VANCOUVER (Interstat) — Emerance Maschmeyer made 29 saves and the Vancouver Goldeneyes scored four first-period goals in a 4-1 victory over the visiting Seattle Torrent at Pacific Coliseum on April 14. Vancouver improved to 10 wins and 19 losses. Seattle dropped to 9 wins and 20 losses. The Goldeneyes never trailed after Sarah Nurse opened the scoring 2:18 into the game.

Vancouver’s fast start decided the contest. Nurse scored from Claire Thompson and Tereza Vanišová to give the Goldeneyes a 1-0 lead. Michelle Karvinen was called for tripping at 3:04, giving Seattle the first power-play opportunity of the night. Vancouver killed the penalty and doubled its lead when Hannah Miller scored at 6:37, with assists from Jenn Gardiner and Ashton Bell. Anna Meixner made it 3-0 at 10:35, assisted by Mellissa Channell-Watkins. Madison Samoskevich pushed the margin to 4-0 at 11:08, with Anna Segedi and Bell setting up the goal. Seattle answered quickly when Mikyla Grant-Mentis scored at 11:18, with Mariah Keopple and Lexie Adzija assisting.

That was as close as Seattle would get. Maschmeyer, named the game’s top star for Vancouver, turned away 29 of the 30 shots she faced. The Torrent pressured at times, and Alex Carpenter finished with three shots on goal, but Maschmeyer held firm through the second and third periods. Grant-Mentis scored Seattle’s only goal on her lone shot on goal. Vancouver’s defense limited second-chance opportunities and cleared rebounds effectively in front of Maschmeyer.

Nurse finished with one goal, six shots on goal and one hit. Miller also had one goal, six shots on goal and four hits. Bell recorded two assists and one hit. Samoskevich scored on her only shot on goal. Meixner also scored on her only shot on goal. Channell-Watkins added one assist. Thompson had one assist and two shots on goal. Carpenter’s three shots led Seattle’s attack, while Grant-Mentis made her one shot count.

The Goldeneyes entered the game looking to regain form after a difficult stretch. Vancouver had lost three of its previous four games, including a home loss to Boston and a road loss at Minnesota. Seattle had also dropped three of four, with its most recent win coming on the road at Ottawa. The Torrent had struggled to generate consistent offense during that stretch and again found chances hard to come by against Vancouver’s goaltending.

Seattle’s recent results included a 5-3 win at Ottawa, a loss at Montréal, a shootout loss at New York and a home shutout against Ottawa. Vancouver had lost at home to Boston, fallen at Minnesota, dropped a road game at Montréal and won at Toronto. Those results left both teams outside the top of the standings and added importance to the late-season meeting.

The result continued Vancouver’s recent success in the head-to-head series. The Goldeneyes had won three of the previous four meetings between the teams, including a 3-1 victory in Seattle earlier in the season and an overtime win at home. Seattle had won one of those matchups, a 4-2 road victory. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Seattle in their next game.

Vancouver’s special teams were not forced to do much heavy lifting after the early goals. The Goldeneyes took two first-period penalties, with Karvinen whistled for tripping and Anna Shokhina called for cross checking at 14:39. Seattle took two penalties later in the opening period, as Cayla Barnes was called for cross checking at 15:57 and Anna Wilgren was sent off for tripping at 18:17. Neither team scored on the power play, and the penalty kill units kept the game from tilting further.

Seattle’s best chances came after Grant-Mentis scored, but the Torrent could not solve Maschmeyer again. Vancouver’s forwards helped control play along the walls, and the Goldeneyes blocked lanes to protect the lead. The Torrent pulled their goaltender late in search of a second goal, but Vancouver’s defense held and kept Seattle from cutting into the margin.

The opening period proved decisive. Vancouver scored four goals in a span of 8 minutes, 50 seconds, turning a scoreless game into a 4-0 lead. Nurse’s early goal set the tone, and Miller, Meixner and Samoskevich followed with goals before Seattle could settle into its structure. Grant-Mentis’ quick response gave the Torrent brief life, but Vancouver’s lead was already large enough to withstand the push.

Maschmeyer’s performance was the backbone of the win. She made 29 saves on 30 shots, including stops through traffic and on Seattle’s late attempts to build momentum. She earned the win and helped Vancouver snap out of a recent slide. The Goldeneyes improved to 10-19 while handing Seattle its 20th loss of the season. Seattle dropped to 9-20.

Vancouver’s offense was balanced. Nurse and Miller each recorded six shots on goal, while Bell’s two assists helped create scoring chances from the back end. Thompson also contributed from the blue line with an assist and two shots. Samoskevich and Meixner made the most of limited shot totals, scoring on their only shots. Channell-Watkins picked up an assist on Meixner’s goal.

Vancouver’s four goals came from four different scorers, a balanced attack that made it difficult for Seattle to key on one line. Nurse, Miller, Meixner and Samoskevich all scored, while Bell and Thompson helped drive the offense from the blue line. The Goldeneyes also received contributions from Channell-Watkins and Segedi, who picked up assists on the early goals.

Seattle finished with 30 shots on goal as a team, but only Grant-Mentis solved Maschmeyer. Carpenter’s three shots were the most for Seattle, and the Torrent’s power-play chances did not produce a goal. Seattle’s best stretch came immediately after Grant-Mentis scored, but Vancouver’s defense stabilized and prevented the Torrent from building sustained pressure.

Seattle, meanwhile, was led by Grant-Mentis’ goal and Carpenter’s three shots. The Torrent had chances to cut the deficit in the second and third periods but could not beat Maschmeyer again. The loss left Seattle still searching for consistency as it heads into the next meeting between the teams.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected Vancouver with a 53 percent probability to win. The Goldeneyes played to that forecast by using their fast start and strong goaltending to secure the home victory.