Sunday January 15, 2023

By Laura Everett

There was a lot to love in The Boston Pride’s return to Warrior Ice Arena. First and foremost: the 8-0 score against bottom-of-the-table Buffalo Beauts. 

With the win, Boston leapfrog over the Premier Hockey Federation league-leading Toronto Six by one point nearing the All-Star game on January 29^th. The Pride play the Buffalo Beauts a second time on Sunday January 15^th at 2pm at home again at Warrior Ice Arena, which can be viewed on ESPN+.

Other good news: the scoring was nicely distributed among Boston’s forwards, with even defender Olivia Zafuto getting into the mix.  Captain Jillian Dempesy got the scoring started in the first period. With this goal, Dempsey now has 9 goals in 12 games this season. McKenna Brand, playing in a remixed line and moving from wing to center, made it 2-0 nearly 7 minutes in and ended up with two goals and an assist. 

Brand spoke after the game about the decisive win, saying, “The last time we played them (The Buffalo Beauts), they got five goals in one period. We know they can put pucks in nets, so it’s finding more consistency and focusing on what we can do every period.”

In the third period, the floodgates opened. Christina Putigna scored, making it 4-0 only three minutes into the third period. Play became increasingly chippy, with penalties compounding for the Beauts. In the third, forward Allie Thunstrom scored back-to-back goals and notched two assists. After the sixth goal, the Buffalo Beauts pulled their starting keeper Lovisa Berndtsson. and threw in goalie Tera Hofmann. Loren Gabel made it 7-0, bringing her to a season total 9 goals over 10 games. With 14.5 seconds in the third, Zafuto scores to end the game 8-0. 

Goalkeeper Corrine Schroeder came away with another clean sheet, her fifth of this season and second against the Beauts. Schroeder saved 19 shots on goal. Defense held throughout. Meanwhile, the Beauts faced an onslaught of 47 shots from The Pride. 

The third period scoring barrage heighten emotions on the ice. By the end of the game, major penalties were being called for hitting from behind, game misconducting, and roughing.  The eighth goal by The Pride was scored against 3 Beauts players. Everyone else was in the penalty box.

In a post-game interview, Schroeder spoke of the discipline of the team to stay focused amidst the chaos and lopsided score, saying

“I try to stay in it, maintaining some focus with breathwork, waiting for the puck to come back to your zone. It’s tough waiting, but you’ve just got to be patient. Staying involved in the game, making sure that you’re vocal. As a goalie, I don’t think anyone hears what I say. It doesn’t matter to me. Me just saying things and cheering on my teammates helps keep me in the game.”

The first season Pride keeper uses breathwork to keep her focus when the puck is at the far end to “make sure my mind doesn’t wander.”  

Schroeder continued, “I try to make sure I’m not thinking about what I’m doing after the game or to things that aren’t relevant to hockey in general. Those thoughts come and go, they always do. Focusing on the breath, focusing on the puck even, making sure I’m dialed, it just helps keeps those thoughts from interfering with my play when the puck does come down to my end.”

With four years for the Boston University Terriers and a graduate year for Quinnipiac, the Canadian keeper was indeed dialed in again this game. 

The Boston Pride must also be thrilled with another sold out crowd in the first return to Warrior Arena since late November. The Youth Hockey Weekend had the arena full of youth teams clambering to meet the players. Visiting girls’ youth teams were spotted from as far away as San Jose, CA.

McKenna Brand again noted how special it was, even in warmups, to look up and see the stands filled with female athletes. “I grew up in Northern Minnesota, so no, I played boys. I didn’t go to too many girls’ games. Maybe a couple of Gopher games? But just the visibility of women’s sports and women’s hockey right now is awesome. These girls get to see what we’re doing. I didn’t get to dream of playing here; they get to dream of playing here. It’s just getting bigger and better.”

Another major win includes the launch of the new collaboration with Dorchester Brewing Company for two specialty drinks: All In Golden Lager and Hear Me Roar Prickly Pear Hard Seltzer. While the beer and hard cider are also available for purchase at the brewery, the drinks at the arena sold out within the first hour. Fans were keen to grab the beautifully designed commemorative cans, by artist Kaity Goodwin. 

Coming into this homestand after both the winter holiday break and five games on the road, it was not lost on anyone that Buffalo sat at the bottom of the table, and Boston near the top. Before this matchup Boston has played eleven games, Buffalo was way behind in games played with only eight after major snowstorms rocked their region. It would have been easy to lose focus and let concentration drift. But The Boston Pride showed just how professional and tuned in they are and came up with an unrelenting win. 

Now even with twelve games played each, The Boston Pride jump ahead of the Toronto Six at the top of the table, and another game against the beleaguered Buffalo Beauts ahead for Sunday January 15.