Whale top Buffalo for 11th victory

Connecticut’s Yekaterina Smolentseva had two goals and an assist in Sunday’s win over Buffalo in Stamford.

STAMFORD, Jan. 10 – Their line was on fire Sunday night at Chelsea Pier. The line of Danielle Ward, Yekaterina Smolentseva and Michaela Long scored three goals in the first period of the Connecticut Whale’s 5-3 National Women’s Hockey League victory over the Buffalo Beauts.

Ward opened the game with her third goal in two games off an assist from Smolentseva. And then Smolentseva scored twice in a span of 3:08 to give the Whale a 3-0 lead after one period. Ward and Long had assists on both Smolentseva goals.

The Whale, which remains in first place in the NWHL with a commanding 11-1 record, swept a weekend series of games in Connecticut. The Whale beat New York, 4-3 on Saturday night at Ingalls Rink in New Haven before handing Buffalo (2-8-2) their eight loss of the season on Sunday. Boston is second in the four-team league with a 8-3-1 record.

Connecticut 5, Buffalo 3
At Stamford
Buffalo (2-8-2)         0  1  2  — 3
Connecticut (11-1)  3  0  2  — 5
First period
Connecticut 1, Danielle Ward (Yekaterina Smolentseva), 8:51; Connecticut 2, Smolentseva (Kaleigh Fratkin, Micaela Long), 15:30; Connecticut 3, Smolentseva (Ward, Long), 19:22; Penalties — Buffalo (Devon Skeats), slashing, 16:12
Second period
Buffalo 1, Kelly Steadman (Meghan Duggan), 3:55; Penalties — Connecticut (Michela Long), hooking, 2:59; Buffalo (Hailey Browne), holding, 3:44; Connecticut (Kelli Stack), cross checking, 8:42; Connecticut (Alyssa Wohlfeiler), 13:01; Buffalo (Tatiana Rafter), cross checking, 13:01; Buffalo (Lindsay Gregg), delay of game, 16:39; Connecticut (Kaleigh Fratkin), tripping
Third period
Connecticut 4, Kelly Stack, 5:18 sh; Buffalo 2, Steadman (Hayley Williams), 6:28; Buffalo 3, Duggan (Steadman), 15:17; Connecticut 5, Stack (Fratkin), 15:54 pp; Penalties – Buffalo (Paige Harrington), cross checking, 1:20; Connecticut (Smolentseva), elbowing, 3:57; Buffalo (Rafter), check from behind, 10:14; Connecticut (Wohlfeiler) check from behind, 10:14; Connecticut (Jordan Brickner), tripping, 11:42; Buffalo (Steadman), hooking, 15:45; Connecticut (Stack), high sticking, 16:08; Connecticut (Tara Tomimoto), cross checking, 16:12; Connecticut (Jessica Koizumi), interference, 18:24
Shots on goal: Buffalo 42 (11-17-14); Connecticut 33 (13-9-11)
Power play: Connecticut 1 for 5; Buffalo 0 for 7
Goalies: Amanda Makela, Buffalo 33 shots, 28 saves; Nicole Stock, Connecticut, 42 shots, 39 saves