NWHL Playoffs Open with Shutouts in Both Series

The New York Riveters did not have much success in their first game of the Isobel Cup Semi-Finals against the Boston Pride on Friday night.

The Pride blanked the Riveters, 6-0. Starting goalie Brittany Ott picked up her second shutout and Jillian Dempsey scored a goal and three assists as the Pride continued their surge by winning their last eight games.

Special teams made all the difference in the game for the Pride. In the opening period Brianna Decker started the scoring at the 6:03 left mark as Dempsey picked up the helper. About four minutes later, 
Zoe Hickel doubled the lead for the Pride. Dempsey and Marissa Gedman picked up the assists on the play.

Boston was able to dominate the play in the opening period, despite their penalty killers getting a lot of work. As the first period came to a close the Pride had outshot the Riveters 24-4.

In the middle frame, Boston was able to put on the pressure adding three more goals. Amanda Pelkey got into the action as Dempsey assisted on her tally at about the seven-minute mark of the second. Decker found the back of the net for her second of the night, from Gigi Marvin about a minute and a half later.

With around seven minutes left in the second, Hilary Knight slipped one past Riveters goalie Jenny Scrivens. Decker and Marvin picked up the helpers on the tally. After the first forty minutes, Boston held a 38-11 lead in shots.

A little over two and a half into the final period, Beth Hanrahan was called for crosschecking, leading to Dempsey scoring the Pride’s final goal of the night. Gedman and Pelkey were credited with the helpers. Boston outshot New York 55-17 on the night.

Both teams will return to the ice for the second game of their best of three semi-finals, on Saturday night at 8:00 PM, at the Raymond Bourque Arena in Beverly, Massachusetts.

In the other semi-finals series, the number two seeded Connecticut Whale hosted the Buffalo Beauts at Chelsea Piers in Stamford, Connecticut.

The Beauts were able to get some earlier chances against Whale netminder, Jaimie Leonoff, but were unable to slip the puck past her. The Beauts got the earlier momentum thanks to a penalty by Shannon Doyle about three and a half minutes in the game leading them to nine shots on net.

The Whale were able to turn the tide with about nine minutes left in the opening frame, as Kelly Babstock drew a holding penalty by Hailey Brown. Both teams would then trade chances for the remainder of the first period but head to the intermission knotted at zero.

The second period started out pretty much the same with tight, defensive hockey for a little over nine minutes. At the 9:12 mark of the middle frame, the Beauts had a little lapse in their defense and gave up a two on one as Kelli Stack was able to fire a Shiann Darkangelo pass, past Beauts’ netminder Brianne McLaughlin for a 1-0 lead.

After Lindsay Grigg took a delay of game penalty, the Whale would double their lead as Sam Faber would light the lamp. Jessica Koizumi would be credited with the helper.

The Beauts refused to go down without a fight and continued to put forth an amazing effort. The Beauts were unable to capitalize on an early third period powerplay and despite their final push by pulling their goalie late in the game the Whale were able to keep the puck out of their net, while killing off a late penalty.

Babstock would put the icing on the cake capping off the victory, by putting the puck into the empty net, with 15 seconds left regulation.

Both teams return to Chelsea Piers, Saturday night for the second game of their best of three series. The 3-0 shutout is Leonoff’s first of her career.