What a difference 27 hours can make
Bolstered by a record setting performance by Boston Pride Captain Jillian Dempsey and a breakout day for The Rookie Line, the Buffalo Beauts were handed their second loss of the season, 5-1.
Just like the previous game, Boston came out in the first looking to set the tone of the game. at 9:19 in the first, Dempsey got the Pride on the board. McKenna Brand sent the puck down behind the net to a waiting Dempsey. Jillian then pushed the puck towards the crease where it struck rookie goaltender Carly Jackson’s stick, and then slid in off of her pads, securing a 1-0 lead for Boston as well as Dempseys 99th career point.
However, Buffalo was able to answer right back and at 11:50 in the first, was able to tie the game at one a piece. Jordan Juron was able to get behind Boston’s defense and went in all alone, skating to the right blocker side of Victoria Hanson. With a flick of her backhand, she was able to lift the puck just up and over Hanson’s blocker. Juron was set up by Kayla Meneghin and Krisin Lewicki.
That would be the limit of offense Buffalo would be able to put up on this night.
McKenna Brand Goal
Just over seven minutes after the game was tied, McKenna Brand was able to follow up her assist on the first goal of the game with a goal of her own. McKenna’s goal was a quick wrister from just outside the left faceoff dot and went right over Jackson’s right shoulder. Brand was set up by the lone goal scorer from Saturday night’s game, Christina Putigna.
The second period is where The Rookie Line took over the game and really gave notice to the rest of the league that they, along with the entire Boston Pride team, will be difficult to deal with for the rest of the season.
At 4:33 in the second, Dempsey netted her second goal of the night, a power play goal, securing her 100th career point. Dempsey, a member of the Pride since their inaugural season, also has the highest career goal total, sitting now at 46 goals scored. Jillian’s second goal of the night was set set up by a semi-whiffed slapshot by Kaleigh Fratkin that slid to the left side of the net to Lexie Laing who slid the puck across the crease where it was then buried in the right bottom corner of the net.
Wenczkowski’s Point For Boston Pride
It was then The Rookie Line’s time to shine. The puck was misplayed by Buffalo behind their own net. In an attempt to shovel the puck out of their own zone to try to kill off another penalty. Instead, Taylor Wenczkowski darted out from in front of the net and was able to angle a pass across the crease to a waiting Sammy Davis. Davis was quickly able to bury the puck for her first NWHL goal. It was also Wenczkowski’s first career point.
To end the scoring on the night, Tereza Vanisova advanced up the ice along the right side boards with Sammy Davis matching her strides going up the middle of the ice and Wenczkowski trailing the play. Davis crashed the net as Vanisova continued to carry the puck up ice while being pestered by two Buffalo defenders. Wenczkowski then received a pass from Vanisova, drove to the blocker side of Buffalo’s goalie and flipped a backhand shot up and over the goalie’s shoulder, netting her first career goal.
The third period was incredibly physical and Buffalo started to their frustrations. Boston was able to go on a 5 on 3 power play at one point for 1:17. Both penalties were able to be killed off by Buffalo, but the frustrations continued to grow as the Beauts did not have an answer for Boston’s speed and skill. The game ended with Boston on a power play after Whitney Dove committed an illegal check to the head, received a 5 minute major penalty and a game misconduct, ending her night with 29 seconds on the clock.
Next Boston Pride Game
Boston’s next game will be on Tuesday, January 26th at 8:30pm EST when they take on the expansion team Toronto Six. You will be able to watch the game on Twitch at www.twitch.com/nwhl
Written by: DJ Parker