The target which fueled the Seattle Torrent for the first 27 games of their expansion season – reaching the playoffs – will now be replaced by a PWHL-mandated objective.
Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Goldeneyes before 10,094 at Pacific Coliseum eliminated Seattle from the PWHL postseason. Vancouver broke the game open with three goals in a 3:31 span of the 2nd period. Torrent forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis scored her 3rd goal with 8:42 to play to break Emerance Maschmeyer’s shutout (29 saves).
Social media influencers don’t create as many posts as the Torrent hit on Tuesday, finding iron and not twine on five different occasions. Seattle came on strong, outshooting Vancouver 16-3 in the 3rd period, but fell to 7-1-3-16, last in the eight-team league.
“In the 3rd period, you saw what kind of hockey we’re capable of,” said Torrent forward Alex Carpenter, who had three shots and went 18-7 on faceoffs. “We just need to put that together for 60 minutes. We’ve definitely had a lot of growing pains. At the end of the day, I’m proud of this group, no matter where we end up.”
The loss concludes the road portion of the Torrent schedule. They won just a single true road game all season, a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Charge on Apr. 8. Vancouver captured the season series against their expansion twins, victorious in all three meetings to date with Seattle.
Torrent Shift To ‘Gold Plan’
The PWHL has instituted an incentive, known as the “Gold Plan,” to prevent teams from tanking. So besides professional pride, the Torrent will have this additional motivation for the final three games.
From the league’s website: “Once a team is eliminated, standings points earned in their remaining regular-season games are classified as Draft Order Points. The non-playoff team with the most Draft Order Points earns the higher pick in the draft.”
“It doesn’t change our focus,” said Torrent coach Steve O’Rourke. “If it’s a win or a loss, you just leave it behind. You move to the next obstacle in front of you. We’ve been like that all season.”
Kraken-Goldeneyes Game Notes
** Before a late 1st period Anna Wilgren trip, the Torrent had allowed just three Goldeneyes shots. Unfortunately, one of those was a Sarah Nurse deflection to put Vancouver ahead 1-0 at 2:18.
** Torrent goalie Corinne Schroeder made four saves during the Wilgren minor to keep the deficit from doubling. Seattle killed both Vancouver power plays, running their recent success while shorthanded to 27-for-29.
** In the 2nd period, Vancouver’s Hannah Miller was allowed too much space and time between the circles. Miller beat Schroeder 5-hole for a 2-0 Goldeneyes lead at 6:37. Miller became the 14th PWHL player to reach 50 career points.
** At 10:35, Seattle lost track of Anna Meixner coming down left wing. Meixner buried Mellissa Channell-Watkins‘ backhand, cross-ice pass to increase the Goldeneyes lead to 3-0.
** The Vancouver onslaught was completed 33 seconds after that, as Madison Samoskevich made the wise choice to shoot on a 2-on-1.
** Coach O’Rourke replaced Schroeder in net with backup Carly Jackson (#70 in image at right), making her first appearance of the season. Jackson saved all nine shots sent her way.
“She’s been fantastic,” O’Rourke said of Jackson’s attitude this season. “It’s hard to put into words the kind of person she is. How she comes every day with intention, to push herself, push the group.”
** Carpenter remains three points away from becoming the first player in PWHL history to record three straight 20-point seasons.
Up Next
The Torrent finish their inaugural season with three home games at Climate Pledge Arena, starting with a rematch against the Goldeneyes on Saturday. Seattle hosts the Minnesota Frost on Apr. 22 and the Montreal Victoire on Apr. 25.
Earlier Torrent:
— Record MSG Crowd Sees Sirens Rally Past Torrent
