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Sarah Nurse's cousin Darnell showers praise on PWHL
On the eve of the Stanley Cup Finals, Sarah Nurse's cousin and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse showered praise on his cousin for her outstanding season in the PWHL's inaugural campaign.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse is excited about making his first career appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. He is as thrilled for what Sarah Nurse accomplished in the Professional Women's Hockey League's inaugural season.
"I'm just so proud of her to not only be at the pinnacle of her sport, but be one of the best players in professional women's hockey," Darnell Nurse said of his cousin.
Sarah Nurse finished tied for second in the PWHL with 11 goals and 23 points in 24 games. Her 12 assists ranked in seventh.
"On top of that, she was very instrumental in the creation of the league. It kind of shows both sides of her, not only just as an athlete, but in the business world, in the way she can think outside the box."
Darnell Nurse said he followed the PWHL from afar during the season.
"I felt it was on TV all the time so that was great," Nurse said. "I was hoping they'd win it all, but they had a lot of success during the regular season."
Toronto finished atop the league with 47 points, but was upended in the semifinals by eventual Walter Cup Champion Minnesota in five games.
"To see the league and the well-deserved attention it was getting is great," he said. "I can't wait to see how the league continues to grow.
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Laila Edwards Earns MVP Honors
Laila Edwards earned MVP honors at the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship in her debut with Team USA's senior team.
UTICA, New York — Team USA's Laila Edwards joined an exclusive class following a memorable debut at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
Edwards earned Most Valuable Player honors at the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship, as well as a spot on the All-Star Team.
The 20-year-old tied for first in goals with six and fifth in points with eight. All of her goals came against Group A teams, Czechia, Finland and Canada.
Edwards became just the second player alongside the United States' Taylor Heise to earn MVP honors at both the U18 and senior Women's World Championships. Edwards also earned a spot on the Media All-Star Team.
Rounding out the media's selections were forwards Alex Carpenter and Czechia's Natalie Mylnkova; defenders Renata Fast of Canada and Caroline Harvey of the United States; and goaltender Sanni Ahola of Finland.
Carpenter and Fast also earned honors as the IIHF Directorate's top forward and defender, respectivelt. Germany's Sandra Abstreiter was recognized as the top goaltender.
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Canada Captures Gold With Overtime Win
Canada's Danielle Serdachny scored at 5:16 of overtime, delivering a gold-medal with a 6-5 win over the United States at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
UTICA, New York — Danielle Serdachny scored at 5:16 of overtime, delivering a gold medal for Canada with a 6-5 win over the United States at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
The Americans suffered a grave miscue 3:17 in the extra period when they were caught with too many players on the ice. Serdachny scored with two seconds remaining on the power play.
The forward unintentionally got in front of a shot by defender Erin Ambrose, but the puck fell to her left. With her back turned to goaltender Aerin Frankel, Serdachny backhanded the puck in for the game-winner.
"I'm going to have to watch it because it's kind of a blur," Serdachny said. "I think Ambrose took a shot. I was just trying to get in front. I think hit me in the thigh and then the rebound there was just there and I tapped it in, so, a pretty special one."
Sunday's contest marked the 10th time a gold-medal game, ninth between these teams, required extra time.
"It was surreal to be honest," Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin said. "My heart went through a lot during that game, but that's why you train. That's why you go through all these painful workouts where sometimes it doesn't go so well, but you stick to it."
Ella Shelton came up with a key save 3:20 left in the third when a loose puck trickled dangerously close to an open net before the defender swatted it away to preserve the tie.
Canada got on the board first at 6:32. Defender Erin Ambrose picked off a clearing pass by Caroline Harvey at the point and fired it back on net. It hit a stick in front and bounced over Aerin Frankel's shoulder.
But the Americans responded on a delayed penalty 1:40 later to square it. Laila Edwards collected a pass from Wisconsin Badgers teammate Kirsten Simms along the right boards, skated to the bottom of the circle and put a wrist shot in the top, near-side corner.
A little more than three minutes into the second period, Julia Gosling gave Canada the lead again with a wrist shot from the right faceoff dot.
"I had some speed and I had a clear shot," Gosling said. "I saw an opening and just ripped it."
Megan Keller tied it at two apiece halfway through the period. The defender took a cross-ice pass from Hannah Bilka at the top of the left faceoff circle. Her shot hit Ann-Renee Desbiens' right arm and bounced in.
The U.S. took its first lead of the game at 16:32. Kendall Coyne Schofield fed Alex Carpenter in the slot from behind the net. Carpenter, surrounded by Canadians, settled the puck and fired it past Desbiens.
But Marie-Philip Poulin evened the score again, striking with 68 seconds remaining in the middle stanza. After forcing a turnover at the blueline, Poulin skated to the left faceoff dot and, using Keller as a screen, beat Frankel blocker-side.
With Poulin in the box for an illegal hit on Britta Curl, Hilary Knight knocked in a power-play goal to give the United States a 4-3 lead. The advantage lasted all of 1:50 when Emily Clark's centering pass from below the left goal line hit Harvey in front and bounced past Frankel.
Canada regained the lead 93 seconds later when Poulin, untouched at the side of the United States net, whacked away at at least three rebounds before getting it over Frankel's left pad.
Harvey then made it 5-5 at 14:58 on a one-timer off a Lacey Eden pass from the left hashmarks.
"One moment a goal is going off your shin guard into the net, and the next moment our team is even with them," Harvey said. "All I was thinking is our team needs to get even right now. I was just trying to put my best effort forward. Whoever scored didn't matter. It wasn't enough today."
Desbiens and Frankel were hardly in the form they showcased during the teams' round-robin meeting which the U.S. won, 1-0, in overtime. Desbiens allowed five goals on 24 shots, while Frankel surrendered six on 30.
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Canada Sets Up Gold Medal Rematch Beating Czechia In Semis
Canada cruised through Czechia in the 2024 IIHF World Championship semifinals to set up yet another gold medal rematch between Canada and USA.
UTICA, New York — Canada is one step closer to exacting revenge for a heartbreaking defeat.
Emily Clark and Jocelyn Larocque had a goal and an assist apiece as the Canadians cruised to a 4-0 win over Czechia to advance to the gold-medal game at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
After having lost gold to the United States on home soil in Brampton, Ontario in 2023, the Canadians will aim to return the favor when the teams face one another in the championship game on Sunday at 7 p.m.
"If you can't get up for something like that, you've got to check your pulse," Clark said. "It's a game that you dream about as a kid. Every year you just work to get back in that position. So yeah, it's everything. It's exactly where we want to be."
Sunday marks the 22nd time the teams will face one another for gold. Canada has defeated the U.S. for the title in three out of four meetings south of the border.
Blayre Turnbull scored the only goal Canada needed and Laura Stacey had two assists.
Turnbull got Canada on the board at 4:32 of the first period by breaking past Czechia's defense finishing off a pass from Stacey in the slot.
"Joss (Larocque) did a really good job of moving it up to Stacey," Turnbull said. "Stacey has so much speed that she drew a defenseman over to her and I was pretty wide open in the middle. She hit me with a great pass."
Stacey then set up Larocque's goal which doubled Canada's lead. With 1:45 left in the opening period, Stacey carried the puck low and fed the puck through traffic to Larocque, who was crashing the net. The defender beat Czechia netminder Klara Peslarova low and inside the left post.
