Above image: Hilary Knight, out of action with an injury suffered at the Olympics, waves to the sellout crowd during a 1st period stoppage at Friday’s Seattle Torrent-Toronto Scepters game.
Whenever the U.S. experiences hockey success on a world stage – like the twin gold medals won by the women’s and men’s teams earlier this month in Milan – hope springs anew among lovers of the sport. Would a ripple effect of fan interest be felt at sporting arenas around the country?
Friday night at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, the answer was a resounding, deafening, YES.
To welcome home the four U.S. Olympians on the hometown Seattle Torrent, every ticket in the 17,335-seat arena had been purchased. For a women’s hockey game. In the United States. Seattle reclaimed the U.S. attendance record for a women’s hockey game, surpassing by 108 spectators the Takeover Tour game crowd Jan. 18 in Washington, D.C. The sellout provided further confirmation, were any necessary, that Seattle was a worthy PWHL expansion city.
The black cloud around this gold lining of an evening was Torrent and Team USA captain Hilary Knight being placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). According to a team press release three hours before puck drop, “Knight sustained a lower-body injury while representing the United States and will be out of the Torrent lineup indefinitely.”
Hannah Bilka, whose four goals for Team USA tied for the Olympics high, was also ruled out of tonight’s game. “We feel the love. The turnout here is insane,” Bilka said in an intermission interview, “and I wish like hell I was out there.”
Oh Yeah, The Game
I guess the lesson is for fans not to head to the concession stands before the period actually ends. In both the 1st and 2nd periods, the Torrent erased one-goal Toronto Scepter leads with late goals. Aneta Tejralová and Natalie Snodgrass both scored for the first time in a Seattle uniform, to send the game to the 3rd tied 2-2.
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Emma Maltais finally gave Toronto a lead they wouldn’t relinquish early in the final frame. Toronto held on for a 5-2 victory, avenging Seattle’s 6-4 victory over the Sceptres at CPA last month.
1st Period
Seattle kept the contest scoreless until the 28-second mark, when Toronto Scepter Jessie Compher lifted a close-in shot over Torrent goalie Hanna Murphy. “We do things a little difficult at times,” Torrent coach Steve O’Rourke said with a grin during a stoppage TV interview.
Murphy recovered to stone Blayre Turnbull with a stick save on a semi-breakaway. Toronto hitting the post on a one-timer didn’t hurt the cause, either.
The two non-USA Torrent Olympians collaborated to draw the home side even. Julia Gosling (Team Canada) found Danielle Serdachny at the bottom of the left circle. Aneta Tejralová (Team Czechia) converted Serdachny’s cross-ice pass for her first of the season with 12 seconds left in the period.
2nd Period
Toronto retook the lead on a bad-angle goal by Renata Fast at 4:25. Such a bad angle in fact that Fast shot the puck from below the goal line. But it pinballed off Murphy, finding the smallest of windows behind her.
Both teams just missed grade-A chances during a Scepters power play. First, Alex Carpenter split Toronto defenders for a breakaway, but shot wide. Then the Scepters’ Kali Flanagan rang the post.
With three minutes left in the period, Seattle put on its best sustained pressure of the game – so sustained they were able to make line changes and keep the puck in the zone. Continuing to tilt the ice, Jessie Eldridge’s lead pass found a breaking Carpenter, forcing Scepters goalie Raygan Kirk to make a fine save. But Natalie Snodgrass potted the rebound for her first of the year, 1:12 before intermission.
3rd Period
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Seattle couldn’t break the tie on an early power play, despite three shots on goal.
When Torrent defender Anna Wilgren pinches at the offensive zone left point and doesn’t get the puck, Toronto heads the other way on a 2-on-1. Emma Maltais calls her own number, lifting the visitors to their third lead, 3-2 at 5:56.
Fast goes off for holding, but the Torrent can’t produce a third tying goal. After the penalty ends, Tejralová’s bid for a second goal is thwarted by Kirk’s diving save, her best of the game. In this period, Toronto would score the late-frame goals, two empty netters.
Up Next
The Torrent are next in action on Wednesday, Mar. 4 in Ottawa to face the Charge at 4 pm Seattle time.