VANCOUVER, BC (November 21, 2025) – The Vancouver Goldeneyes skated to a 4–3 overtime victory over the Seattle Torrent in front of a sold-out crowd of 14,958 at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday, capping a historic night as both clubs made their official debuts as the newest teams in the PWHL. Abby Boreen sealed the win for Vancouver by scoring the game-winner at the 1:46 mark of overtime. Seattle forward Julia Gosling started the scoring at 14:40 of the first period — her first of two markers in the frame — with the Torrent’s first goal in team history. Vancouver forward Sarah Nurse responded for the home team just minutes later, at the 17:41 mark, notching the first goal in Goldeneyes team history. After a back-and-forth battle led to Vancouver forward Gabby Rosenthal’s third-period marker and Seattle forward Hannah Bilka’s tally with just over six minutes remaining in the third, it was Vancouver’s Claire Thompson who notched her second point, and first goal, with just over two minutes remaining in regulation to tie the game at 3-3 and send the contest to overtime. Emerance Maschmeyer picked up the victory for the Goldeneyes, making 24 saves, while Corinne Schroeder turned aside 23 shots for the Torrent.
QUOTES
Vancouver forward Abby Boreen on the message from the coaching staff between periods: “The message was: don’t panic, we’re fine. Just keep going out there shift by shift. Good things happen when we work hard. Claire (Thompson) getting that goal was huge for us and I think going into OT the momentum was in our favour.”
Goldeneyes forward Sarah Nurse on a historic home opener: “You know that when you walk into the Pacific Coliseum, you're coming to see the Goldeneyes, and I think that's something that's so special. I think it's something that the fans have really embraced. To see the amount of jerseys and merch in the stands—I took a second to look around the entire arena and it just seemed like everybody had a piece of Goldeneyes merch.”
Seattle forward Julia Gosling on scoring the Torrent’s first ever PWHL goal: “I was super pumped to get one in. We were working really hard that period and battling our line, and then to get one in and realize it was the first Torrent goal was super special. It’s so fun playing with this group. We had a blast that game even though we got the loss.”
Torrent Head Coach Steve O’Rourke on the game’s physicality: “For us, that’s going to be a trademark. General Manager Meghan Turner has put together a good-sized team and we’re going to come out, play physical and grind some games out. Overall, we want an identity that’s hard to play against. I thought we established that tonight.”
NOTABLES
Tonight’s sold-out crowd of 14,958 at Pacific Coliseum is the eighth largest attendance in PWHL history and the largest for any team in their primary home venue. It was also the first time in league history a team has played its opening game with their logo painted on center ice.
Vancouver became the first team to win its inaugural game on home ice. During the inaugural season, all three road teams earned victories in the league’s first three games between the original six teams. Only Minnesota won its inaugural home opener in the team’s second game.
Abby Boreen has recorded a goal and an assist in back-to-back season openers with tonight’s overtime heroics for Vancouver and her performance last season with Montréal. Her overtime winner was scored on her game-high seventh shot on goal to match her career-high.
Julia Gosling recorded her second career multi-goal game with her historic opening markers for Seattle. The goals were also her first even-strength tallies in regular-season action, scored on a career-high six shots, and gives her five goals in her last five games dating back to the 2025 PWHL Playoffs with Toronto.
Sarah Nurse scored Vancouver’s historic first goal of the season after opening the 2024-25 campaign with Toronto’s first goal.
Claire Thompson became the first Vancouver defender to score a goal and first to record an assist. She also contributed an assist in her PWHL debut last season with Minnesota and has points in four straight games dating back to the PWHL Walter Cup Finals.
Gabby Rosenthal now has two career goals, and both have come in season-opening games — her first in her PWHL debut with New York last season, and tonight for Vancouver.
Hannah Bilka scored for Seattle to give her five points (3G, 2A) in her last six games dating back to last season. She also had an assist in her PWHL debut last season with Boston.
Alex Carpenter now has six points (3G, 3A) in three season opening games following her assist tonight for Seattle. She had two multi-point openers in her first two seasons with New York.
Tereza Vanišová has three points in three season opening games with three different teams, including an assist tonight with Vancouver, a goal with Ottawa last season, and an assist with Montréal in the inaugural season.
Jenn Gardiner became the first British Columbia born player to record a point for Vancouver with an assist on the game-tying goal. Last season, she scored a goal in her PWHL debut for Montréal.
Anna Wilgren became the first defender to record a point in Torrent history with a primary assist on the game’s opening goal.
Hilary Knight became the 17th player in PWHL history to reach 20 career assists.
Danielle Serdachny has produced in two straight season openers, counting an assist tonight for Seattle and a goal in her PWHL debut last season with Ottawa.
Emerance Maschmeyer started a season opener for the third straight year and earned her first win in such games after losing back-to-back years with Ottawa.
Corinne Schroeder had previously won both of her season opening starts for New York before suffering defeat tonight.
Vancouver’s starting lineup featured three British Columbia natives at forward with Hannah Miller (North Vancouver) centering Gardiner (Surrey) and Katie Chan (Richmond).
Four members of the Goldeneyes made their PWHL debuts tonight in Chan, Darcie Lappan, first-round pick Michelle Karvinen and fifth-round pick Madison Samoskevich.
Seattle had two players make their PWHL debuts tonight in first-round pick Jenna Buglioni from nearby Port Moody, BC, and Seattle native Marah Wagner.
Aneta Tejralová left the game midway through the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return to action.
Tonight’s historic pre-game featured a ceremonial puck drop by three-time Canadian Olympian and global soccer icon Christine Sinclair, who hails from Burnaby, BC. The puck was delivered to her by Meghan Agosta, a four-time Olympian with Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team, now a member of the Vancouver Police Department.
THREE STARS
1. Sarah Nurse (VAN) 1G
2. Abby Boreen (VAN) 1G, 1A
3. Julia Gosling (SEA) 2G
UPCOMING SCHEDULES
Vancouver: Wednesday, Nov. 26 at Ottawa at 4 p.m. PT
Seattle: Friday, Nov. 28 vs. Minnesota at 1 p.m. PT