Canada built a 3-0 advantage 1:39 into the second period. Natalie Spooner forced a turnover in the left corner and Clark picked up the puck. Her first shot went off the skate of Czechia's Vendula Pribylova. She backhanded the rebound over Peslarova's right pad.
Sarah Fillier capped the scoring 4:40 into the third. The forward tipped a shot by defender Renata Fast which got between Peslarova's pads and trickled across the goal line.
The Canadians were dominant in puck possession, outshooting Czechia 47-9. The Czechs were held to just one shot in the first period and three in the third.
"I think we played the game that we wanted to play, we dictated the play and I think we stuck to our little details in our game plan that we want to bring tomorrow," Stacey said. "Everybody's pretty happy with the result tonight, but more importantly we're looking forward to a big game tomorrow."
Ann-Renee Desbiens registered her second shutout of the event.
The victory is Desbiens' 19th in the Women's World Championship, moving her into a tie for second all-time alongside countrywoman Kim St. Pierre and Sara Grahn of Sweden. She trails only Switzerland's Florence Schelling, who has 21.
Czechia will play for its third straight bronze medal when it faces Finland on Sunday at 3 p.m.
"We're maturing in our game," Czechia Coach Carla MacLeod said. "We're learning how to be accepted at this level. We belong here. We're learning to belong, and that's a process. But we're a good hockey team.
"There was some animosity out there, and I take that as a compliment to Czechia," MacLeod added. "If the Canadians and Americans are getting frustrated playing against us, we're doing something right, and it's just continuing down that path now."
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Edwards Steals The Show As USA Prepares To Defend For Gold
Laila Edwards scored a hat trick setting up a chance for USA to defend their gold medal on home ice at the IIHF World Championships ousting Finland in the semifinals to advance to the gold medal game.
UTICA, New York — Another game, another historic moment for Laila Edwards.
And her sights are set on one more.
The 20-year-old recorded a hat trick as the United States advanced to the gold-medal game of the IIHF Women's World Championship with a 5-0 win over Finland.
"It would mean everything, especially on home soil," Edwards said. "That would be incredible."
Edwards scored her first of the night on the power play at 13:14 of the second period. She collected a pass from Tessa Janecke at the bottom of the left circle and wristed inside the near-side post.
Her second 2 1/2 minutes into the third period came a little easier — a tap-in in front of an open net — following a spectacular between-the-legs move by Taylor Heise.
"I saw defense come at me and I kind of put it through my legs," Heise said. "It's something I practice enough to know that it'll work. I knew that if I hit the net someone was going to be crashing and she was right there to clean it up."
"The second goal was a beautiful pass by (Kirsten) Simms and Heise, just excellent puckwork and movement," Edwards said. "I was literally yelling at (Heise) behind her — 'wow, Taylor, keep going!' It was kind of funny. I just happened to get the rebound."
Edwards completed the feat at 6:24 of the third period, one-timing a Heise drop pass from the slot.
The 2022 Women's World U18 Championship MVP, Edwards made history earlier in the tournament as the first Black player to suit up and later score a goal for Team USA at a World Championship.
The United States will play in the championship for the 23rd time in as many tries. The Americans have won just once in four attempts on home soil. Team USA won gold in 2017 in Plymouth, Michigan.
Aerin Frankel finished with 13 saves for her fourth shutout of the tournament. Janecke, Heise and Simms had two assists apiece.
Hannah Bilka provided the only goal the U.S. needed midway through the first period. Ahola stopped Abbey Murphy's initial shot from the left side, but kicked the rebound into the slot. Bilka banked the puck into the net off defender Nelli Laitinen.
The Americans briefly lost veteran Kendall Coyne Schofield halfway into the game. The forward was pulled down by Finnish defender Siiri Yrjola while driving to the net. Coyne crashed into the end boards and appeared to injure her right shoulder. She left for treatment before returning with just under five minutes to go in the second period.
"You know when she goes off the ice that it hurt," Heise said of Coyne Schofield. "She came back to the bench, calm, cool and collected and goes out and rips through the rest of the game."
Despite being outshot 42-8 in the first two periods, the Finns kept the Americans to just two goals in that stretch.
"I think we played really good in the first and second," Finland captain Jenni Hiirikoski said. "We also had our own chances, but we need to use them against the U.S. They came really hard in the third one."
Ahola finished with 50 saves for Finland.
"I try to treat every game the same," Ahola said. "I love games where I get many shots. It keeps me on my toes. I don't get bored, so I kind of love that."
Finland will play for bronze for the first time since 2021 on Sunday. Since then, the Finns had dropped to Group B before earning promotion to Group A last year.
"We have been couple years out of these games, so it has been really, really nice to get the chance to meet (the U.S.) again," Hiirikoski said. "We have also a lot of young players and so we really need these battles."
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USA Scores A Perfect 10 Against Japan To Advance
USA cruised through the World Championship quarterfinals with their veterans opening the scoring, handing off to the youth in a lopsided win over Japan.
UTICA, New York — After Team USA's veterans set the tone, its youth took over.
Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight had four points apiece and Abbey Murphy contributed three as the United States romped in a 10-0 quarterfinal win over Japan on Thursday at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
Carpenter had two goals and two assists, while Knight chipped in a goal and set up three more for the Americans, who will face Finland in the semifinal on Saturday.
"They're truly such good leaders on and off the ice," Murphy said of the Americans' top line of Carpenter, Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield. "They set the pace, they set the limits. It truly is so fun to play with those three and just watch them grind and do things that just no one else can. It's cool for us younger kids to just learn from them and be inspired."
After the Americans took a commanding 3-0 lead on goals by Lacey Eden, Knight and Carpenter by the 12-minute mark of the first period, the U.S. leaned on its youth.
Minnesota's Murphy scored twice in the second period. Wisconsin's Kirsten Simms and Caroline Harvey, Ohio State's Joy Dunne and Penn State's Tessa Janecke also scored.
Of Team USA's eight goal scorers, six played in the NCAA this season and will return to play collegiate hockey in the fall.
"We have a lot of pressure on us, so I think every time we do get on the scoresheet, it's just fun," Murphy said of Team USA's younger players. "We're just trying to do anything we can in any way, whether it's a assist or a goal."
"There's a number of them, so they're learning on the job," United States Coach John Wroblewski said. "Credit to our veterans again. They showed up to play like they should and scored some big goals and some beautiful goals, too."
Aerin Frankel finished with 14 saves for her third shutout of the tournament.
Eden opened the scoring at 3:59 of the first period, banking a backhand from along the right goal line between goalie Riko Kawaguchi's pads.
Knight doubled the score a little more than 4 1/2 minutes later, crashing the net and burying a Carpenter pass from behind the goal line. Carpenter then took advantage of a centering pass by Coyne Schofield which hit the skate of Japanese defender in the low slot and scored bar down at 11:51.
The Americans' built a 6-0 lead on goals by Simms, Murphy and Dunne in the opening eight minutes of the second period, chasing Kawaguchi from the net. The Japanese netminder finished with 27 saves. She was replaced by Miyuu Masuhara, who made 11 saves over the final 32 minutes.
Japan's best chance came halfway through the contest. After defender Megan Keller failed to navigate around a broken stick in the high slot, Haruka Toko jumped on the loose puck and skated in on a partial breakaway. Frankel denied the Japanese forward with a pair of right pad saves on the initial shot and rebound.
"They're amazing team, we have a lot to learn from them," Akane Hosoyamada said. "Throughout this experience, we know we've got to build off of that and come back stronger next year."
