The Metropolitan Riveters are closing in on the end of their season, with one final game against the Boston Pride today. After that, they will have just two more games against the Buffalo Beauts, who trail them in the standings by six points.
The Beauts will also take on the Minnesota Whitecaps today, and depending on how both of these games go, we could know the final standings today. The Riveters would have to collect at least one point to clinch third place, or the Beauts would have to win to stay in it, as well as sweep the Rivs next weekend.
This is important because, being that there are only five teams in the league, the fourth and fifth place teams participate in a play-in game for the playoffs. If the Riveters could bypass that and go straight to the semi-finals, they will avoid potentially losing that play-in game and will play Minnesota rather than first-place Boston, and actually have a shot at winning a championship.
Big Roster Moves
It is NHL Trade Deadline season, and while the NWHL does not offer up as much heartbreak and excitement in the way of trading, it has certainly done that with this week’s lineup drop. The Riveters have signed last week’s PTO goalie, Zoe Zisis, to a contract for the remainder of the season. This presumably leaves All-Star, starting goalie Sam Walther out for good with her leg injury.
Along with that, they announced Riveters’ leading goal scorer Kate Leary is out with an upper-body injury and have signed Providence College graduate Haley Frade in her place. Frade led her team in scoring her senior year in 2015, and tallied 25 points in both her junior and senior year. She is playing center to Brooke Avery and Nicole Arnold on the bottom line.
Mallory Rushton has been bumped up to the top line, with Cornine and Packer in Leary’s place. Rushton got her first goal of the season last week but has tallied a handful of assists and will play very well alongside two players who can pick up the pieces from her style of play.
Cassie Dunne will be in the game, as both Ashley Johnston and Kelly Nash are not in the lineup. Finally, Bulbul Kartanbay is still dealing with an injury and will be sidelined. In a game against the Pride where the Riveters are attempting to clinch a third-place spot, this is way less than ideal.
Players To Watch
Dana DeMartino
While she’s taken on a backup goalie role this season, DeMartino has honestly impressed me. Whenever she has been put in a game, she has proved herself worthy of her place here. Maybe I’m just being hopeful, but I would love for her to put on a stellar game in her second start ever.
Madison Packer
With Cornine and Rushton alongside her, I think Packer will play a much more aggressive game than she usually does playing with Leary. I would expect her to collect a few points, as she drives to the net hard.
Haley Frade
It’s been a while since she has played high level organized hockey. But while she was at Providence, she was a Terrier killer. That alone gives me hope that she can make some waves in her first game with the Riveters.
Predictions
As much as I would love the Riveters to pull one out here, I think it’s going to be bad. 6-2 Pride. But don’t dwell on it and look toward the final series against the Beauts to be a highlight of the season.
Both games today can be watched on the NWHL Twitch channel. The Riveters and Pride faceoff at 4:30 pm.