnesota Whitecaps 2
Connecticut Whale 4
First overall draft pick Taylor Girard scored a hat-trick including the game-winner to lift the Whale to a weekend sweep over the Whitecaps.
Game 17
Toronto Six 2
Boston Pride 8
Captain Jillian Dempsey scored twice with one assist as part of a PHF season high eight goals for the Pride who delivered the Six their first loss in regulation.
PHF 3 STARS OF THE WEEK
First Star: Taylor Girard showcased the skill that made her worthy of Connecticut's first overall selection in the 2021 draft collecting five points in two games including four goals and one assist. The Quinnipiac University graduate was effective in both Whale weekend games producing the second and third multi-point performances of her young professional career that contributed to her club's home ice sweep over Minnesota. The 23-year-old forward from Macomb, MI had a goal and an assist in Saturday's 5-1 victory, then scored a hat-trick in Sunday's 4-2 triumph over the Whitecaps. The newcomer is second in team scoring with eight points in eight games, is tied with teammate Alyssa Wohlfeiler for first in the PHF with five goals, and is the only player in the league thus far to tally two game-winning goals.
Second Star: Jillian Dempsey led the Boston Pride offense with three goals and one assist for four points in two victories against the Toronto Six. On Saturday the captain scored the game-tying goal midway through regulation to force extra time where Boston would eventually prevail 2-1 in a shootout. Then on Sunday she scored the Pride's first and final goals and assisted on the second tally en route to an 8-2 win. The three-point performance was the seventh of her career and first since December 7, 2019 where she posted the same stat line in an 8-3 win over the Metropolitan Riveters. The 30-year-old from Winthrop, MA is tied for the team lead in scoring with seven points in eight games including four goals and three assists and continues to build PHF career records with 111 points in 106 games including 53 goals.
Third Star: Kennedy Marchment recorded four assists in two games for the Whale and has now taken over the PHF scoring lead with 11 points through eight games. All four of her weekend helpers were primary markers and divided evenly across both games. First she set up Wohlfeiler and Girard in Saturday's 5-1 win, then found Girard for two of her three goals in Sunday's 4-2 victory over the Whitecaps. These were the second and third multi-point performances of her first season where he offensive totals now stand at four goals and seven assists. After graduating from St. Lawrence University, Marchment played three seasons in the SDHL and signed a free agent contract with the Whale this summer. Today the Courtice, Ontario native is celebrating her 25th birthday.
SWEEPS SHAKE UP STANDINGS
The Pride took five of a possible six points on home ice against the Six and remain unbeaten in four contests this season at Warrior Ice Arena. The results improve their first place record to 6-2-0 including three regulation wins for a total of 15 points. The Whale's perfect two-win weekend is their first since Season 2 when they beat the Buffalo Beauts 6-1 at home on December 10 and the Metropolitan Riveters 4-2 on the road December 11, 2016. It's also the first time they've ever achieved the feat at Danbury Ice Arena and marks their first two wins against the Whitecaps in franchise history following 12-straight losses in regular season play. The six points earned by virtue of the regulation wins launches them from fourth to second place with a 4-3-1 record including a PHF leading four regulation wins for 13 points. The Six drop to third place with the single point giving them 10 on the season with a 3-1-1 record, while the Whitecaps remain in fifth with a record of 1-4-1 for 4 points. The Riveters (2-1-1) sit fourth with 7 points, and the Beauts (1-2-0) are in sixth place with 2 points.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURSTS
Both the Pride and Whale scored nine regulation time goals over the last two games which ties the Riveters November 6 & 7 output for the most over a PHF weekend series so far this season. For Boston, Sunday's game in particular featured their highest goal total since December 7, 2019 with 12 players picking up points including seven providing multi-point efforts. Jillian Dempsey had her two goals and assist, while Amanda Boulier had three assists, Sammy Davis had two goals, Meghara McManus and Jenna Rheault each had a goal and an assist, while Kali Flanagan and Tori Sullivan both chipped in two assists. For Connecticut, 10 different skaters tabulated points over the weekend highlighted by multi-point performances from Taylor Girard and Kennedy Marchment in both games. In addition, Saturday's game featured a goal and an assist from Amanda Conway and Allie Munroe, with Tori Howran picking up two helpers on Sunday.