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Czechia Edges Germany For Another Shot At A Medal
Czechia's Daniela Pejsova broke a 0-0 tie late in the third period to lift Czechia to a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Germany in the IIHF World Championship quarterfinals.
UTICA, New York — Daniela Pejsova and captain Aneta Tejralova had been plotting from the start of the game, but it took two periods to execute their plan.
Pejsova scored late in the third period as Czechia defeated Germany, 1-0, to advance to the semifinals at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
The defender broke the scoreless tie at 12:54 of the third. Pejsova one-timed a pass along the blueline from Tejralova, putting it past German netminder Sandra Abstreiter and into the top, right corner.
"Me and Aneta, we were talking that we should make a D-to-D pass on the blue line," Pejsova said. "It didn't really go well during the game, but then in a turn, it was a great play from the corner, from (Michaela Pejzlova) then I just closed my eyes and shot it."
Klara Peslarova finished with 16 saves for the Czechs, who advance to their third straight semifinal. Czechia finished with bronze the past two years.
"I think I saw most of the shots. They didn't have a lot, but a lot from the slot," Peslarova said. "There was the time where they had puck movement, (but) there was the time when I had nothing to do. I needed to be focused and everything. I would say that Germany played really well."
Abstreiter finished with 23 saves in the loss.
Although the Germans recorded 16 shots, very few tested Peslarova. A handful came from the slot, but Germany never generated high-danger opportunities or close-range chances at rebounds.
But they stifled Czechia's offense, limiting opportunities to the perimeter.
"The way our team moved everyone out of the way was good," Abstreiter said. "One of their big things this year was that they were shooting through screens and trying to tip puck. That was the big thing, to get them to the outside and I think we did a really good job with that."
The Germans finished 0-for-2 on the power play, including the final 2:55 after Czechia's Denisa Krizova received a major and game misconduct for checking from behind. Germany was unable to convert on the advantage, in addition to having an extra attacker with Abstreiter pulled.
"It was a gutsy finish, too, with the penalty kills," Czechia coach Carla MacLeod said. "Germany has come out of the B-pool with a lot of confidence and they played great against us tonight."
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Simms Scores In Overtime To Give United States 1-0 Win Over Canada To Claim Group A
Kirsten Simms scored with 1:22 left in overtime as the United States defeated Canada, 1-0, to capture Group A at the conclusion of round-robin play at the Women's World Championship.
UTICA, New York — Kirsten Simms has scored big goals in her young career, but Monday's overtime winner against Canada rocketed to the top of her list.
The 19-year-old struck with 1:22 left in the extra period, giving the United States a rare, 1-0 win over the Canadians at the IIHF Women's World Championship. The victory gives the Americans sole possession of first place in Group A at the conclusion of round-robin competition.
After Canada's Brianne Jenner fell in the corner of the offensive zone, the Americans rushed up ice on a 3-on-1. Defender Caroline Harvey carried into the left circle and passed back to Simms in the slot. The forward wristed the puck through an unintended screen by Marie-Philip Poulin and between goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens' pads.
"I'll take any goal, and this one's just a little bit extra special," Simms said. "I was actually thinking pass because I like to, but the shot was there, so I just took it. I didn't really mean to put it on the ice, but I saw the shot was open, so I know there was a chance of it going in or coming out as a rebound."
Simms, who made her senior team debut this season, scored the game-winner in the Wisconsin Badgers' national championship win over Ohio State in 2023. A finalist for the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Award, she also delivered a goal against the Canadians in the teams' Rivalry Series in December.
"It's the fastest game I've ever played, the most physical game I've ever played, but super fun hockey at the end of the day." Simms said.
"She's a true hockey player and she loves the game," Team USA captain Hilary Knight said of Simms. "She lives, eats, breathes the game."
Aerin Frankel finished with 26 saves for the shutout before a sellout crowd of 4,017. The mark set an ice hockey attendance record for the Adirondack Bank Center.
"You just have to be sharp," Frankel said. "You can't really take any shots off because in a 0-0 game every shot matters. We were ultimately able to get one at the end.
"We're so excited to be here playing in front of our own fans. There's just so much support that we can feel since day one of being in Utica. Tonight, maybe we won over some more of those fans and they're going to be excited for us to go into the medal rounds. That's what we want, right? We do it for all the fans, as well as our country and the young ones who are going to come after us."
Desbiens was equally spectacular in stopping 29 shots.
Canada's Renata Fast set the tone for a physical game seconds into the contest. On the first American rush into the zone, the defender checked forward Kendall Coyne Schofield in the corner.
The teams ultimately combined for three illegal hits and a roughing penalty in the contest. But, for the most part, referees held back in calling penalties for physicality.
"It was classic Canada-U.S. in a way that was physical and it was really nice the refs let us play 5-on-5 for the three periods," Desbiens said. "Obviously it's the two best teams in the world, so you want to see that."
The U.S. dominated puck possession in the first period and outshot Canada, 12-6.
The Canadians responded in the following period and came up with their best chances to get on the board. Frankel, however, came up with a glove save on Sarah Nurse from the right circle with 5 1/2 minutes left in the period. A little more than 45 seconds later, Blayre Turnbull fired a shot off the crossbar.
The U.S. regained momentum in the third before outshooting Canada 7-0 in overtime.
"I could sense that we were getting a lot of chances and it was kind of a matter of time before we were going to find back the net," Frankel said. "Credit to their goalie who played really well, but I'm glad that Simmsy was able to finish that one for us."
The rivals have skated in a 1-0 contest at the Women's World Championship just twice — in 2016 and 2005 — both victories for the United States in the gold-medal game.
Monday marked the 35th meeting between the teams at the World Championship, with the U.S. now leading all-time, 18-17. All but one has ended with these teams facing one another for gold, so it is likely the record will see yet another adjustment before the end of the tournament.
Before a potential collision course is set, however, they must await the conclusion of Group B play on Tuesday to know their respective quarterfinals opponents.
"I don't think we're overly stressed about it to be honest," Canada coach Troy Ryan said. "I think it was a really good hockey game to end a round-round series. I think you come into the game obviously trying to win, but you're trying to learn as much as you can about the opposition to continue to get better."
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Coyne Schofield Scores Twice As USA Escapes Finnish Challenge
Kendall Coyne Schofield scored twice as the USA escaped an early scare from Finland to remain undefeated at the 2024 IIHF World Championships on home soil.
UTICA, New York -- Kendall Coyne Schofield may not wear the 'C' for the United States these days, but it has not stopped her from leading her team through adversity.
Coyne Schofield scored twice, including the eventual game winner, as the United States escaped with a 5-3 win over Finland at the IIHF Women's World Championship on Saturday.
"They're phenomenal, there's no doubt about that," Coyne Schofield said of Finland. "They're skilled. They play with pace. They always have ever since I put on this jersey."
Coyne Schofield gave the Americans a 4-2 lead at 11:40 of the second period. The forward's shot from the right circle hit Finnish defender Jenni Hiirikoski's skate and slid between goalie Anni Keisala's pads.
The Finns pulled within a goal in the final minute of the period when Sofianna Sundelin got behind the U.S. defense and put a backhand over an outstretched Aerin Frankel.
But Coyne Schofield re-built the Americans' two-goal cushion 15 seconds into the third period. After Hilary Knight hit the left post trying to stuff the puck past Keisala, Alex Carpenter fed the puck across to Coyne Schofield at the right side where she tapped it in.
