Happy New Year, PWHL pals! Are you ready for the Takeover Tour to start? We know we are!
Sunday, January 5 at 1 p.m. Pacific
Montreal Victoire at Boston Fleet, Takeover Tour at Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
The Takeover Tour kicks off in Seattle this weekend, with a full slate of activities that includes open practices and autograph signings with both teams. The game itself is Sunday afternoon, and we're hoping for a lot of pageantry in the pregame.
Montreal hasn't played since defeating Boston 3-1 on Dec. 30 at Place Bell. The Fleet is working with a 3-game losing (winless) streak after they lost to the Minnesota Frost on Jan. 2 in a 4-3 overtime thriller. That OT point was the team's first road point of the season. It was also the first time they'd ever outshot their opponent this season. Yikes?
Boston forward and captain Hilary Knight scored in their OT loss, putting her tied (3-way) for the league leader in goals with four on the season. Knight is also on the leaderboard for points with seven.
The Fleet's offense is going up against Montreal's top goalie tandem in Ann-Renée Desbiens and Elaine Chuli—tied for second place with each other in save percentage, behind only Ottawa's elite Emerance Maschmeyer.
Montreal forward and captain Marie-Philip Poulin was named Third Star of the Week for her game-winning goal against Minnesota last week.
Will the new and neutral site help Boston sail back to the win column? (SG: I'm not sorry, I had to). Or will Montreal victoire? Is that anything? Let's find out!
Canada: TSN 5, RDS INFO
U.S.: NESN+, PWHL YouTube
International: PWHL YouTube
Tuesday, January 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern
Ottawa Charge at New York Sirens
It's a repeat of New York's last home game—although we're sure the Sirens would like to avoid an actual repeat. Last time, Ottawa goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer put up 34 saves to carry the Charge to a 3-1 victory, snapping a 3-game losing streak. She was the First Star of the game.
Sirens rookie Sarah Filler, first overall draft pick skills still on display, tallied the team's lone goal early in the third, a tiny spark of hope that dwindled as the clock ran down.
All is not lost, though. Sirens forward Alex Carpenter is tied for the league lead in goals (4), and tied for second in points (8) with Fillier. Carpenter has a point in all six Sirens games this season, including 2 goals and an assist in the Sirens season opener. Carpenter and Fillier were named two of the SupraStars of the month for December. Plus, the team announced on Saturday the return of defender Ella Shelton, who was on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) following a lower-body injury sustained in the season opener. Shelton finished last season fifth in league scoring with 21 points on seven goals and 14 assists.
It should be fun to see New York—armed with this dynamic duo, reinstated defender, and a few players still hoping to mark the scoresheet—come out to play this game with a little more hunger. Assuming they'll be going up against Maschmeyer again, though, it won't be easy. She's coming off a New Year's Eve 37-save win against the Toronto Sceptres, after which she was again named First Star of the game. She was also named one of the PWHL Stars of the Week, AND a SupraStar of the month for December.
Is this a Maschmeyer fanpage?
Maybe. (LK: YES!)
This is a stacked matchup. Good luck to us all.
Canada: Prime Video
U.S.: MSGSN2, PWHL YouTube
International: PWHL YouTube
Wednesday, January 8 at 7 p.m. Pacific
Montreal Victoire at Toronto Sceptres, Takeover Tour at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Neutral site games in Canada are exciting—arenas filled to the brim supporting women's sports.
It'll be Montreal's second takeover game in a row, a few days after their Seattle takeover on Jan. 5. Toronto hasn't played in over a week—the previously mentioned 2-1 loss to Ottawa. That loss came the day after both teams were involved in a significant 4-play trade that sent forward Victoria Bach and defender Jocelyne Larocque to the Ottawa Charge in exchange for defender Savannah Harmon and forward Hayley Scamurra.
This is a big change for the Toronto backend.
“It’s definitely emotional," says Toronto defender Renata Fast. She and Larocque were long-time defense partners. "It’s tough to see someone who means so much to the team and the organization, and someone who’s been a big part
of the player that I am today, to see her move to a different team." In return, the Sceptres gained Harmon. She and Fast played together at Clarkson University.
"But as you said, Savs [Harmon] and I have history together. We’re really good friends and it was a comfort knowing that Savs was coming as well, and that I have that comfort with her.” This will be Toronto's second game with their new additions.
Sceptres defender Sarah Nurse was also named a SupraStar for December.
In Canada: TSN 5, RDS INFO
U.S./International: PWHL YouTube
