| Birth Date: | 20 December 1993 |
| Birth Place: | Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 7 |
| Position: | Goaltender |
| Catches: | Left |
| League: | CWHL |
| Team: | Toronto Furies |
| Former Teams: |
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| Sex: | f |
| Career Start: | 2008 |
Amanda Makela (born December 20, 1993) is a women's ice hockey player. Having played at the NCAA level with the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey program, she was a member of the Buffalo Beauts during the 2015-16 NWHL season, the first in league history.
With the Thunder Bay Queens (2008–11), Makela captured the 2010 Esso Cup. In the championship game against Saskatchewan's Notre Dame Hounds, she made 30 saves in a 4-3 win.[1] One of her teammates on Thunder Bay was future 2016 CWHL Draft pick Kaitlyn Tougas.
On December 21, 2010, Makela was one of 14 players from Ontario named to Canada's U18 national women's team. [2] Making her debut with the U18 national team in a preliminary match against Switzerland on January 1, 2011, she would make 24 saves (including 11 in the first period) in a 9-1 victory.[3] Of note, future Beauts teammate Shelby Bram was also part of Canada's roster. Despite emerging from the 2011 U18 Women's Worlds with a silver medal, Makela was a statistical leader in two categories, including save percentage (.945) and goals against average (1.00).[4]
From 2011 through 2015, Makela played for the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey team. In her freshman season, Makela occupied a backup role to goaltender Hillary Pattenden. Makela appeared in only three games, making one start. In said start, Makela would record her first win with the Lakers, defeating the now defunct Niagara Purple Eagles. As a sophomore, she ranked 13th overall in the NCAA in goals against average. In the aftermath of her season, she surpassed Desi Clark's program record for most saves in one season, recording 781.[5]
During her senior season (2014–15) with the Mercyhurst Lakers, she was honored as the CHA Conference Goaltender of the Year. Standing between the pipes in 31 games, she finished the season with 20 wins, compared to eight losses and three ties. In addition, she would log a 1.44 goals against average and a .932 save percentage, respectively.
Signing with the NWHL's Buffalo Beauts as a free agent on August 11, 2015, Makela served in a backup capacity to goaltender Brianne McLaughlin during the club's inaugural season. Her salary for the 2015-16 Buffalo Beauts season was US$15,000. Of note, she was also selected by the Canadiennes de Montreal in the 2016 CWHL Draft.
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | Sv % | GAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12[6] | Mercyhurst Lakers | ECAC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 99:18 | .931 | 1.21 | |
| 2012–13 | Mercyhurst Lakers | ECAC | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 835:07 | .911 | 2.01 | |
| 2013–14 | Mercyhurst Lakers | ECAC | 35 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 2024:46 | .925 | 1.87 | |
| 2014–15 | Mercyhurst Lakers | ECAC | 31 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 1796:41 | .932 | 1.44 | |
| 2015–16 | Buffalo Beauts | NWHL | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 322:52 | .909 | 2.79 | |