Julia Gosling and Alex Carpenter scored power play goals, and Carpenter added another at even strength, as the PWHL Seattle Torrent overpowered the Ottawa Charge 4-1 Wednesday at Climate Pledge Arena. Hannah Murphy sparkled in the Seattle net with 24 saves for her second consecutive victory.
Dating back to the last time the Torrent played, a Dec. 3 victory over New York, Seattle scored on four consecutive extra-woman advantages (two in each game). Think the Torrent popularity was a fad? Tonight’s attendance, 9,389, is even larger than for the Sirens game.
The Torrent improve to 2-1-1. Seattle’s penalty kill remains stout, going 4-4. Hannah Bilka sealed the deal with an empty-net goal to go with her two assists. Carpenter also had a three-point night, assisting on Gosling’s goal.
Due to a scheduling quirk, Seattle was playing for the first time in two weeks, while Ottawa was playing – and traveling – on consecutive days.
1st Period
Good chances early for the Torrent from Jessie Eldridge and Gosling. Finnish Charge goalie Sanni Ahola, making her first career PWHL start, turns them both aside. The Charge are playing on back-to-back nights, having lost in Vancouver on Tuesday, so #1 netminder Gwyneth Philips is getting a breather.
Seattle has a debut as well: forward Lily Delianedis, a 3rd round pick out of Cornell.
Torrent defender Cayla Barnes with an impressive shift in the Ottawa zone. First, keeping the puck on a string away from Charge defenders, and later stealing the puck back and firing on goal.
Tic-tac-goal gives Seattle the lead on the power play in the final two seconds of the period. Carpenter enters the zone, sending a cross-ice pass to Bilka in the left circle. Bilka’s feed to the crease finds the backhand of Gosling’s blade, and she lifts it over the helpless Ahola.
Murphy was stellar in goal, stopping all 13 Charge shots. Many came while helping the Torrent kill two Ottawa power plays.
2nd Period
A pair of defensive gems stymie an early Ottawa 2-on-1. Murphy makes the initial save on Emily Clark. The goalie wouldn’t have been in position to stop the rebound, but she didn’t need to; defender Emily Brown blocks Fanuza Kadirova’s bid for an empty-netter.
Here’s something for all other PWHL teams to be afraid of: Alex Carpenter camping out on one edge of the crease, and Hilary Knight camping out at the other edge. When Mannon McMahon takes a tripping penalty, that’s Ottawa’s nightmare scenario. Bilka centers, Knight tips, and Carpenter finishes at 6:26.
Seattle defender Anna Wilgren, the recipient of two hard hits in the game herself, crushes Kadirova in open ice. Kadirova, writhing in pain, has to be aided by teammates back to the dressing room. At the time of her injury, Kadirova had been credited with five hits herself in 8:52 of ice time.
Carpenter makes it two goals in a five minute span, smashing home a Megan Carter centering pass. Carpenter’s 2nd and 3rd goals of the season probably didn’t travel a combined 10 feet.
Seattle had a better defensive period, outshooting Ottawa 8-5. They trail in shots after 40, 18-15.
3rd Period
Hannah Murphy shutout watch: With 13 minutes left, Kateลina Mrรกzovรก walks out front, but Barnes blocks her shot. When Barnes takes a holding penalty soon after, the Torrent PK disposes of it.
Hannah Murphy mask watch: her new lid includes an Easter egg.
Ottawa pulls its netminder for a sixth attacker, but Bilka increases the Torrent lead to 4-0 at 18:31. The Charge’s Rebecca Leslie finally breaks Murphy’s shutout with 37 seconds left.
Up Next
Two games remain on the Torrent’s five-game homestand. The Boston Fleet visit on Sunday, and the Montreal Victoire on Tuesday.