Message Area
Casually read the BBS message area using an easy to use interface. Messages are categorized exactly like they are on the BBS. You may post new messages or reply to existing messages!

You are not logged in. Login here for full access privileges.

Previous Message | Next Message | Back to The National Hockey League Discu...  <--  <--- Return to Home Page
   Networked Database  The National Hockey League Discu...   [493 / 900] RSS
 From   To   Subject   Date/Time 
Message   The Hockey Writers    All   Hometown Hero Pfalzer Makes a Return to Beauts   August 16, 2018
 7:31 PM *  

Beginning June 1, NWHL teams can re-sign players from their 2017-18 roster and
their draft picks. Additionally, for those players who have completed their
college eligibility and want to continue their hockey careers, NWHL Free Agency
 provides the best opportunity to continue playing at the highest level of
professional women's hockey. The fourth season of the NWHL will begin in
October as the Metropolitan Riveters defend their Isobel Cup championship, and
with the addition of a fifth team - the Minnesota Whitecaps - this will be the
most competitive season yet.

My colleague Dan Rice will keep THW readers up-to-date on Metropolitan and
Connecticut's signings throughout the summer, while I post updates on Buffalo
and Boston. Together we will be keeping readers informed of all of Minnesota';s
 signings. 

Souliotis Returns to Pride for a Second Campaign

UNH Star Jonna Curtis Joins Hometown Whitecaps

Bolden Returns to NWHL With Beauts

If there was one most obvious signing that the Beauts would be making this
summer, it would be bringing back their former captain Emily Pfalzer. On Aug.
16, 2018 word was officially announced that she was back with her hometown
team. A native of the Buffalo suburb of Getzville, NY, Pfalzer was the original
 captain of the Beauts and was essential in the Beauts capturing the 2017
Isobel Cup championship as underdogs. Fresh off of earning the gold medal at
the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Pfalzer was on hand at the Beauts
semi-final game this past March against the Boston Pride. As she posed for
photos with fans and spoke to the media, it was evident that a return to the
NWHL team was a likelihood, if not inevitable.

BREAKING: Emily Pfalzer is back in business with the @BuffaloBeauts. Pfalzer
has re-signed with the team after winning Olympic Gold in PyeongChang. 

🔗: https://t.co/493Zy7mHbi pic.twitter.com/poiTZFvdMB

- NWHL (@NWHL) August 16, 2018

"Emily arrives with championship experience both with the Beauts and with the
United States national team," Buffalo General Manager Nik Fattey shared in the
press release about Pflazer';s signing. "Her presence will help solidify our
already strong defense and having a local player of her caliber return to our
club will be invaluable to the team both on and off the ice."

Pfalzer becomes the eighth defender to sign with Buffalo for the 2018-19
campaign, and essentially the last defender to be put onto the roster. THW
takes a closer at the signing and what having the team';s inaugural captain
back in the fold will mean for the Beauts.Pfalzer';s Previous Successes With
Buffalo

Through the first two seasons of the NWHL, Pfalzer not only was a consummate
leader for the team - one who led them to the first two of three straight
Isobel Cup Final appearances - but she was also one of the team';s best
offensive-defenders. In 32 career regular season games she scored three goals
and added 16 assists for 19 points.

Despite not playing the 2017-18 NWHL season because of the Olympics, Pfalzer is
 still second overall in Beauts'; history for points by a defender. She trails
only former teammate Megan Bozek';s 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists).
Likewise, Pfalzer';s 16 career assists tie her with fellow Buffalo blueliner
Sarah Casorso for the second most all-time among the team';s skaters. Only
forward Kourtney Kunchika (26 helpers) has generated more assists in a career
for the Beauts. Keep in mind too that Kunichika has played a full three seasons
 for the Beauts as opposed to Pfalzer';s two.USA Olympian and native
Buffalonian Emily Pfalzer shown before a game between the Buffalo Sabres and
the Chicago Blackhawks at KeyBank Center (Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports).

Those numbers are just scratching the surface of her overall performance with
the team. A closer look at Pfalzer';s statistics can depict how great of an
impact she has had with the team. Take for instance the inaugural 2015-16
season. She was able to generate 10 assists in 17 games which tied her with
Bozek and Meghan Duggan to lead the team in that category. Eight of Pfalzer';s
10 assists came on the power play, which led the entire NWHL. No one else on
the Beauts had more than half that many.

