By Michael Heilman

The Buffalo Beauts headed to the Danbury Ice Arena Saturday afternoon to take on the Connecticut Whale. The Whale were still looking for their first win of the season while the Beauts were looking to stay in second place ahead of the Minnesota Whitecaps.

The Beauts would get the first goal of the game four minutes and thirty-nine seconds in the first period by Erin Gehan with an assist from Marie-Jo Pelletier to give the Beauts a 1-0 lead. The Beauts would go on the power play at seven minutes and twenty-three seconds as Whale’s forward Emma Vlasic was called for tripping. A minute and forty-eight seconds later, the Beauts would extend their lead 2-0 on a power-play goal by Cassidy MacPherson with an assist from Sara Bustad.

Halfway through the first period, the Whale’s would go on the power play as Beauts forward Taylor Accursi headed to the penalty box for hooking. The Whale’s would cut the Beauts lead 2-1 on a goal by Kayla Meneghin with an assist from Taylor Marchin. The Beauts headed to the locker room with a 2-1 lead over the Whale at the end of the first period.

The Beauts would get another goal one minute and eight seconds into the second period as forward Corinne Buie extended the Beauts lead 3-1 with assists from Iveta Klimasova and Taylor Accursi. Two minutes and twenty-seven seconds later, the Whale’s would once again cut the Beauts lead 3-2 on a goal by forward Jane Morrisette with an assist from Elena Gualtieri. The Beauts would once again extend their lead 4-2 on a goal by Erin Gehen, her second of the game with Cassidy MacPherson assisting Gehen’s goal. The Beauts continued to lead the Whale’s 4-2 at the end of the second period.

Over the halfway mark of the third period, the Beauts would tack on another goal thirteen minutes and eighteen seconds by Kim Brown to extend the Beauts lead 5-2. Twenty-six seconds later, the Beauts would go on another power play as Whale’s forward Hanna Beattie, headed to the penalty box for hooking. The Beauts added a power-play goal by Taylor Accursi with Marie-Jo Pelletier, and Becki Bowering assisting Accursi’s goal to make it a 6-2 Beauts lead. When the final horn sound, the Buffalo Beauts defeated the Connecticut Whale 6-2. The Whale are still searching for their first win of the season.

The Beauts had the advantage in shots on goal total with thirty-three to the Whale’s twenty-three. The Beauts were two for six on the power play while the Whale’s were one for five. Beauts goalie Kelsey Neumann made twenty-one of twenty-three saves allowing two goals while Whale’s goalie Sonjia Shelly made twenty-seven of thirty-three saves, allowing six goals.

Connecticut Whale will look to try to get their first win of the season Sunday at 4:10 pm against the Metropolitan Riveters from the Danbury Ice Arena. Buffalo Beauts will not play again until December 21st against the Boston Pride at the Northtown Center.