"Playing with those two, Carpy and Hil, they're always in the right place at the right time," Coyne Schofield said. "I just put my stick down, go to work and do what I can and compliment them."
She nearly completed a hat trick with 37 seconds remaining in regulation, but shot just wide of an empty net.
Coyne Schofield served as Team USA's captain from 2019 through 2022. Knight took over the role at 2023 World Championship while Coyne Schofield was pregnant with her son, Drew.
"She's the best in the world, in my opinion," said U.S. and PWHL Minnesota teammate Taylor Heise. "To come back (after giving birth) and be even better, be on the top of her game, I can't speak more about her."
Heise and Abbey Murphy finished with a goal and an assist apiece for the Americans, who improved to 3-0 in Group A competition.
Heise put the U.S. ahead for good 7:42 into the period. After serving a penalty for hooking, she hopped out of the box and took a pass from Murphy along the boards. The forward skated into the left circle and rifled a shot inside the far post.
"I was not happy about that call," Heise said. "Murph, she's got eyes in the back of her head. She saw me come out of the box and I know you've got to get feet out of the box, stick on the ground, before you can catch the puck. (Hannah) Bilka made beeline to the backside of the net, took the defense away and I had a good look."
Elisa Holopainen scored two power play goals in the first period for the Finns, who dropped to 0-3 in round-robin play.
Holopainen opened the scoring 6:54 into the game. The forward carried the puck to the left faceoff dot and fired a wrist shot to the top, far corner over Frankel's glove.
Team USA's Murphy squared it 64 seconds later. After Bilka was unable to knock the puck past Keisala from the front of the crease, Murphy knocked in the rebound from the left side.
Knight gave the Americans a 2-1 lead with 1:44 remaining in the opening period when her shot from the left circle tipped off a stick in front and over Keisala's left shoulder.
But Holopainen struck again with 25 seconds to go in the period. The 22-year-old weaved through traffic and, using Viivi Vainikka as a screen in front, put a wrist shot in the top, right corner from the slot.
Entering the contest, the Finns had been outscored 8-1 in games versus Canada and Czechia. But their strategy to shoot high on the 5-foot-2 Frankel helped them regain a scoring touch.
"We were ready for this game," Finland head coach Jusso Toivola said. "We had some key moments, but unfortunately they were stronger today. I'm happy we scored."
Keisala finished with 40 saves, including 16 in the final period.
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Edwards' Historic Night, Carpenter's Hat Trick Lead USA To Commanding Win
Alex Carpenter scored a hat trick and Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to score for USA at the World Championships, leading USA to a commanding 6-0 win over Czechia.
UTICA, NY — Before Friday's contest against Czechia, Laila Edwards tossed pucks into the crowd for fans after finishing her warmup.
She did not have one for her mother, Charone, as she came off the ice. But Edwards delivered a historic one to her after the game.
Edwards became the first Black woman to score for the United States in a 6-0 win against the Czechs during round-robin play at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
"It's in my stall and I'll give it to her," Edwards said.
The 20-year-old's noted moment came at 17:28 of the second period which gave the United States a 3-0 lead. Edwards collected a pass from Wisconsin Badgers teammate Britta Curl, carried the puck to the right circle and put a wrist shot over the glove of Czechia's Klara Peslarova.
"I was thinking about passing to Curl, but then I realized she was a little covered," Edwards said. "I saw that high glove side. The goalie did have a great glove, but luckily I was able to find a corner and sneak it past her."
Edwards struck again with a shorthanded tally at 3:42 of the second period to give the U.S. a four-goal cushion. After taking a pass from Kendall Coyne Schofield, Edwards skated in on a partial breakaway and beat Peslarova glove-side again.
"I was just coming in with a lot of speed," Edwards said. "It was just me and her and I kind of just rifled it low glove. She still had a great glove that game and her head should be held high."
"I have smile ear to ear, so pumped for her," Coyne Schofield said. "Two incredible goals. She's just an incredible person. She just gave us so much energy when she scored both times, the uproar, the excitement. This is the beginning of such a bright career in this jersey for Layla."
Edwards has made history throughout the season, suiting up as the first Black woman for Team USA during its Rivalry Series with Canada and now as a member of the Americans' World Championship roster.
"I think scoring will hopefully help the case with more inspiration for young girls and even more specifically young girls of color," Edwards said. "To see me at this level is great, but to see me also be successful at this level, I think, is even more important -- you know you can get there, but you can also make an impact when you get there."
Alex Carpenter recorded a hat trick with a strong net-front presence and Nicole Hensley finished with 19 saves for the Americans.
Carpenter opened the scoring 6:49 into the first period. While pinned against the end boards, Coyne Schofield slid a pass to the front of the crease. Carpenter was denied by on her first shot, but collected the rebound, shifted to her backhand and slid it past Peslarova.
The PWHL New York forward struck again at 16:29 of the second period. Defender Caroline Harvey's shot from the high slot bounced off the end boards to Carpenter at the left side of the net where she redirected it.
"After the last game we played, you can definitely see the boards are pretty lively," Carpenter said. "I was just trying to get close as I could to that post."
She completed the hat trick at 10:24 of the third period by tipping a shot by captain Hilary Knight.
Taylor Heise also scored for the U.S., which improved to 2-0. The center faked a shot in the left circle before using defender Aneta Tejralova as a screen to make it 5-0 at 5:03 of the third.
Czechia finished 0-for-7 on the power play. The Czechs were unable to convert on a 43-second 5-on-3 at the start of the second period and, later, a major penalty to Kirsten Simms, which came with a little more than 3 minutes remaining in regulation.
"I'm really proud of this group, how they handled that adversity with those penalties," Carpenter said. "Obviously, there's nothing we can do about that, but I think the way we handled it was really good."
Peslarova finished with 42 saves for Czechia, which fell to 1-1.
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Sweden cruises in win over China
The Tre Kronor dominated in the first period en route to an 8-1 victory over China.
UTICA, New York -- Hilda Svensson scored twice and added an assist as Sweden made quick work of China in an 8-1 victory at the IIHF Women's World Championship on Friday.
Svensson put Sweden on the board 6:38 into the opening period with a wrist shot from the slot and beat Jiahui Zhan glove side. She doubled the lead 79 seconds later on the power play with a shot from the left faceoff dot.
"I was trying to shoot over the pads (on the first goal)," Svensson said."The other (goal), she had a lot of open net, so I just tried to shoot there."
Lina Ljungblom made it 3-0 at 12:33 of the first, collecting a bounce off the end boards and potting it from the left edge of the crease. Felizia Wikner Zienkiewicz extended the lead further with 2:14 left to play in the period.
The Swedes finished the first period with a 20-0 advantage in shots and ultimately outshot the Chinese, 56-6.
"I think it was important to score so early," Svensson said. "I think we came into the game good and we felt like we had a lot of energy."
Defender Paula Bergstrom finished with three assists. Ljungblom and Sofie Lundin recorded a goal and an assist apiece for Sweden, which improved to 2-0 in Group B.
The Tre Kronor put the game far out of reach with goals by Lundin and Josefin Bouveng in the first 66 seconds of the middle period before China registered its first shot on net at 1:48. Less than a minute later, Hanna Olsson made it 8-0.
China finally got on the board when Minghui Kong collected a pass at the blueline behind the Swedish defense and scored on a breakaway against netminder Ida Boman.
Zhan, who turned 18 on Thursday, finished with 16 saves in 20 minutes of play. She was replaced by Yuqing Wang, who made 32 saves across the final two periods.
