2015–16 Buffalo Beauts season

The 2015–16 Buffalo Beauts season was the first in franchise history and the National Women's Hockey League's inaugural season.[1]

2015–16 Buffalo Beauts
League	3rd NWHL
2015–16 record	5–9–4
Home record	2–6–1
Road record	3–3–3
Goals for	56
Goals against	66
Team information
General manager	Linda Mroz
Coach	Shelley Looney
Captain	Emily Pfalzer
Alternate captains	Shelby Bram Meghan Duggan
Arena	HarborCenter
Team leaders
Goals	Kelley Steadman (13)
Assists	Meghan Duggan (10) Megan Bozek Emily Pfalzer
Points	Kelley Steadman (20)
Penalty minutes	Devon Skeats (26) Harrison Browne
Wins	Brianne McLaughlin (4)
Goals against average	Amanda Makela (2.79)

Regular season

Standings

Pos	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	W%	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	y – Boston Pride	18	14	3	1	0.806	75	39	+36	29
2	Connecticut Whale	18	13	5	0	0.722	61	51	+10	26
3	Buffalo Beauts	18	5	9	4	0.389	56	66	−10	14
4	New York Riveters	18	4	12	2	0.278	40	76	−36	10

Source: NWHL
y – Clinched division.

Game log

2015–16 Schedule[2] # Date Time Visitor Score Home Location Record Points 1 Oct 11 3:30 PM Boston Pride 4–1 Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 0–1–0 0 2 Oct 18 3:30 PM Connecticut Whale 5–2 Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 0–2–0 0 3 Oct 25 3:30 PM Boston Pride 5–3 Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 0–3–0 0 4 Nov 15 3:30 PM Connecticut Whale 3–2 Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 0–4–0 0 5 Nov 22 3:30 PM Connecticut Whale 7–6 SO Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 0–4–1 1 6 Nov 29 7:00 PM Buffalo Beauts 3–1 New York Riveters Aviator Sports & Events Center 1–4–1 3 7 Dec 5 7:30 PM Buffalo Beauts 6–7 Boston Pride Bright Hockey Center 1–5–1 3 8 Dec 6 4:30 PM Buffalo Beauts 2–3 SO Connecticut Whale Chelsea Piers 1–5–2 4 9 Dec 20 3:00 PM Buffalo Beauts 0–1 Boston Pride Bright Hockey Center 1–6–2 4 10 Dec 27 3:30 PM New York Riveters 7–3 Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 1–7–2 4 11 Jan 3 3:00 PM Buffalo Beauts 4–3 OT Boston Pride Bright Hockey Center 2–7–2 6 12 Jan 10 6:00 PM Buffalo Beauts 3–5 Connecticut Whale Chelsea Piers 2–8–2 6 13 Jan 17 7:00 PM Buffalo Beauts 6–5 SO New York Riveters Aviator Sports & Events Center 3–8–2 8 14 Jan 31 3:30 PM New York Riveters 2–4 Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 4–8–2 10 15 Feb 7 12:00 PM Buffalo Beauts 2–3 OT Connecticut Whale Chelsea Piers 4–8–3 11 16 Feb 14 2:00 PM Buffalo Beauts 3–4 SO New York Riveters Aviator Sports & Events Center 4–8–4 12 17 Feb 21 3:30 PM New York Riveters 1–5 Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 5–8–4 14 18 Feb 28 3:30 PM Boston Pride 3–2 Buffalo Beauts HarborCenter 5–9–4 14

Legend:        = Win        = Loss        = OT/SO Loss

Playoffs

Game log

2016 Isobel Cup Playoffs
Semifinals vs. Connecticut Whale; Buffalo Beauts won series 2–0 # Date Time Visitor Score Home Location Record 1 Mar 4 7:10 PM Buffalo Beauts 0–3 Connecticut Whale Chelsea Piers 0–1 2 Mar 5 7:30 PM Buffalo Beauts 4–1 Connecticut Whale Chelsea Piers 1–1 3 Mar 6 6:00 PM Buffalo Beauts 4–3 Connecticut Whale Chelsea Piers 2–1
Finals vs. Boston Pride # Date Time Visitor Score Home Location Record 1 Mar 11 7:30 PM Buffalo Beauts 3–4 Boston Pride Prudential Center (Newark, NJ) 0–1 2 Mar 12 7:30 PM Buffalo Beauts 1–3 Boston Pride Prudential Center (Newark, NJ) 0–2
Legend:        = If needed        = Win        = Loss        = Playoff series win

