BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Beauts’ season wraps up this weekend, with a Friday/Saturday series in East Rutherford, N.J. against the Metropolitan Riveters.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Beauts defender Antonia Matzka said. “It’s always a long season and we get tired at the end but we’re looking to finish really strong on our last weekend.”
Prior to their season finale, Matzka and teammates Maddie Truax and Allison Attea, joined Wake Up! to speak about their season and the growth of women’s hockey.
“I think each year, the league is just going to continue to grow,” Attea, a Buffalo native, said. “It’s really cool, each game we have, a younger girls team come and watch us, and we’re able to meet them and talk to them and tell them that they could be in our position someday, they just have to believe in themselves.”
Truax compared the game of today, and the establishment of the Premier Hockey Federation in 2015, to when players currently in the league were kids.
“For us, the PHF didn’t exist when we were younger. The only people we were able to shoot for were the Olympians from wherever we’re from,” she said. “It’s kind of special to be a role model to these little girls.”
Matzka, who hails from Austria and played on the PHF World team at this year’s All-Star Game, spoke to the development of the game on an international scale, giving advice to girls and young women who aspire to play professionally.
“If you really want to do it, just do whatever it takes to get to that level,” she said. “Surround yourself with the best people possible that are going to support you no matter what and help you achieve your dreams.”