"The level of play is really different between our team and then the other team," Zhan said. "My goal is to make the first (save) and then seek the second one. If I save the second one, find the third one and then just keep it going, keep it rolling. It is having that mentality of never giving up is what I think a good goalie should have."
China dropped to 0-1-0-1.
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Ohio State Wins National Title As Dunne Scores Winner, Kirk Shuts The Door
Joy Dunne sent Ohio State's graduating players home with a national title, scoring a third period goal to lift Ohio State to an NCAA women's hockey national championship win.
DURHAM, New Hampshire -- Rookie of the Year Joy Dunne gave several of her veteran teammates a going away present.
Dunne broke a deadlock 12:48 into the third period, lifting Ohio State to its second NCAA title in three years with a 1-0 win over defending champion Wisconsin, before a crowd of 4,378.
"This team is so much of a family," Dunne said. "I scored the goal, but there was so much in that game. Blocks, great saves. It took a team. It took a village. It took behind the scenes work. It took our Monday practices. It took everything."
After Cayla Barnes stripped the puck from Wisconsin's Britta Curl who was on the verge of a breakaway, the defender carried it up ice and found Hannah Bilka in the right circle. Bilka left a drop pass for Dunne, who rifled it into the far, top corner past goalie Ava McNaughton.
"I'd been working on that shot forever," Dunne said. "Great linemates set me up to take a great shot."
"She's tough to get by," Curl said of Barnes. "They're a quick turnover team and transition well. It just sucks."
The Buckeyes, the top-ranked team for most of the season, iced a team with eight fifth-year graduate students and seven seniors. Among them were Barnes and Bilka, who transfered to Ohio State for their extra "COVID" year after four years at Boston College.
Buckeyes goalie Raygan Kirk made 27 saves for a shutout in the final start of her collegiate career.
"I was having the time of my life out there," Kirk said.
"Kerkie, to get a shutout against one of the best teams in the country at a key moment in her career, just very proud of her," Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall said. "Then you have a freshman just lighting the lamp again and just unbelievable assists by two kids who transferred in, who never won a national championship that really wanted to come to have that opportunity.
"I just feel like I'm at the Oscars, I have to thank everybody."
After an evenly played first period, the teams' offenses began to open up. Wisconsin had two opportunities in the final three minutes of the middle stanza to get on the board.
At 17:40 of the period, Kirsten Simms took advantage of a misplayed puck by Jocelyn Amos behind the net, but Kirk denied the Patty Kazmaier Award finalist.
Just 30 seconds later, fellow Kazmaier finalist Casey O'Brien broke free of the Buckeyes defense on a partial breakaway. Kirk again came up with a pad save to preserve the 0-0 tie.
"I practiced breakways yesterday," Kirk said. "You know it's going to happen. It's just the repetition and being confident in your selection of a save and your read. They're a very skilled team. It can be a momentum change in that game. It could have been a lot different."
The Badgers' best chance in the third came a little more than six minutes in when Laney Potter passed to Lacey Eden at the right side of the net but was unable to connect.
"That's just championship hockey," Curl said. "They blocked shots. They had good sticks. It was tough to make the plays that we so often do."
Ohio State played down a defender for a little more than half the game when Harley Hartmetz left with an injury to her right knee. The graduate student's leg buckled when she got tangled with Curl behind the Ohio State net. That led to the Buckeyes leaning on Barnes even more down the stretch.
"To have the five (defenders) play that intense of a game and intense moment, that's who you want to have the puck on their stick, somebody like Barnes," Muzerall said. "She has such a high IQ and a great vision of the ice and she knows to move it fast and be simple with the plays."
The victory gives Ohio State its second title in school history. The Buckeyes last won in 2022. It also gave the program its 35th win, extending the school record set during its semifinal win over Clarkson on Friday.
Last season, the teams battled in the title game -- also a 1-0 outcome, but in Wisconsin's favor.
"We didn't play in that game last year, but we felt that chip," Dunne said. "We felt that hunger for it because our leadership was so good. Returners and transfers, everyone brought that.
"I just think winning this national championship, we felt that hunger for them, because we wanted it, too. We wanted our seniors and the girls that are done with college to win this national championship for them, with them and everything."
Wisconsin, meanwhile, will return a team of elite underclassmen, including junior Eden, sophomores Simms, Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey and freshmen Cassie Hall, Ava Murphy and Laney Potter.
"I know I'm going to walk out proud of this group," said Curl, a senior. "I told the girls, I'd choose to be in that locker room every time."
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Izzy Daniel on Winning Patty Kazmaier: “I think I blacked out”
Izzy Daniel could not believe it when her name was called as the 2024 Patty Kazmaier winner becoming the first Cornell player in history to win the award.
DURHAM, New Hampshire -- Despite the heavy lifting she did in her senior season, Izzy Daniel was surprised by the weight of picking up yet another accolade.
Daniel captured the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to theNCAA's top women's ice hockey player, on Saturday.As she posed for photographs after accepting the award, the Cornell captain joked she "wasn't prepared" to be lifting the 20-plus pound trophy.
"I think I blacked out to be honest," Daniel said. "It's a tremendous honor to hear my name called and have it associated with Patty Kazmaier and her legacy, her family and USA Hockey. It's just a surreal experience.”
Leading up to the event, the native of Minneapolis, Minnesota swept her conference's awards, earning ECAC Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and a unanimous selection to the conference's first all-star team.
She posted 59 points (21 goals and 38 assists) in 34 games with the Big Red. Her 1.09 assists per game ranked second in the nation, whileher 1.72 points per game ranked third. She appeared in seven fewer games than fellow finalists Kirsten Simms and senior Casey O’Brien from Wisconsin.
A two-way workhorse forward, Daniel not only led Cornell in scoring, she accounted for 25 more points than any of her teammates. She also factored in 10 game winners for the Big Red, including two goals and eight assists.
Off the ice, she volunteered for the “Do It For Daron” campaign promoting mental health, “Feed My Starving Children” organization and participated in the Salvation Army’s Adopt a Family efforts.With Daniel’s NCAA eligibility exhausted, she will attend Team USA’s selection camp in late March to battle for a spot on the 2024 team.
The winger also plans to declare for the PWHL draft in the near future and is expected to be among the top selections. Among the plaques which honor Cornell's hockey history at Lynah Rink, there is one image where Daniel stands out -- for unfortunate reasons. The 2020-21 team is dressed in full uniform, masked and spread out in the neutral zone. In what would have been her sophomore season, Daniel is in the second row, second from the right.
Unlike many other players of her era who took advantage of an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, Daniel finishes her collegiate career with the standard four. Cornell opted out of the 2020-21 season. Daniel could have transferred to further her on-ice development, but chose to remain in Ithaca.
“I love Cornell," Daniel said. "I love my coaching staff, my teammates. I love the program and I didn't want to play anywhere else.
So I took that year off and decided to just do my four years at Cornell. I'm really happy with my decision. I love Cornell so much. They've done so much for me, that program and it is really such a special place to play."
As the first Big Red player to win the Kazmaier Award, she is now guaranteed to have an even larger, everlasting presence at Lynah Rink.
“There have been so many amazing players that played at Cornell. To be the first one to win it, I'm really proud of that. It's a privilege and such an honor and I hope there are many more to come."
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Cornell's Izzy Daniel Wins 2024 Patty Kazmaier Award
Cornell's Izzy Daniel became the first player in school history to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as the NCAA's top player.
