Q&A with the captain of the Buffalo Beauts — Montréal defender speaks on podcast — Must-click women’s hockey links

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Q&A with Buffalo Beauts captain Dominique Kremer 

This interview was conducted at the end of Kremer’s first season as the team’s captain; she was recently voted by PHF fans as the First Star of the Season.

What are some positives to take from a disappointing season?

DK: The main thing we take out of this season is that this team loves and cares about each other, and we’re going to fight for each other and defend each other, no matter what. You saw the tussles out there, that’s us standing up for our teammates, something we do every day. And we’re proud to do that.

Is it tough to get up for this kind of game, while knowing the season is about to end with no playoffs?

DK: To a certain extent it is tough to be super motivated (for these games), at the same time in a way it is very freeing to not have that pressure. Today we all looked at this as our last game together, so let’s make it fun and memorable. I think it was definitely memorable for a number of different reasons. In that sense it was almost a positive to have that pressure off of us.

A big issue for the Beauts recently has been not getting off to great starts in games, and seasons. That has to be a point of emphasis next season, right?

DK: It would be ideal to not have that (our schedule interrupted) next year, but that’s out of our control. Looking forward to next year, we have to use this season as a learning experience and I feel like we really built a solid foundation to build off of. I think with the right pieces next year we can surprise a lot of people.

Top to bottom I don’t think any part of our team was a weak point or that any part of our team was a strength. It will be important for us to learn from this, make the appropriate changes and push forward with what we know works for this program.

Now that it’s over, what was your first season as captain like?

It was a rollercoaster. A lot of highs, and honestly a lot of lows, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. I love my team and they made this really fun. I’m hoping next season will be a bit easier, maybe, because losing makes everything more difficult. That was the brunt of the difficulty this year. I feel very blessed, honored and privileged to do it.

We heard that you recruited goaltender Samantha Ridgewell during the season – true or false?

True! Sam is my best friend and I’ve been trying to get her here for a while and it just never came to fruition. When [Kassidy] Sauvé was put on LTIR I told the team that I had just the girl for us. Lord knows she’s showed up for us. I’m hoping we can keep that Merrimack pipeline strong. Hopefully we all come back next season.

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Women’s hockey linky dinks 

A guide to some of the best links in women’s hockey from the past seven days.

• One of the newest members of the Metropolitan Riveters had a unique Monday earlier this week. First, in the morning, the team officially announced the signing of Yale University defender Emma Seitz. Then in the afternoon, the New York City native officially graduated from the prestigious school. Seitz recorded 86 points (34g-52a) over 127 games while at Yale and her 14 goals during the 2021-22 season is a program record. She was the 2023 recipient of the Mandi Schwartz Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award (excellence and leadership on the ice, in the classroom and in the community) and prior to college she played nearby with the New Jersey Colonials (2014-17).

Congrats, @emmaseitz76 ! So great to see this!! #graduation2023 pic.twitter.com/IbB8yWTBKP

— Metropolitan Riveters (@Riveters) May 22, 2023

• PHF fans in Minnesota will see a few familiar faces participating in the Celly League, the first-of-its-kind summer league for Minnesota women’s high school alumni currently playing D-I hockey and beyond. Allie Thunstrom, Isobel Cup winner (2019) and six-season NWHL/PHF vet, will be there, as well as Liz Schepers, who made her pro debut this past season with the Minnesota Whitecaps, and Mak Langei, who played with the Whitecaps in the past and more recently in the PWHPA (Team Scotia Bank). 

• Shameless self-promotion: one of the Podcasts I co-host with Allie Morse via The Ice Garden, Around the Rink in the PHF just dropped a new episode this week where Montréal Force defender Emma Keenan joined us. While we record live on Twitter, everyone can listen to us on your preferred podcast platforms by searching for The Ice Garden!

• With a vacancy in Toronto for the Maple Leafs General Manager position, Ian Kennedy from The Hockey News makes the case for the choice to be Hockey Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser to take on the role.

• What do we know about the possible PWHL league to be formed by the PWHPA? I have no idea and can’t keep track of all the twists and turns in this saga. Thankfully we have The Victory Press, and new staff writer James Domizio, to sort it all out.

• Some humongous, big names signed on to play in the PHF over the past seven days. From the Riveters bringing back three all-stars for another season and welcoming in two future stars, to the Connecticut Whale coming to terms with Swedish netminder Emma Söderberg, and the Boston Pride signing three-time NCAA champion Sophie Shirley from Wisconsin — be sure to keep up with all of the signings during the league’s Fast & Furious, Free Agent Frenzy with The Ice Garden’s signing tracker.

• Finally, PHF commissioner Reagan Carey recently spoke with The Washington Post about a myriad of topics, including her vision for the league as it is about to embark on its ninth season.

Mondays: Soccer

By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer

Tuesdays: Tennis

By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer

Wednesdays: Basketball

By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The Next

Thursdays: Golf

By: Addie Parker, @addie_parker, The IX

Fridays: Hockey

By: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden

Saturdays: Gymnastics

By: Lela Moore, @runlelarun, Freelance Writer