Vancouver Goldeneyes vs Minnesota Frost
Natalie Buchbinder (#22) Minnesota Frost
Kelly Pannek (#12) Minnesota Frost
Mannon McMahon (#19) Vancouver Goldeneyes
Minnesota Frost 3-1 Vancouver Goldeneyes
The Vancouver Goldeneyes host two-time defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost at their fifth and final home game post Olympic. The Saturday matinee on this gorgeous spring day drew 10366 fans, with 6000 of them going home with a Jenn Gardiner bobblehead. In this feisty match, special teams were the difference makers. Minnesota capitalized on two power plays, while Vancouver were unable to convert all the player advantage chances.
As It Happens
Less than one minute in, the boos were raining down as Minnesota’s Britta Curl-Salemme touched the puck for the first time at the Pacific Coliseum. The boos persisted throughout the night every time Curl-Salemme had the puck, as she has a history of promoting transphobic and far right views. On the ice, it was a fast-paced game with Vancouver and Boston trading chances. Fresh from her first shutout of the season four days ago, Maddie Rooney continued her excellent form. In Vancouver’s end, Kristen Campbell’s early save on a bouncing puck had the “Soooooup” chant going for the home crowd. A slashing penalty to Michelle Karvinen gave Minnesota a power play at 12:08 of the first period. Natalie Buchbinder drew the first blood with a top-shelf snipe to score her first goal of the season.
Vancouver kept on applying the pressure on the power play to open the second period. In the dying moment of the player advantage, Hannah Miller fired a one-timer and Rooney came up with a pad save to deny the equalizer. The crowds were on their feet when the jumbotron showed Olive celebrated her 100th birthday watching women’s hockey. “I’ve waited ~100 years to see this” and “At 100, the only nurse I want to see is Sarah” are the most heart-warming signs of the day. Minnesota found their second with thirty seconds remaining in the second period. A Kelly Pannek shot took a deflection off Gabby Rosenthal in front and beat Campbell five-hole to give the Frost a 2-0 lead going back to the locker room.
The search for the first goal continued for Vancouver in the third period. Jenn Gardiner and Izzy Daniel came close to scoring on the power play, and yet Rooney stood her ground with back-to-back massive saves. At 8:49 of the third period, Vancouver finally found the answer to get past Maddie Rooney. Mannon McMahon brought the house down with a slick backhanded goal from today’s bobblehead star Jenn Gardiner. Energized by the McMahon goal, the crowd rallied behind the home team hoping for a late tying goal. With three minutes left in the game, the Goldeneyes pulled Campbell for a desperate final push. Britta Curl-Salemme played the heartbreaker as she won the race for the empty netter to secure the win.
In The End
With the 3-1 win over the Goldeneyes, the Frost extended their win streak to five games, sitting at the first place in the PWHL standings with 42 points in 21 games alongside the Boston Fleet. The Goldeneyes wrapped up their five-game homestand with a 1-0-2-2 record.
Up Next
The Goldeneyes will hit the road for the next five games, including a takeover tour at Edmonton against the Boston Fleet. They will return to the Pacific Coliseum to host the Seattle Torrent on April 14th with the Barbie belt bag giveaway. The Frost will face the Montréal Victoire at home for a crucial battle for the top of standings.
Vancouver: Tuesday, Mar. 24 at Boston at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Minnesota: Wednesday, Mar. 25 vs. Montréal at 7 p.m. CT