Statistics

Updated as of games played through March 6, 2016

Skaters

Regular Season[3] Player GP G A Pts PIM Kelley Steadman 13 13 7 20 16 Kourtney Kunichika 18 9 8 17 4 Meghan Duggan 15 6 10 16 14 Devon Skeats 15 9 5 14 26 Megan Bozek 16 3 10 13 13 Emily Pfalzer 17 2 10 12 6 Harrison Browne 18 5 7 12 26 Shelby Bram 16 4 6 10 0 Kelly Mcdonald 17 0 9 9 8 Erin Zach 14 1 4 5 4 Hayley Williams 17 1 4 5 14 Hannah McGowan 18 1 2 3 4 Paige Harrington 18 0 3 3 12 Tatiana Rafter 17 2 1 3 12 Jessica Fickel 15 0 2 2 4 Lindsay Grigg 15 0 2 2 6 Annemarie Cellino 9 0 1 1 0 Courtney Carnes 9 0 0 0 0 Maggie Giamo 9 0 0 0 4

Playoffs[4] Player GP G A Pts PIM Devon Skeats 3 2 1 3 0 Megan Bozek 3 3 0 3 4 Harrison Browne 3 2 0 2 6 Kelley Steadman 2 1 1 2 4 Kelly Mcdonald 3 0 2 2 4 Emily Pfalzer 3 0 1 1 2 Kourtney Kunichika 3 0 1 1 2 Lindsay Grigg 3 0 1 1 6 Meghan Duggan 1 0 1 1 2 Shelby Bram 3 0 1 1 0 Annemarie Cellino 1 0 0 0 0 Courtney Carnes 1 0 0 0 0 Erin Zach 3 0 0 0 0 Hannah McGowan 3 0 0 0 2 Hayley Williams 1 0 0 0 0 Jessica Fickel 3 0 0 0 0 Paige Harrington 3 0 0 0 2 Tatiana Rafter 3 0 0 0 0

Goaltenders

Regular Season[3]

Player	GP	TOI	W	L	OT	GA	GAA	SA	SV%	SO	PIM
Brianne McLaughlin	14	721:59	4	6	2	41	3.41	443	0.907	0	0
Amanda Makela	6	322:52	1	2	2	15	2.79	165	0.909	0	0
Kimberly Sass	2	90:30	1	1	0	7	4.64	51	0.863	0	0

Playoffs[4]

Player	GP	TOI	W	L	OT	GA	GAA	SA	SV%	SO	PIM
Brianne McLaughlin	3	177:15	2	1	0	6	2.03	85	0.929	0	0

Roster

#	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
9		Megan Bozek	D	R	24	2015	Buffalo Grove, Illinois
13		Shelby Bram (A)	F	L	22	2015	Winnipeg, Manitoba
24		Harrison Browne	F	L	22	2015	Oakville, Ontario
10		Meghan Duggan (A)	F	R	28	2015	Danvers, Massachusetts
6		Jessica Fickel	F			2015	Fort Erie, Ontario
23		Lindsay Grigg	D		22	2015	Oakville, Ontario
2		Paige Harrington	D	L	22	2015	Mansfield, Massachusetts
36		Kourtney Kunichika	F	R	24	2015	Fullerton, California
34		Amanda Makela	G	L	22	2015	Thunder Bay, Ontario
14		Kelly McDonald	D			2015	Ancaster, Ontario
12		Hannah McGowan	F	L	23	2015	Redford, Michigan
29		Brianne McLaughlin	G	L	28	2015	Sheffield, Ohio
7		Emily Pfalzer (C)	D	R	22	2015	Getzville, New York
43		Tatiana Rafter	F	L		2015	Winnipeg, Manitoba
1		Kimberly Sass	G	L		2015	East Amherst, New York
21		Devon Skeats	F	L		2015	Whitby, Ontario
77		Hayley Williams	F	L	25	2015	Crete, Illinois
20		Erin Zach	F	L	24	2015	Elmira, Ontario

