Seattle’s First PWHL Unity Game

December 21’s game between Seattle and Boston marked the Torrent’s first Indigenous Peoples Celebration game during which they joined with local organizations to celebrate Native culture and traditions.

“I’m so excited for the Torrent’s Indigenous Peoples Celebration Unity Game,” said Torrent forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis. “The PWHL’s recognition of the many identities that shape our league is meaningful to me as a member of the Métis Nation of New Brunswick. I’m excited to meet and connect with Indigenous communities on the West Coast who will be present on the 21st to share their stories, traditions and culture.” 

The game began with a welcome song from the Black River Canoe Family, and the National Anthem sung by Red Eagle Soaring member, Nicole Suyama. There was also a ceremonial puck drop by Rosalie Fish, Cowlitz Tribe member, and former University of Washington track athlete. During intermission youth members from Red Eagle Soaring performed a musical, and there was a Native art pop-up on the concourse throughout the game.

Top Power Play Team vs. Top Penalty Kill Team

It would be easy for fans to head to their cars early when their team is down 3-0 with mere minutes left in the game. Not in Seattle though. Not for the majority of the 11,023 attendees at a Sunday matinee game in the Emerald City. The loyal, loud, and engaged fans were rewarded with a late Seattle goal by Jessie Eldridge in the third giving them a chance to sing along to the Torrent goal song, Misery Business, if only that one time.

After Hannah Murphy started in net the prior two games, Corinne Schroeder got the start against a strong Boston team. The Fleet came out swinging from the jump and hit the back of the net first off a face-off at 4:44 into the game. This was Daniela Pejšová’s first PWHL goal and was assisted by Alina Müller.

Going into this game, the Torrent’s penalty kill had a success rate of 92.9%, but the Fleet’s penalty kill success rate was 100%. Penalty kills from both teams were challenged today, but it was the Torrent tested first at 11:39 in the first when Julia Gosling took a high sticking penalty. Seattle killed this one off and got their chance at the power play when Hadley Hartmetz was called for tripping at 16:06 in the first.

Despite coming into this game as the top power play in the league, a title they would relinquish to the Fleet at the conclusion of this game, the Torrent couldn’t convert during this first opportunity, or the next. Too many players was called on Boston at 18:37 in the first and Seattle just could not keep the puck in Boston’s zone. With five seconds left in the period, Riley Brengman gets the puck past Schroeder in a jail-break goal assisted by Jill Saunier, and Liz Schepers to double the Boston lead 2-0.

At the end of the first, the Torrent were down 2-0 and being outshot by the Fleet 15-7. The game also started to get chippy between the two teams perhaps because there are a quite a few former Fleet players now on the Torrent including Hannah Bilka, Emily Brown, Lexie Adzija, and Hilary Knight.

The second period saw much of the same with the Fleet outshooting the Torrent 16-9, but neither team was able to score. Schroeder continued to stand tall through the second making some huge saves and earning her own well-deserved “Schroeder” chants. Unfortunately, Jenna Buglioni went down in front of Boston’s bench and took some time to get helped off the ice. She seemed to be skating on her own, but did not return to the ice. After the game, Coach Steve O’Rourke stated that she would be reevaluated tomorrow (Monday). Danielle Sedachny took additional shifts in her stead.

Hilary Knight took an interference penalty at 12:19 in the third, which led to a power play goal at 12:44 by Megan Keller assisted by Alina Müller, and Susanna Tapani. It was the Torrent’s turn to spoil a shutout when Jessie Eldridge tipped one past Fleet goaltender, Abbey Levy, assisted by Aneta Tejralová, and Grant-Mentis. The final score was 3-1 in favor of Boston who had a season-high shot count of 38 to Seattle’s 27.

Post-Game Reflection

This was expected to be a tough game for the Torrent, but, as a goal in the final seconds proves, they never threw in the towel. Schroeder kept the team in the game stopping it from getting much further out of hand. In her first start for Boston, Levy had a stellar game and made it tough for Seattle to break through.

“Credit to them. They played a great game. They hemmed us in the D zone quite a bit and made it tough to get some chances,” said defender Emily Brown after the game. “I thought we did some good things as a team overall, but definitely some things to go back and work on.”

Coach O’Rourke credited Boston’s play style post-game. “Boston did a good job of putting us in some tough situations so when pucks don’t come through clean, sometimes you get on the wrong side and people don’t hit the brakes and get back on the right side. They swoop and swing and those are some of the elements that we’re still working on getting out of our game.”

Communication is also something the team is consistently working on. “That’s one of the biggest disappointments tonight is the lack of communication we had, and that’s something we’ve been really good the last two weeks with,” said O’Rourke. “It’s something we’ll emphasize again tomorrow, and emphasize it in our video session. There’s times we could have played way quicker if we just communicated out there.”

The fans of the Torrent continue to show up game after game. “11,000 fan a couple days before the holidays here is pretty incredible. We feel it on the ice, and it feeds us and just adds that little extra step out there,” said Brown.

The Torrent end their five-game homestand on Tuesday, December 23 against Montréal Victoire.