FIRST SHOOTOUT OF THE SEASON
There have now been four games in the PHF this season that have been tied after regulation. Three have been won in overtime including two by the Pride, with Saturday's decision in Boston becoming the first to require a shootout. Christina Putigna and McKenna Brand both scored for the home squad. Pride goaltender Lovisa Selander turned aside Toronto's Emma Woods and Mikyla Grant-Mentis in their attempts, while Samantha Ridgewell denied Amanda Boulier. Last season there were two shootouts in Lake Placid including a 6-5 win on January 24 by Minnesota over Toronto, and a 2-1 outcome for Connecticut over Buffalo on January 23, 2021. This season both overtime and shootout games award two points in the standings to the winner and one point for the loser.
FIRST CAREER PHF GOALS
Four players celebrated their first career PHF goals over the weekend including Toronto sophomore forward Emma Woods. She finished an amazing individual effort in her eighth career game by toe-dragging past two Boston defenders and burying her shot to open Saturday's scoring. Three newcomers also enjoyed milestone markers including Whale defender Allie Munroe in her seventh game of the season on Saturday, Whitecaps forward Alex Woken scored in her fifth game on Saturday, and Six forward Taylor Day scored in her fifth game on Sunday.
FIRST HAT-TRICK OF THE SEASON
Taylor Girard's hat-trick on Sunday was the first recorded across the PHF this season and the first by a member of the Whale in almost five years. During Season 2 the club had three hat-tricks including two from newcomer Haley Skarupa. Her first impressively came during her first career game on October 9, 2016 despite a 5-4 loss to the Beauts. Later that season Kelly Babstock scored three on December 11, 2016 as part of a 4-2 win over the Riveters, then Skarupa found the back of the net three more times on January 27, 2017 despite an 8-4 loss to the Pride. The last hat-trick in the PHF was scored by Minnesota's Audra Morrison in the 2021 semifinal against Connecticut on March 26.
SCORING STREAKS
Kennedy Marchment continues to build the PHF's longest active scoring streak which now stands at seven straight games. Five of her Connecticut teammates picked up points in both weekend games including Amanda Conway, Taylor Girard, Cailey Hutchison, Allie Munroe and Shannon Turner. Boston's McKenna Brand now has three straight games with an assist, while Jillian Dempsey got back on track after a four-game drought, the longest of her career, producing points in both weekend games. Toronto's Brooke Boquist is now the club's active leader with points in two-straight games.
TWO MILESTONES FOR THUNSTROM
Whitecaps forward Allie Thunstrom scored her third goal of the season on Sunday to bring her point total to four in six games which ties for the Minnesota lead. The goal by the 33-year-old from Maplewood, MN also happened to bring her point total to 52 over her career which is tied for 10th in the all-time PHF rankings. Sunday's contest was also the 50th of her career which perfectly coincides with the Whitecaps history in the PHF. Eight players on the current roster have been part of the Whitecaps organization that joined the PHF in 2018-19 however Thunstrom is the only one to play in every single game.
TOUGH TO BEAT BOSTON BACKSTOPPERS
Boston has averaged a league-low two goals-against through eight games large-in-part to the play of goaltenders Katie Burt, Lovisa Selander, and Victoria Hanson. On Saturday it was Selander who turned aside 30 of the 31 shots she faced for her second win of the season in three starts and now carries a goals-against-average of 2.60 and save percentage of .909. Burt got the call on Sunday and made 36 saves for her third win in four games. She continues to lead the PHF with a goals-against-average of 1.48 and save percentage of .953.
IVES WINS TWICE
Whale goaltender Abbie Ives had already logged the most minutes played across the PHF heading into weekend action and built on those totals with two additional starts to put her at 402:46 in seven appearances. She stopped a total of 46 of the 49 shots fired her way across two games and was rewarded with a pair of wins for a new career-high of three. Her goals-against-average and save percentage both improved to 2.83 and .888 respectively.
RIDGEWELL SOLID IN SIX SEASON DEBUT
Samantha Ridgewell made just her second career PHF start on Saturday for the Six in place of starting goaltender Elaine Chuli who was unavailable for weekend duty. The sophomore stopper gave Toronto everything she had stopping 41 of 42 shots through overtime before Boston claimed the shootout decision. She made 16 saves on 21 shots in Sunday's start before turning the crease over to Tera Hofmann who stopped 17 of 20 in her first appearance for the Six.
Both Toronto and Minnesota get the opportunity to rebound next weekend on home ice. The Six host the Riveters and the Whitecaps welcome the Beauts for doubleheaders December 11-12. All games will stream live on ESPN+ in the United States, while international viewers can catch select action on Twitch and ESPN affiliates including TSN Direct in Canada.
Premier Hockey Federation Stories from December 6, 2021
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