Awards and honors

NWHL Player of the Week

• Kelley Steadman – Nov 23, 2015
• Devon Skeats – Nov 30, 2015
• Megan Bozek – Jan 3, 2016
• Brianne McLaughlin – Jan 17, 2016
• Kelley Steadman – Jan 31, 2016

NWHL 1st All-Star Game selection

• Megan Bozek (Team Pfalzer)
• Shelby Bram (Team Knight)
• Meghan Duggan (Team Pfalzer)
• Brianne McLaughlin (Team Knight)
• Devon Skeats (Team Pfalzer)
• Hayley Williams (Team Knight)

Transactions

Signings

Player	Date	Contract terms
Brianne McLaughlin[5]	July 1, 2015	$22,000
Devon Skeats[6]	July 9, 2015	$15,000
Erin Zach[6]	July 9, 2015	$13,000
Harrison Browne[7]	August 6, 2015	$15,000
Kimberly Sass[7]	August 6, 2015	$10,000
Shelby Bram[8]	August 7, 2015	$15,000
Tatiana Rafter[8]	August 7, 2015	$15,000
Paige Harrington[9]	August 11, 2015	$10,000
Hayley Williams[9]	August 11, 2015	$13,000
Amanda Makela[10]	August 11, 2015	$15,000
Kourtney Kunichika[11]	August 15, 2015	$10,000
Jessica Fickel[12]	August 17, 2015	$15,000
Hannah McGowan[13]	August 18, 2015	$10,000
Lindsay Grigg[14]	July 13, 2015	$13,000
Kelly McDonald[14]	July 13, 2015	$13,000
Emily Pfalzer[15]	September 24, 2015	$21,000
Megan Bozek[16]	September 25, 2015	$22,500
Meghan Duggan[17]	September 25, 2015	$22,500

Draft

The following were the Beauts selections in the 2015 NWHL Draft on June 20, 2015.[18]

Round	#	Player	Pos	Nationality	College/Junior/Club Team (League)
1	4	Courtney Burke	D	United States	University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
2	8	Sarah Lefort	F	Canada	Boston University (HEA)
3	12	Amanda Leveille	G	Canada	University of Minnesota (WCHA)
4	16	Emily Janiga	F	United States	Mercyhurst College (CHA)
5	20	Jenna Dingeldein	F	Canada	Mercyhurst College (CHA)

References

1. Wilczewski, William (October 2, 2015). "Beauts starting to gel after scrimmage, practices…and time on the links". The Sun. Hamburg. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
2. "National Womens Hockey League – 2015–16 Schedule – Buffalo Beauts". NWHL.
3. "National Womens Hockey League – 2015–16 – Buffalo Beauts". NWHL.
4. "National Womens Hockey League – 2015–16 – Buffalo Beauts". NWHL.
5. "Two-Time Olympic Silver Medalist McLaughlin Signs with Buffalo". NWHL. July 1, 2015.
6. "Skeats and Zach Sign After Toronto Free Agent Camp". NWHL. July 9, 2015.
7. "Browne and Sass Head to Buffalo". NWHL. August 6, 2015.
8. "Buffalo Adds Canadians Bram and Rafter". NWHL. August 7, 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
9. "Llanes, Williams, and Harrington Sign NWHL Contracts". NWHL. August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-02-20. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
10. "Makela, Scrivens Sign with Buffalo, New York". NWHL. August 11, 2015.
11. "Figueroa and Kunichika Join NWHL Teams". NWHL. August 15, 2015.
12. "Ketchum, Fickel, and Fralick Join NWHL Teams". NWHL. August 17, 2015.
13. "Barley-Maloney, McGowan Agree to Play in NWHL". NWHL. August 18, 2015.
14. "Grigg and McDonald, Beauts First Blue Liners". NWHL. July 13, 2015.
15. "Boston College Standout Pfalzer Joins Buffalo". NWHL. September 24, 2015.
16. "Olympic Silver Medalist Bozek Joins Beauts". NWHL. September 25, 2015.
17. "Team USA Captain Duggan Joins Buffalo". NWHL. September 25, 2015.
18. "Draft Live | NWHL". NWHL. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26.