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PHF

5 Questions in 5 Minutes with Beauts forward Amy Budde

<em>After making the jump in the off-season from the SDHL to the PHF, we go 5 Qs in 5 min with Amy Budde!</em>

After Amy Budde’s collegiate career ended, she played two seasons (2019-2020, 2020-21) in Sweden’s SDHL before signing this offseason with the Buffalo Beauts in the PHF. A lot of players do that after college, but what they usually don’t have to deal with while over there is dealing with a worldwide pandemic. Budde’s season for SDE HF had just ended when it started getting covidy around the world. So was she stuck there? Did she dodge the virus like a ninja?

“I was actually technically in Thailand! Our season had just ended and a teammate and I went for ten days,” the 24-year-old Minnesota-native told us, “and on day six everything started shutting down! So we went back on our flight on a Saturday, and then flew back to the US on a Tuesday morning.”

“I never had it,” she said referring to Covid. “I also went with teammates for Christmas to Åre, Sweden for a ski trip. We took a train up there and then found out our teammates tested positive. So we went back home, tested and quarantined for 10 days (nine players tested positive, including two on the train) with Kelty Apperson in an apartment.”

Now that she’s here with the Beauts in the PHF what has been the biggest adjustment from the SDHL to the PHF?

“The biggest transition for me has been going back to the little ice,” revealed Budde. “In Sweden, it was so much bigger but still really physical. Going from Lake Forest College to Sweden was a really big adjustment, but I don’t think the adjustment has been too big (for me) coming back here from Sweden.”

Following Buffalo’s first road trip of the season in New Jersey, we caught up with Budde for five questions in five minutes, and here’s how it went.

The Ice Garden: You didn’t play the first game of the series against the Rivs, but you played in game 2. Are you able to build yourself a scouting report of sorts while watching the game from the stands?

Amy Budde: Absolutely. The first thing you notice is how physical the game was, so I knew I had to be ready. They like to beat the crap out of you and be tough along the boards. So you just have to make sure that you’re ready for those battles. Or you can regroup and swing the puck back to your D instead of trying to force it up the wall. Those are the things I tried to do when I was out there today.

TIG: What can you tell us about the process this summer that led you to sign with the Beauts?

AB: (GM) Nate (Oliver) had emailed me, I was pretty much set on going back to Sweden, but he emailed me and asked if joining them was something I’d be interested in. I was able to line up some things nicely - like a job - so I was able to come home (after playing overseas for two seasons), which was really nice.

TIG: Any significance to you wearing the no. 3?

AB: I was no. 29 for my whole high school career and that was because it was the only number left and I made the varsity team when I was in seventh grade. In college, I wanted to wear no. 29 and they went around the room asking the freshman what numbers they wanted to wear. So I say 29, and my coach said that’s a goalie number - you’re no. 3. It’s been with me ever since!

TIG: Who are you living with in Buffalo?

AB: I’m living with Jenna Suokko, Lollo Berndtsson, and Missy Segal in a house in Locksport, NY. It’s nice to have them around often to share this experience with.

TIG: Did you know anyone on the Beauts prior to this season?

AB: Nope, not at all. But I’ve always kind of been like that - I didn’t know anyone before I went to college, or when I went to Sweden. I like it, you get to make new friends, new memories, a new experience or a fresh start.

TIG: What was it like playing overseas?

AB: It was incredible, really awesome. I got to live with a British teammate, so it was helpful to have that language familiarity. It was great in Stockholm where everyone speaks English and was so welcoming. The team was like a huge family, especially SDE - it's wonderful, owned by a husband and wife who are just the cutest old, retired couple. They want to give everyone the best experience, they cooked homemade meals for us for every game. Just an absolutely wonderful experience.

TIG: What do you like about the way the Beauts have played in the early part of this season?

AB: The best thing about the Beauts so far is our fight. No matter what the score is, no matter what is going on, everybody battles. Even in practice, when we play games the team that scores first usually isn’t the team that wins. We love to play from behind, maybe we can work on starting a little bit quicker in games, but we fight back so well. I think that’s a cool trait to have and it will suit us really well going forward.

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