By Michael Heilman

The Boston Pride visited the Northtown Center to take on the Buffalo Beauts Saturday night. Both teams haven’t played in a while. The last time the Pride played was back on December 7th while the Beauts last played on November 30th. The Pride was looking to remain undefeated and move their record to 12-0.

These two teams battled each other hard when the first period started. The game was scoreless halfway through the first period until Pride forward Lexie Laing scored to put the Pride up 1-0 with an assist from Carlee Toews. Twenty-five seconds later, Beauts defenseman Marie-Jo Pelletier tied the game up 1-1 with an assist from Erin Gehen. The two teams continued to battle it out until the first period came to an end tied 1-1.

The two teams resumed the second period in a physical battle. The game was still tied until halfway through the second period as Beauts forward Taylor Accursi scored to put the Beauts in the lead 2-1. The Beauts were going on their first power play of the game after Pride defensemen Kaleigh Fratkin was called for tripping. The Beauts took advantage of the power play and extended their lead 3-1 on a goal by Sara Bustad with an assist from Cassidy MacPherson. With under two minutes to play in the third period down by two-goal, the Pride made it a one-goal game 3-2 as Pride forward Tori Sullivan scored with an assist from Lexie Laing. The Beauts led 3-2 at the end of the second period looking to become the first team to hand the Pride their first loss.

The Beauts tried to hold off the Pride’s offense, but the Pride tied the game 3-3 nine minutes and thirty-three seconds in the third period on a goal by Mary Parker with an assist from Kaleigh Fratkin. The two teams were battling hard for the remainder of the third period and the game was heading to overtime tied 3-3.

It didn’t take long for the Pride to find the net in overtime as defensemen Jenna Rheault put the game away in overtime 4-3 with assists from Lexi Bender and Tori Sullivan. With the win, the Pride remains undefeated at 12-0.

The Pride dominated the shots on goal total with forty-four to the Beauts twenty-three. The Pride were zero for five on the power play while the Beauts went one for six. Pride goalie Lovisa Selander made twenty of twenty-three saves allowing three goals while Beauts goalie Kelsey Neumann made forty of forty-four saves, allowing four goals.

The three stars of the game were Beauts forward Taylor Accursi with one goal, Beauts goalie Kelsey Neumann with forty saves, and Pride defensemen Jenna Rheault with the game-winning goal. Both of these teams will go at it again Sunday at 1 pm from the Northtown Center.