DURHAM, New Hampshire — Cornell’s Izzy Daniel won the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the nation’s top women’s ice hockey player.
Daniel, who earned ECAC Player of the Year and Forward of the Year honors, posted 59 points (21 goals and 38 assists) in 34 games of her senior season with the Big Red. Her 1.09 assists per game ranked second in the nation, while her 1.72 points per game ranked third.
A two-way workhorse forward, Daniel not only led Cornell in scoring, she accounted for 25 more points than any of her teammates. She also factored in 10 game-winners, including two goals and assists on eight. Daniel is the first Cornell player to win the award.
Off the ice, the Minnesota native volunteered for the “Do It For Daron” campaign promoting mental health, “Feed My Starving Children” organization and participated in the Salvation Army’s Adopt a Family efforts.
With Daniel’s eligibility exhausted, she will attend Team USA’s selection camp in late March to battle for a spot on the 2024 team. The winger is expected to be a top selection in the upcoming PWHL draft.
The other 2024 finalists included sophomore Kirsten Simms and senior Casey O’Brien from Wisconsin.
More to come.
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Wisconsin Melts Colgate In Frozen Four, One Win From Repeat
Jungels, Simms, and Edwards scored for Wisconsin, melting Colgate in the NCAA women's hockey Frozen Four to advance to the national final game against Ohio State.
DURHAM, New Hampshire -- The night before two of Wisconsin's top players are due to stand in the spotlight, Vivian Jungels, Ava McNaughton and the Badgers penalty killers stole a bit of it for themselves.Jungels delivered the eventual game-winner and McNaughton finished with 22 saves as defending the NCAA champion Badgers punched their return ticket to the final with a 3-1 win over Colgate Friday night.The Badgers protected a 1-0 lead behind the freshman goaltender's steady play, before Jungels chipped in an insurance goal at 11:29 of the third period. Senior Britta Curl sent a cross-ice pass to Jungels, who fired a wrist shot past Raiders goaltender Kayle Osborne from the left circle."Britta Curl passed it to me, it was an amazing look by her," Jungels said. "That usually isn't my role on the team, but I think being a team player and just accept your role and push that out to the best of your ability."
While skating with the extra attacker, Colgate's Kristyna Kaltounkova struck from the right edge of the crease with 2:10 to play. But Laila Edwards chipped in an empty net goal with 12 seconds remaining, giving the Badgers an opportunity to battle for their record eighth title.McNaughton stopped 14 of 15 shots in the third period, including Raiders sophomore Elyssa Biederman on a breakaway at 3:33."I think (defender Caroline Harvey) was probably the happiest person on the ice when the glove came up and the puck was in it," Badgers coach Mark Johnson said. "We needed (McNaughton), especially at the start of the third period, where she made a couple saves some of the turnovers that we made."The Wisconsin victory sets up a rematch of conference rivals, who squared off in the 2023 NCAA title game, as well as this season's WCHA Championship. The Badgers won both, 1-0 and 6-1, respectively. The top-ranked Buckeyes defeated Clarkson, 4-1, Friday afternoon to advance.Kirsten Simms finished with a goal and and Casey O'Brien collected two assists. The two, along with Cornell's Izzy Daniel, will be recognized at a ceremony Saturday for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which recognizes the top women's college player. The winner will be announced at 12:30 p.m.
But while Simms' and O'Brien's prolific offenses have keyed Wisconsin through the season, the Badgers penalty killing unit made the difference Friday. It went 5-for-5, which included a two-minute 3-on-5. Wisconsin also had to contend with an 84 second delayed penalty while Colgate skated with an extra attacker.Midway through the second period, the Badgers withstood nearly 3 1/2 minutes at a disadvantage.Colgate milked a delayed call for hooking on Wisconsin's Maddi Wheeler. During the stretch, Cassie Hall took a penalty for tripping. When the Badgers finally touched the puck, they found themselves down two players.The Raiders ended up with 10 shot attempts during the stretch, but only three which made it to McNaughton. Colgate's best chance came from Kaltounkova at the edge of the crease, but her shot hit the goalie's helmet."I thought that was an important part of the game, and our power play has been so good all year long," Colgate coach Greg Fargo said. "You get to this stage, you think you're not going to get too many looks, and tonight we did get a handful of looks. The 5-on-3 was a key moment of the game where we wish we could have got at least one there to tie it up."Adding to Colgate's uphill climb in the third was the loss of reigning NCAA career points leader Danielle Serdachny. The fifth-year forward fell awkwardly on her right arm after being tripped by Wheeler early in the period. Serdachny skated a couple shifts after, but eventually left for the locker room with 11 minutes to play.
But when the Raiders captain returned with just three minutes off the clock, Jungels had put Wisconsin ahead 2-0."Even when you see her go down and come off holding her shoulder you know she's going to find a way to go back on the ice," Fargo said of Serdachny. "It's just indicative of who she is as a person, how much she cares about her team, and how much she wants to help the team succeed. She's been like that her entire career, and so there was to no one surprised tonight that it was the same."The final will air Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU in the United States and TSN+ in Canada.
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Matthews Sends Ohio State To NCAA Women's Hockey Final
Sloane Matthews scored late in the third period to lift Ohio State over Clarkson, punching the Buckeyes' ticket to the NCAA Women's Hockey Championship final.
DURHAM, New Hampshire -- With the chance to put the Ohio State Buckeyes back in the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship, Sloane Matthews found herself denied on a point-blank shot toward an open net.
The next chance, which came a little more than five minutes later, was not as pretty -- a whack at a bouncing puck -- but was enough. Matthews scored with 6:48 left in regulation put Ohio State ahead for good en route to a 4-1 win over Clarkson.
The Buckeyes, who won their first NCAA title in 2022, will play in their third straight championship on Sunday.
"When the puck popped right out on the first one, I had literally the entire net, and she made like an unreal save," Matthews said. "When I got to the bench, I told (Buckeyes assistant Peter Elander), 'the next one I'm putting in.' The next opportunity I had, it was there."
Moments after defender Riley Brengman's point-blank shot bounced off a Golden Knights player in the slot, Matthews whacked at the loose puck which trickled past goalie Michelle Pasiechnyk and inside the left post at 13:12.
Joy Dunne, who captured Rookie of the Year honors, tacked on an insurance goal with three minutes to play. The freshman held the puck in the left circle before firing it past Pasiechnyk.
"That third goal was crucial, not just to get a two goal lead, but understanding in their respect for Clarkson is they score often 6-on-5," Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall said.
"We studied that as well, so there was a big goal for Joy to get so that we weren't put ina bad situation because they punch back very well in the six on five."
Hadley Hartmetz added an empty-net goal in the final two minutes.
Pasiechnyk, who earned Goaltender of the Year honors, finished with 49saves in the loss.Clarkson opened the scoring a little more than two minutes into the contest when Jenna Goodwin backhanded a pass from below the goal line to Anne Cherkowski across the front of the crease. The senior winger snuck the puck between Ohio State netmidner Raygan Kirk's left pad andthe right post at 2:35.
The Buckeyes responded at 13:53. Clarkson's Sena Catterall misplayed the puck at the Golden Knights' blueline which was picked up by Jenna Buglioni. The senior shoveled the puck ahead to Makenna Webster, who had snuck behind the defense and skated in on a short breakaway before sliding the puck inside the right post.
Despite an even score in the opening period, Ohio State dominated possession and outshot Clarkson 24-5.
