By Michael Heilman

After a historic win in the Buffalo Believes Classic, the Riveters were looking for the weekend sweep at the Northtown Center against the Buffalo Beauts. The Beauts were looking to avoid a four-game losing streak.

The Beauts dug themselves a hole three minutes and thirty-three seconds in the first period on a holding call against Cassidy MacPherson. The Riveters took advantage of the power play to go up 1-0 on a goal by Madison Packer.

The Beauts tied the game 1-1 on a goal by Brooke Stacey with an assist from Taylor Accursi. The Riveters had a chance to regain the lead on the power play on a holding call against Beauts defenseman Lenka Curmova. The Riveters couldn’t convert the power play, and the game remained tied 1-1 at the end of the first period.

The Beauts continued to shoot themselves in the foot a minute and forty-eight seconds in the second period on a slashing call against Becki Bowering. A minute and eighteen seconds later, the Riveters capitalized on the power play to regain the lead 2-1 on a goal by Madison Packer, her second of the game with an assist from Kate Leary. The Beauts continued to be undisciplined three minutes and five seconds into the second period on a slashing call against Iveta Klimasova.

Thirty-six seconds later, the Riveters added to their lead 3-1 on a power-play goal by Cailey Hutchison with assists from Tatiana Shatalova and Madison Packer. About two minutes later, the Beauts cut the Riveters lead 3-2 as Brooke Stacey scored with an assist from Erin Gehen. The Beauts Iveta Klimasova was ejected for an Illegal Check to the Head, giving the Riveters a five-minute power play however they couldn’t add to their lead. The Riveters gave the Beauts three opportunities to tie the game but managed to hold on to a 3-2 lead as the second period came to an end. The Beauts were starting the third period with a little over a minute left on the power play.

When the third period started, the Riveters defense held off the Beauts offense from tying the game. The Riveters started to distance themselves as Nicole Arnold scored to extend the Riveters lead 4-2 with assists from Mallory Rushton and Tatiana Shatalova. Under two minutes later, Kendall Cornine scored to make it a 5-2 Riveters lead.

Over halfway through the third period, the Beauts Taylor Accursi scored to make it a two-goal game 5-3 with an assist from Emma Ruggiero. With less than a minute left, the Riveters put the game away on an empty-net goal by Kate Leary with an assist from Kendall Cornine to give the Metropolitan Riveters a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Beauts. The Beauts have now lost four straight games.

Metropolitan Riveters had thirty-four shots on goal, and the Beauts had twenty. Riveters goalie Sam Walther made seventeen of twenty saves, allowing three goals while Beauts goalie Kelsey Neumann made twenty-eight of thirty-three saves, allowing five goals.

The three stars of the game were Riveters forward Tatiana Shatalova with two assists, Beauts forward Brooke Stacey with two goals and Riveters forward Madison Packer with two goals and one assist.

The Riveters return home next weekend at the ProSkate Ice Arena for two games against the Minnesota Whitecaps Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 4:30 pm. The Beauts have a tough task ahead of them next weekend as they continue their homestand against the Boston Pride for two games Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday 1 pm.