Goldeneyes Host Torrent
The regular season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League gets underway Friday night in full force, and includes a game between this year’s inaugural franchises, the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes.
Their debut will take place at a sold out Pacific Coliseum.
The two clubs split a preseason set of games last weekend with the Goldeneyes prevailing in the first match-up 3-0 on Saturday night and the Torrent bouncing back on Sunday for a 4-2 win.
Friday night’s season opener should prove to be feisty if Pacific North Hockey’s conversation with Torrent general manager Meghan Turner proves prophetic. As we pointed out in a recent preview of the Seattle club, Turner told us the team’s identity would rely on a “direct, fast, physical” approach and that “it’s going to be a physical game and I expect our opponents to feel it.”
That might be bulletin board material once this rivalry is established, but Turner was talking more about PWHL opponents in general. In other words; the Torrent plan to get after it.
The atmosphere Friday night should be festive and entertaining. The Torrent feature Team USA stalwart and women’s hockey icon Hilary Knight, while the Goldeneyes counter with a number of stars up front. Tereza Vanišová, the Ottawa Charge’s leading scorer last season, and Sarah Nurse, a young star for Team Canada, headline a group of elite forwards.
Jennifer Gardiner brings some hometown flavour. The second year pro’ played on Montreal’s top line last season.
Some pundits are so confident in Goldeneyes’ general manager Cara Gardner Morey’s roster that they’ve declared the first-year franchise a favourite to win the title.
Not if the Torrent or the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost have anything to say about it. Let the games, and the rivalry, begin!
Earlier Cancucks:
— Canucks Power Outage; Lose To Stars 4-2