"We knew coming into the game that we're going to have to weather some storms through the entirety of the game," Clarkson coach Matt Desrosiers said. "We know they're a shot volume team. They love to geta lot of puck towards the net. So for us, it was just staying calm."
The Buckeyes will face the winner of Friday's Colgate-Wisconsin match to be held at 7:30 p.m. The championship takes place Sunday at 4 p.m.The final will air on ESPNU in the United States and TSN+ in Canada.
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New Rules Will Create New Plot Lines In The PWHL
Erin Brown and Ian Kennedy discuss the PWHL's new rules, and how they'll add interesting plot lines for fans, media, and the team's themselves.
In this week's face-off between The Hockey News' Erin Brown and Ian Kennedy where they discuss, and sometimes debate, topics in women's hockey, the pair looks at the PWHL’s announcements involving playoff and draft formats.
Here's what they had to say.
Ian Kennedy: Well, what could be more exciting than having the first overall team insult you by choosing your team because they distinctly think they can beat you easier than the other bottom seed team? That of course is the PWHL's new rule where the top seed gets to pick their first playoff opponent. It really adds an instantly fascinating storyline that as media we can speculate and discuss which match up we think is better, but also, if there’s an upset, it’s just an added piece of plot.
Erin Brown: A great twist. I like this for a few reasons, including the ones above… and one from another angle. What if you can pit opponents likely to grind out a series putting them at a disadvantage moving ahead? “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” kind of thinking. If matchups are equal between potential opponents, why not? I’m a bit surprised the second-place team wasn’t included as a choice. It’s not like it puts the league owner in a bind over losing home ice, especially in such a small league right now. I think this format will get even more fun whenever expansion occurs. Hopefully a first-place Toronto team never finds itself in the situation of having a pie-in-the-sky team in Florida. That could be triggering. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
Ian Kennedy: It’s a fun rule that I don’t think this rule will anger any traditionalists. What I really like here is the clear message that hockey doesn’t have to be one prescribed way, and that trying things like this, which don’t alter game play, just distinguishes the league further, which is wonderful.
Erin Brown: Agreed. Over the past year we’ve seen some significant changes to the game on the ice — mainly the re-introduction of body checking in the SDHL and PWHL adjustments. It is fun to watch new voices, ideas contribute to the evolution of the game.
Ian Kennedy: What will really be interesting is if we see the NHL consider adopting this rule…or the draft rule. Of course I’m talking about the Gold Plan that sees teams, after they’re mathematically eliminated from the playoffs begin to accrue points toward earning the first overall pick. What I really wonder is how long it will take for a team to be formally eliminated given the 3-2-1 point system, teams can make up a significant amount of ground in a short period of time. And with only six teams that can beat each other on any given night, this could take a while. It will definitely make games meaningful and exciting until the last day of the season.
Erin Brown: I watched many, many years of NHL draft lottery teams in Florida, so I fully appreciate the idea of giving an eliminated team incentive to be a spoiler. And with only six teams, you wonder what kind of wrecking ball the first team out could be to the playoff picture. It has the potential for well-implemented chaos. Maybe they take out a bubble team or pull down the top team from its perch. This has as much potential, I think, to solidify league rivalries as a postseason does. Now that we know how the first-overall pick will be determined, who do you think it will be?
Ian Kennedy: This could come down to a very positional pick. If you want a defender, there’s Cayla Barnes, if you want someone on the wing, it’s Hannah Bilka, if you need a pivot, you're going with Sarah Fillier. I think we're going to disagree on this one, so let's debate it next week!
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Making Heads or Tails of the PWHL's First Quarter
The PWHL's first quarter is in the books and THN's Erin Brown and Ian Kennedy chat about what they've seen, some of the surprises, and more.
Friday Faceoff is a weekly feature where Erin Brown and Ian Kennedy discuss, and sometimes debate, topics in women's hockey. This week the pair look at the quarter mark of the PWHL season.
Erin Brown: Ian, I’m going through withdrawal. It’s been a few days without a PWHL game to watch. It goes without saying, the league has been fun on all levels. You can tell it is built not just by higher-ups in an office, but the labor of love of more than 300 involved league-wide. It reflects on-ice. That may be my favorite thing so far — seeing players with a pure joy that seems absent elsewhere in sports right now. You see it in their smiles, how they’re feeding off and soaking in record crowds. There’s obviously pressure, but they’re still in living-the-dream mode. And it has made for great hockey. Of the 22 games played, 14 (63 percent) were by one-goal and eight of those needed extra time. We’ve seen plenty of highlight-reel plays, physical but not dangerous encounters, feisty interactions (here’s looking at you, Abby Roque and Marie Philip-Poulin) and countless friendly ones, too. The honeymoon always comes to an end at some point, but let’s hope this one lasts a long, long time. It has been uplifting watching the dream being lived out.
Ian Kennedy: I couldn’t agree more. Watching the faces of fans and players, it’s been incredible. In my own home, seeing my daughter connect with the sport, it’s such an important moment.
Fans have to be impressed with the top to bottom talent. We knew there was doing to be depth in this league, but to see players step forward into starring roles that extend beyond national team rosters, and to see those players earn a following, fandom, and broadcast coverage is another testament to what’s going on. Players like Sam Cogan and Rebecca Leslie in Toronto, or Daryl Watts, Sidney Morin, Susanna Tapani, Tereza Vanisova, Brooke Hobson. These are names that weren’t making headlines last year, and now they’re receiving their due.
Through the first quarter, I’m not sure anyone fully expected attendance to be as high as it has been either. In terms of what’s happening in the arenas and on the broadcasts, it’s been win after win. Nearly 5,000 fans league wide for average attendance, a number we can pretty much guarantee would be a few thousand higher if Toronto had a bigger venue is just incredible for a league that threw things together quickly.
Erin Brown: Who had Lexie Adzija atop Ottawa’s scoring leaders? Not I.
I’ve also been thinking about venue sizes. I have a feeling this season will also be special to catch women’s hockey in some historic barns — site of the first Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, historic Verdun Auditorium in Montreal and - technically — Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. I think TD Place will hold for a little while, but the latter two markets seem to have way too much demand to stay in venues smaller than the league average. But seeing a game at a renovated Verdun was magical, I think, because it *didn’t* have all the amenities and distractions of typical arenas. I consider it part of the experience, to see that level of hockey in such a close setting. What was your take on the experience in Toronto?
Ian Kennedy: I think Maple Leaf Gardens, now Mattamy is fabulous because of the history, but it’s just not enough. I’d be shocked if we don’t see Toronto already looking into Coca-Cola Coliseum. With the Leafs and Raptors at Scotiabank, that might be a bit much on scheduling, but who knows. One thing I do know for sure is, it’s better to have full rinks and demand in a smaller venue than the perception that rinks are empty. Thinking of Adzija, the other thing I’ve seen so many fans engaging with is the off ice walk ups, and social media accounts. So many fans have been engaging with Adzija’s fashion, and Emma Maltais’ quirky questions about dog languages and squirrel nests. It’s the kind of content that is both fun and engaging for fans. And there’s so much personality in this league compared to the robotic NHL.
Erin Brown: Circling back, before we wrap — Has your daughter chosen a favorite player or team yet?
Ian Kennedy: I just turned to her and asked that question. First she said “Canada.” Then when I clarified that we’re talking about the pro hockey that we’ve been watching, she quickly answered “New York, no, no, Ottawa, no New York. Ottawa, New York.” That’s the quote, verbatim. So I think it's safe to say she likes New York...or Ottawa. What I do know is, she loves it, and so do I.
