Abstreiter stops 27 shots, Victoire hold off Goldeneyes 4‑2
VANCOUVER (Interstat) — Sandra Abstreiter made 27 saves on 29 shots, and Montreal Victoire scored in every period to beat Vancouver Goldeneyes 4-2 in a Professional Women’s Hockey League game at Pacific Coliseum. Abstreiter, a 5-foot-11 goaltender from Freising, Germany, earned the win as Montreal finished a road trip with its fourth victory in five games. The Victoire improved to 4-1. The Goldeneyes dropped to 3-4.
Montreal was the visiting team, and Vancouver was the home team. The game was played at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia. Montreal has won four of five games this season. Vancouver has lost four of seven. The Victoire’s four goals came from four different scorers. The Goldeneyes’ two goals came from two different scorers, with Vanišová assisting on both.
Montreal had won two of its previous three games, including a 2-1 overtime victory at Toronto and a 3-1 home win against Toronto, while also beating New York 4-0 and losing 2-0 at Boston. Vancouver had won two of its previous three, including a 2-1 home win against Ottawa and a 4-0 home win against New York, after a 2-0 loss at Boston. Earlier this season, Vancouver also lost 5-1 at New York, lost 5-1 at Ottawa and beat Seattle 4-3 in overtime.
Montreal opened the scoring midway through the first period when Marie-Philip Poulin scored at 10:18, with Abby Roque assisting. The Victoire took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Dara Greig doubled the advantage at 1:48 of the second period, with Hayley Scamurra assisting. Vancouver got on the board at 12:24 of the second when Sophie Jaques scored, with Tereza Vanišová assisting. Natálie Mlýnková restored Montreal’s two-goal lead at 15:23, sending the Victoire into the third with a 3-1 advantage. Michela Cava pulled Vancouver within 3-2 at 1:07 of the third, assisted by Claire Thompson and Vanišová. Shiann Darkangelo capped the scoring at 14:31 of the third, with Greig and Jessica DiGirolamo assisting. Montreal held Vancouver off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Maya Labad of Montreal received a tripping penalty at 8:44 of the second period. Vancouver’s Izzy Daniel was called for tripping at 17:08 of the second. Neither penalty led to a goal. Montreal killed off Labad’s tripping penalty, and Vancouver killed off Daniel’s tripping penalty.
Abstreiter was Montreal’s top star. Poulin, a 5-foot-7 center, had one goal, three shots and two hits. Greig, a 5-foot left wing, had one goal, one assist, one shot and three hits. Vanišová, a 5-foot-7 right wing, led Vancouver with two assists, four shots and five hits. Darkangelo, a 5-foot-11 center, scored once and added three shots and one hit. DiGirolamo, a 5-foot defenseman, had one assist, three shots and one hit. Cava, a 5-foot-4 right wing, scored once and had three shots. Scamurra, a 5-foot-8 center, had one assist, two shots and two hits. Roque, a 5-foot-7 left wing, had one assist, one shot and two hits. Gosling, a 5-foot-6 defenseman, had one shot and two hits.
Montreal next plays at Seattle. Vancouver next hosts Minnesota at Edmonton. The Victoire’s upcoming schedule also includes games against Toronto, the New York Sirens, Minnesota, Vancouver, Ottawa, the New York Sirens, Minnesota, Ottawa and Toronto. The Goldeneyes are scheduled to face the New York Sirens, Boston, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Toronto, Seattle, Minnesota and Toronto. Montreal will face Vancouver in Quebec, and Vancouver will face Montreal in Quebec, among those games.
Interstat’s ELO system had projected Montreal with a 50.6 percent probability to win before the game, giving the Victoire a slight edge. The projection was made before the opening faceoff.