In February 2010, during the women’s hockey tournament at the Vancouver Olympic Games, Marie-Philip Poulin showed Canada all her talent and her ability to score memorable goals. Almost 15 years later, in the same amphitheater, she proved that she was still capable of amaze.
In an unusual manner, Poulin scored the eventual victorious goal, in the second period, in Montreal’s 4-2 victory against the Toronto Scepters, Wednesday evening, at Rogers Arena.
The Montreal team was leading 2-0 when Poulin scored the kind of goal that few players in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF), other than the Victoire captain, could have scored.
After recovering a loose puck near the Scepters blue line, Poulin advanced into the opposing zone before passing the puck to Erin Ambrose, whose shot was blocked.
The puck bounced about twenty feet from goalie Kristen Campbell’s goal and to Poulin, who had fallen to the ice. Kneeling and throwing herself forward, Poulin fired a hard-hitting wrist shot that crept into the upper right part of the net.
Poulin then sealed the outcome of the match by scoring the insurance goal in an empty cage at 19:09 of the third period, after Toronto had reduced Montreal’s lead to a single goal.
For the Victoire captain, these were her third and fourth goals of the season.
But above all, Wednesday evening took her back to her 18th birthday, when Poulin experienced her first unforgettable moments in the same sports arena.
On February 25, 2010, in the Olympic gold medal game against the United States, Poulin scored both goals for Canada in a 2–0 victory.
It’s been quite a long time, and coming back gave me chills. And it’s a privilege. I don’t take it for granted. It’s pretty fantastic to be a part of this.
For me, coming back to Vancouver definitely brings back memories that are very special. And another one tonight. Honestly, to be able to play in front of a full house in this new league, and represent Montreal, there is no better feeling,
added Beauceronne.
The match, the first in the young history of the LPHF to be presented in Vancouver, brought together 19,038 spectators. This is the best crowd of the second season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, and the third in the history of the circuit.
Many of those spectators were family members and friends of Jennifer Gardiner, a Victory forward who is originally from Surrey, British Columbia.
I was shaking, I was smiling, I was feeling every emotion possible, but I was also enjoying the moment
described Gardiner.
Playing at Rogers Arena is something I will never forget for the rest of my life, that’s for sure.
Mikyla Grant-Mentis also contributed to the victory with a goal, her second of the campaign, and an assist on Claire Dalton’s, also her second.
Even though she didn’t necessarily look good on the two goals she allowed, those from Daryl Watts and Jesse Compher, goalkeeper Ann-Renée Desbiens offered a solid performance, with 29 saves.
At the other end of the ice, Campbell blocked 21 pucks.
With this victory, the Victory (4-2-1-1 – 17 points) took first place in the standings, one point ahead of the Minnesota Frost, who defeated the Boston Fleet in overtime earlier Wednesday.
La Victoire will complete its trip to the American West next Sunday at the Ball Arena in Denver. Once again, the Kori Cheverie players will be the visiting club, this time against the Frost.
LPHF: Victory of Montreal v. Toronto Scepters
Photo: The Canadian Press / Ethan Cairns
A first this season
La Victoire got off to a good start in the first period and got off to an even better start in the second period. With the result that, for the first time this season, the Montreal team held a three-goal lead, before the half-hour mark was reached.
Grant-Mentis was the main architect of this productive first half of the match for Victory, first with her speed, then her tenacity.
Her speed allowed her to escape after she took a long pass from Anna Wilgren and opened the scoring at 4:53 of the first period with a shot into the lower left of the net.
His tenacity directly led to Dalton’s goal at 2:26 of the second period.
Despite pressure from rivals behind Campbell’s net, Grant-Mentis managed to hold on to the puck until she was able to spot Dalton, left exposed in the slot.
A precise backhand pass from Grant-Mentis and a lively shot, upon reception from Dalton, brought the score to 2-0 in favor of Victory.
After Poulin’s spectacular goal, scored at 7:48 of the middle period, the Victory’s three-goal lead lasted just 41 seconds.
During a penalty to Mariah Keopple, Watts scored the Scepters’ first goal with a wrist shot that passed between Desbiens’ right arm and body.
This was the only failure of the Montreal goalkeeper during the first 40 minutes of play. Desbiens notably made good saves against Blayre Turnbull and Compher in the last five minutes of a second period largely dominated by the Scepters.
Compher was able to recover at 6:53 of the third period. The American forward brought the Scepters within a goal of Montreal by beating Desbiens with a wrist shot that passed over the Victoire goalkeeper’s mitt.