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For Better or Worse, The PWHL's Ushered In New Rules
The PWHL brought in the "jailbreak" and a 3-2-1 point system, along with new body checking rules. Erin Brown and Ian Kennedy discuss.
Friday Face-off is a weekly feature where Erin Brown and Ian Kennedy discuss, and sometimes debate, topics in women's hockey. This week the pair looks at some of the unique rules in the PWHL from the “jailbreak” shorthanded goal to body checking, and more.
Ian Kennedy: One of the most popular additions to the PWHL rulebook early on has been the jailbreak goal where any shorthanded goal ends the power play and sends the penalized player back to the ice. So far it’s brought a lot of excitement from fans. On the ice, a big penalty kill used to be a momentum shifter, but when you kill the penalty by scoring, that shift has been even more noticeable. Do you like the rule? Dislike it? The league tested a variety of rules in the preseason and this was the main item that stuck.
Erin Brown : I’m a fan of the jailbreak goal. I’ve seen two of the three scored in the PWHL so far. In both cases it resulted in a momentum shift. It certainly opens up the game and highlights the speed and skill which makes women’s hockey exciting. I predict we’ll also see closer games because of it. As players are settling in, you can see they are starting to get a little more aggressive on the penalty kill, and that’s fun to watch — a lot more so than the conservative dump-and-wait which is standard elsewhere.
Speaking of aggression, another area the PWHL has adjusted is more physical play. SVP of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford said at PWHL Montreal’s home opener the league is still finding the line on what should — or not — be penalized. Montreal coach Kori Cheverie noted players are adjusting to this on-ice and in recovery between games as well. I think it’s okay for there to be an adjustment period. No one is trying to take advantage of it. Open-ice hits are outlawed, of course, and thankfully no one has been seriously injured as these limits are being determined. I didn’t see anything egregious in the first week, but I’m starting to notice a few more uncomfortable collisions. I wonder what the line will end up being. What’s your take?
Ian Kennedy: Right now it’s….inconsistent. There have certainly been open ice hits that have gone uncalled. There have certainly been hits away from the puck, hits that would be interference, and hits against stationary players. The key for me is, I want whatever rule the women want. Men have been making the rules for too long. I find the explanations in the rule book confusing, and I’m not sure referees know what an illegal check is versus a legal, and that’s the only issue. Sweden’s SDHL has the rule that you must be moving in parallel to a player, not going head to head. I think that’s what the PWHL’s rules are implying, which eliminates open ice hits unless you’re pushing shoulder to shoulder in a 50/50 battle. Watching the games, I love it. I really love everything I’m seeing. What I’d hate to see is the PWHL digress into an NHL-style era like the clutch and grab, dead puck era. Other than that, as many have said, the league is building the plane while flying, so as long as they’re working to make exemplar videos for officials to show what a legal hit is versus illegal, and we settle into some consistency, fantastic. The biggest item I’ll be interested in watching is how the PWHL’s style trickles over into IIHF competition.
I brought up one other point that almost came to be, was for one game, and then ceased to be again: the post-game handshake. I know it might seem like a simple thing, and people claim it only belongs in the playoffs, but I loved that it showed a new era of unity, or mutual respect, and it provided a human moment after the competitiveness of games where people still acted like people. I’m glad the league back tracked. The players have come so far to be connected, it would be a shame to intentionally divide them now.
Erin Brown: I’m glad the handshake is back, too. It’s a standard across women’s hockey — you see it in college, at the international level — why not the pros? Women’s sports has such an opportunity to be a force for good as it continues to grow, not just through the PWHL or hockey. I think sportsmanship (sportswomanship doesn’t really roll off the tongue easily) is part of that. So hiccup, miscommunication, whatever on what led to the non-handshake, who cares — it is back and I hope it’s cemented as PWHL tradition.
Ian Kennedy: The final difference in the league is the 3-2-1 point system. I like it. It puts a lot of emphasis on playing a full 60 minutes, and brings back a sense of what the NHL used to have when ties existed.
Erin Brown: I’m fine with the PWHL’s points system, but it is funny you mention ties. This will probably be an unpopular opinion: Can we please ditch the shootout in pro hockey? Thankfully we have yet to see one in the PWHL. If rules are being adjusted anyway, why not bump sudden-death overtime to 10 minutes with a short break in between 5-minute halves — if it even gets to a second one. If there’s no scoring, end it as a tie. Other than being exciting, 3-on-3 has shown to be decisive in outcomes in other leagues. The shootout was fun for a while, but now it’s boring. Sure, it creates an opportunity to see high-skill, highlight-reel moves, but so few actually are. Even competitions at events like all-star games have become a farce.
So far the PWHL has been thoughtful about making adjustments that are positive for the game — and fans. They’re acknowledging input from the players. The hockey has been fantastic so I think the league has earned the time to sort out these nuances without them being a major distraction.
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Concordia Remains Undefeated Riding Performances From Leblanc and Lussier
Arianne Leblanc and Émilie Lussier were Concordia's top performers helping them improve to 15-0 on the season in USports women's hockey.
MONTREAL -- Arianne Leblanc made 25 saves and Émilie Lussier scored twice as the No. 1 Concordia Stingers blanked the Montreal Carabins, 5-0, Friday night.
The shutout was Leblanc's fourth this season for the Stingers, who improved to 15-0.
The Repentigny, Quebec native stopped eight shots in the first period, 12 in the second and five in the third. Her efforts early in second were particularly outstanding as Concordia maintained a scoreless tie through an 84-second 3-on-5 and a major penalty.
"She made a couple of really big ones that maybe changes the momentum from Montreal," Concordia head coach Julie Chu said of Leblanc. "Thankfully, she made the saves so then we were able to generate some offense from there. I think that helped us get into a little rhythm and push, and we were able to put three away there."
Lussier got Concordia on the board with the only goal it would need midway through the second period. The forward knocked in a rebound from the right side of the crease at 11:48. She struck again for her 10th of the season at 11:40 of the third to make it 4-0, collecting a pass from Zoé Thibault in the slot and firing it past Carabins netminder Aube Racine.
Chloé Gendreau doubled the Stingers' lead a little more than three minutes after Lussier's first goal. The junior collected a rebound off the end boards before scoring on a wrist shot from the right side at 15:29. Forty seconds later, defender Rachael McIntyre scored from the slot. Thibault finished with a pair of assists. Jessymaude Drapeau struck on the power play with 8.8 seconds remaining in the contest.Concordia looked shaky in the opening period, allowing Montreal to dictate the pace of play. The Carabins outshot the Stingers 5-1 by the midway point in the first.
Although Concordia fared better to start the second, it quickly found itself in penalty trouble when Camille Richard went off for holding at 2:10. Just 25 seconds later, its top scorer Émilie Lavoie was assessed a major and tossed from the contest for boarding Kaleanne Laforge. The Montreal defender left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return.
Despite giving up six shots during the penalties, the Stingers escaped with the deadlock in tact.
"One of the things I was proud of is whatever came our way or whatever ended up happening because of different scenarios," Chu said. "We adjusted to it and we were able to have some really big penalty kills in the second period that could have changed the momentum of the game."
Concordia puts its unblemished record on the line again Sunday at McGill. Montreal returns to action the same day against Ottawa. Both teams play at 2 p.m.
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