SEATTLE, WA (January 5, 2025) – The Boston Fleet opened the PWHL Takeover Tour™ with a thrilling 3-2 shootout win over the Montréal Victoire on Sunday in front of a season-high crowd of 12,608 at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. Montréal led 2-0 in the first period with goals by Laura Stacey on the power play and Abby Boreen at even strength. Boston rookie Hannah Bilka helped mount the comeback with a second period power play goal, then added an assist on Susanna Tapani’s game-tying goal on the power play midway through the third period. Bilka and Tapani then accounted for two of Boston’s three goals in the shootout. Aerin Frankel stopped 23 shots in regulation and overtime, then turned aside three of Montréal’s four shootout attempts to secure her third win of the season. Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens made 28 saves in regulation and overtime in the loss. The victory snaps Boston’s three-game losing streak and ends Montréal’s four-game winning streak.
QUOTES
Fleet Head Coach Courtney Kessel: “It’s really nice to come out with a win, a good hard-fought game, and we really earned those points today... Very warm welcome from Seattle and I think our players enjoyed it. I want them to see our game, how amazing it is, how amazing these players are and how hard they work. The game is fast and it’s physical, but we’re just at the beginning of where we want this league to take-off.”
Fleet forward Hannah Bilka on Aerin Frankel’s impact in net: “I think it just gives us so much confidence as a group. We know that she’s going to come up with a big save and really keep us in the game. She’s our anchor back there and can’t say enough great things about how good of a goaltender she is.”
Victoire Head Coach Kori Cheverie about the opportunity to play in Seattle: “It was definitely exciting from start to finish, having a game in these cities that don't have a team right now. Having a game that close and the fans are in it the whole time, it was certainly loud, this building is amazing. It was really cool to be a part of, and we are fortunate to have been a part of that."
Victoire forward Laura Stacey: “It's a pretty big honor to come into rinks like this, cities like this, and have 12,000 fans cheering for two teams that don't even belong to their own city. I think it's amazing to see. It's a privilege for every single one of us to step on that ice today in front of Seattle. We don't take it for granted.”
NOTABLES
The crowd of 12,608 is the highest attendance figure of the 2024-25 PWHL season and is the fifth largest single-game crowd in the league’s regular season history.
This was Boston’s first shootout of the season and third all-time. Their only other victory in the shootout came in a neutral site game at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Mar. 16, defeating Ottawa 2-1. Montréal won their only other shootout of the season, in the team’s first game, against Ottawa on Nov. 30. They lost all three of their shootout games in the inaugural season.
Boston neutralized a two-goal deficit for the second straight game. The Fleet overcame two different two-goal third-period deficits in their 4-3 overtime loss to Minnesota on Thursday.
Hannah Bilka’s multi-point performance was the first of her PWHL career. The fourth overall draft pick is tied for second in rookie scoring with six points (2G, 4A) in eight games.
Susanna Tapani’s goal was her third in two games and lifts her into a four-way tie for second in the PWHL with four goals in eight games.
Laura Stacey’s goal was her third of the season and snapped Montréal’s 0-for-19 streak on the power play. The team scored twice on the advantage in their season-opening win against Ottawa.
Bilka, Tapani, and Stacey are in a five-way tie for the league lead in power play goals with two apiece, joining New York’s Sarah Fillier and Toronto’s Hannah Miller.
Megan Keller recorded two assists to extend her point streak to four straight games (5A). She now leads the Fleet in scoring, ranks second among PWHL defenders, and is tied for fourth among all skaters with eight points (2G, 6A) in eight games. Her four-game point streak ties her best stretch during the inaugural season where she recorded six points (1G, 5A) in four games from Feb. 14-21.
Abby Boreen’s goal was her third of the season and fifth point in seven games to put her in sole possession of the Victoire scoring lead. The five points matches her total in nine regular-season games with Minnesota last season (4G, 1A).
Kristin O’Neill recorded an assist to give her a two-game point streak. She scored the game-winning goal, shorthanded, against Boston on Dec. 30.
O’Neill also went 9/14 in the faceoff circle where she leads the league in winning percentage at 70.6%. Teammate Marie-Philip Poulin went 16/21 in faceoffs and leads the league with 84 wins.
Boston’s Hilary Knight led all players with six shots on goal, a season-high for the captain.
Keller was credited with 30:15 minutes played, a season-high for the defender.
Boston scored two power play goals for the second time this season following their Dec. 27 game against Toronto. They lead the PWHL with a power play efficiency of 29.2%.
The Fleet have outshot their opponent in two straight games after being outshot in five of their first six games. The Victoire were outshot for just the second time in seven games this season.
Six of the nine all-time meetings between the teams have needed extra time.
Jessica Campbell from the Seattle Kraken performed the ceremonial puck drop. Campbell made history with the Kraken this season becoming the first woman to be named a full-time NHL assistant coach.
Montréal’s next two games will also be part of the PWHL Takeover Tour™ —in Vancouver on Wednesday against Toronto and in Denver next Sunday against Minnesota. They will also play against Ottawa in Quebec City on Jan. 19. Later this season, Boston will play against New York in Buffalo on Feb. 23 and against Ottawa in St. Louis on Mar. 29 in the final game of the tour.
SCORESHEET RECAP
Montréal 2 0 0 0 - 2
Boston 0 1 1 0 – 3
1st Period-1, Montréal, Stacey 3 (Gardiner, Barnes), 6:28 (PP). 2, Montréal, Boreen 3 (Ambrose, O'Neill), 16:36. Penalties-Brown Bos (tripping), 5:39; O'Neill Mtl (slashing), 12:47.
2nd Period-3, Boston, Bilka 2 (Keller, Pelkey), 12:45 (PP). Penalties-Murphy Mtl (interference), 7:24; served by Ljungblom Mtl (too many players), 11:40; Wilgren Mtl (hooking), 12:02; Bilka Bos (tripping), 13:00.
3rd Period-4, Boston, Tapani 4 (Keller, Bilka), 10:58 (PP). Penalties-Tapani Bos (interference), 3:18; Murphy Mtl (tripping), 10:35; Poulin Mtl (boarding), 19:47.
1st OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties
Shootout - Montréal 1 (Poulin G, Grant-Mentis NG, Ambrose NG, Stacey NG), Boston 3 (Brandt G, Knight NG, Bilka G, Tapani G).
Shots on Goal-Montréal 9-6-8-2-0-25. Boston 7-6-10-7-1-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Montréal 1 / 3; Boston 2 / 6.
Goalies-Montréal, Desbiens 3-1-0-1 (30 shots-28 saves). Boston, Frankel 3-3-1-0 (25 shots-23 saves).
A-12,608
THREE STARS
1. Hannah Bilka (BOS) 1G, 1A, SOW
2. Abby Boreen (MTL) 1G
3. Susanna Tapani (BOS) 1G
STANDINGS
Montréal (3-2-1-1) - 14 PTS – 1st Place (Tied)
Boston (2-1-1-4) - 9 PTS – 5th Place
UPCOMING SCHEDULES
Boston: Wednesday, January 8 at Minnesota at 7:30 p.m. ET
Montréal: Wednesday, January 8 at Toronto at 10:00 p.m. ET (PWHL Takeover Tour™ at Rogers Arena, Vancouver)