OTTAWA, ON (January 2, 2024) – Ann-Sophie Bettez scored just 1:05 into overtime, and PWHL Montréal took home 2 points against Ottawa by a score of 3-2.
Bettez silenced a record-breaking home crowd of 8,318, now the most attended game in professional women’s hockey history, and Ottawa took home 1 point in their home opener.
Montréal captain Marie Philip-Poulin was awarded a penalty shot at 7:52 of the second period, but Emerance Maschmeyer came up big and made the save against Captain Clutch.
After Ottawa forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis scored what appeared to be the first goal in team history in the second period, it was determined to have entered under the side of the net and was called no-goal after video review. At 16:24 of the second period Ottawa’s first goal in history was officially scored when Hayley Scamurra put a blast from the circle into the far-side top-corner behind Montréal netminder Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Montréal answered just 1:21 later when rookie Claire Dalton scored to make it 1-1, the first-ever goal in PWHL Montréal history.
The home team once again took the lead in the third period, as Czech-born forward Kateřina Mrázová scored back-door off a perfect pass by defender Ashton Bell.
Laura Stacey tied it up 2-2 with just over five minutes remaining in the third period with a shot off the rush at 14:23. Neither side could break the tie before the end of regulation, so the game was off to 3-on-3 overtime.
Overtime scorer Bettez took home first star of the game, Desbiens was named second star, and Scamurra was named third star.
Montréal netminder Ann-Renee Desbiens made 26 saves in the victory, and Ottawa’s Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 21.
Both teams hit the road next. Montréal will hope to spoil a second straight home opener when they travel to Minnesota for a tilt at Xcel Energy Centre on Saturday, January 6. Ottawa will battle Boston— who play in their home opener on January 3— on Sunday, January 7.
Notes:
- The first three periods saw a total of 10 minor penalties—Montréal went 0/2 and Ottawa went 1/6 on the powerplay.
- Ottawa had the edge in shots 10-4 and 12-9 in the first and second period respectively — Montréal outshot Ottawa in the third 10-6 and in OT 1-0.
- Claire Dalton’s second period goal marked the first time a player making their professional debut scored.
- The record-breaking, sold-out crowd of 8,318 fans broke three previous professional women’s hockey attendance records: worldwide record (7,765 – SDHL, 2022), North American regular-season record (5,938 – CWHL, 2016), overall North American record (8,122 – CWHL All-Star 2017).
- Five players and one coach from today’s game played in the previous highest attended regular-season professional women’s hockey game: Marie Philip-Poulin, Ann-Sophie Bettez and Sarah Lefort of PWHL Montreal all played for Les Canadiennes de Montréal— Emerance Maschmeyer and Brianne Jenner of PWHL Ottawa played for the Calgary Inferno, as did Ottawa’s current assistant coach Hayley Irwin.
- Seven players and one coach from today’s game played in the 2017 CWHL All-Star Game, the previous overall North American attendance record: Poulin, Bettez, Lefort, Laura Stacey and Erin Ambrose of PWHL Montreal; Jenner, Maschmeyer, and Irwin of PWHL Ottawa.
- More PWHL Firsts:
- First home team to score: PWHL Ottawa
- First penalty shot: Marie Philip-Poulin
- First goal review (on disallowed goal by Mikyla Grant-Mentis)
- First powerplay goal: Hayley Scamurra (PWHL Ottawa)
- First overtime game
- First overtime goal: Ann-Sophie Bettez