Continuing on into the 2016-17 season, Pfalzer put up a total of six assists in
 15 games - three of which were earned on the power play. On a Beauts squad
that struggled for offense that year, the three that came on the advantage tied
 her with Casorso for second most on the team behind Kunichika and Kelley
Steadman who each had four. Even though they would win the Isobel Cup that
year, Buffalo scored a league-worst 44 goals in 17 games. They were the only
team in the league that year to not score above 50 on the season. That being
said, capitalizing on specialty teams was more important for the Beauts than
any of the other squads and Pfalzer was a vital cog for those opportunities.How
 Will Buffalo';s Defense Perform in 2018-19?

Buffalo';s defense looks very different for the 2018-19 season as opposed to
last year. One of the main reasons why the Beauts made it to the Isobel Final
for a third straight year was because their defense was so interchangeable and
cohesive. They functioned more so as a unit rather than individuals or pairs.
Can that same unity be achieved for the upcoming season? Pfalzer is the type of
 player who can lead naturally and promote that unity from within.

Of the eight defenders signed more than half are returning from the 2017-18
team - Casorso, Lisa Chesson, Jacquie Greco, Sarah Edney and Jordyn Burns. It
is important that those pieces are there. The newcomers are rookie and NCAA
champion Savannah Harmon, as well as Clarkson Cup and Isobel Cup champion Blake
 Bolden. Though Pfalzer is certainly not a newbie, she was not on the team last
 year. However, Casorso, Chesson, Greco and Burns were teammates of hers when
the Buffalo won the Cup. Should the "C" be bestowed upon Pfalzer once more she
will be instrumental in ensuring that this batch of Beauts gels.

She's coming back as an Olympic gold medalist. 

Emily Pfalzer will join us for her third season in #BeautsBlue! Welcome home,
Pfalzy! pic.twitter.com/dHMlLsWpLX

- Buffalo Beauts (@BuffaloBeauts) August 16, 2018

A sizable portion of that onus will also fall upon the shoulders of co-coaches
Ric Seiling and Craig Muni, particularly Muni who primarily ran the defense
this past season. The coaching staff can take comfort in knowing that except
for Harmon and Bolden, they have worked with all of these defenders before and
for multiple seasons. Edney is the only returnee to not have played two or more
 previous seasons as a Beaut.

The Beauts have made the most signings of the five NWHL teams thus far. They
are just about filled up, and their defense and goaltending are now squared
away. With 21 spots now filled, look for Buffalo to add a few more forwards
before the season commences. Here is a look at how their roster is currently
shaping out as of Aug. 16:

Goalie: Nicole Hensley, Julia DiTondo, Shannon Szabados.

Defense: Lisa Chesson, Savannah Harmon, Jacquie Greco, Sarah Edney, Jordyn
Burns, Sarah Casorso, Blake Bolden, Emily Pfalzer.

Forward: Hayley Scamurra, Corinne Buie, Maddie Elia, Dani Cameranesi, Annika
Zalewski, Julianna Iafallo, Kelly Babstock, Jordan Juron, Emily Janiga, Taylor
Accursi. 

The post Hometown Hero Pfalzer Makes a Return to Beauts appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHockeyWrite...
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
 * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)
  Show ANSI Codes | Hide BBCodes | Show Color Codes | Hide Encoding | Hide HTML Tags | Show Routing
Previous Message | Next Message | Back to The National Hockey League Discu...  <--  <--- Return to Home Page

VADV-PHP
Execution Time: 0.0995 seconds

If you experience any problems with this website or need help, contact the webmaster.
VADV-PHP Copyright © 2002-2024 Steve Winn, Aspect Technologies. All Rights Reserved.
Virtual Advanced Copyright © 1995-1997 Roland De Graaf.
v2.0.140505

Warning: Unknown: open(c:\Sessions\sess_r85ughsdq60ben02p6tvluf6a2, O_RDWR) failed: No such file or directory (2) in Unknown on line 0 Warning: Unknown: Failed to write session data (files). Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct (c:\Sessions) in Unknown on line 0 PHP Warning: session_start(): open(c:\Sessions\sess_r85ughsdq60ben02p6tvluf6a2, O_RDWR) failed: No such file or directory (2) in D:\wc5\http\public\VADV\include\common.inc.php on line 45 PHP Warning: Unknown: open(c:\Sessions\sess_r85ughsdq60ben02p6tvluf6a2, O_RDWR) failed: No such file or directory (2) in Unknown on line 0 PHP Warning: Unknown: Failed to write session data (files). Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct (c:\Sessions) in Unknown on line 0