(Seattle) The Montreal Victory blew a 2-0 cushion and lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Boston Fleet on Sunday in Seattle, on the occasion of the kick-off of La Grande Tournée the LPHF.
Posted at 7:18 p.m.
Hannah Brandt, Hannah Bilka and Susanna Tapani scored in rounds 1, 3 and 4 for Boston, which ended a three-game losing streak.
On the opposing side, the only goal of the session came from captain Marie-Philip Poulin, the first from Victory to start.
During overtime, the Fleet won 7-2 in terms of shots. Montreal was down one player in the first 1:47.
Laura Stacey was frustrated on a breakaway midway through the extra period.
She had hit the mark in regular time, on the power play.
The other goal of the Victory came from Abby Boreen.
The Montreal team was looking for a fifth victory in a row.
Stacey scored at 6:28 in the first period, earning her third goal of the season. Posted at the left mouth, she took advantage of the rebound against the boards of an off-target shot from Jennifer Gardiner.
Boreen doubled the lead at 16:37 in the first period with a wrist shot from the left circle.
Kristin O’Neill drove into the heart of the area before playing a short delivery to Boreen, who scored her third goal of the campaign.
Bilka reduced the margin in the middle of the second period, thanks to a one-timer. The pass came from Megan Keller.
Tapani tied the game midway through the third period, deflecting a Keller shot.
Ann-Renée Desbiens made 28 saves for Montreal, while Aerin Frankel stopped 23 shots.
The two clubs played against each other on December 30 in Laval, where the Victoire won 3-1. Montreal and Boston also crossed swords in the 3 of 5 semi-finals last May. Boston swept the series with three overtime wins.
The ceremonial puck drop was made by Jessica Campbell, assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken.
Originally from Saskatchewan and aged 32, Campbell became the first woman to be named coach in the NHL this season.
The Climate Pledge Arena hosted the kick-off of The LPHF Grand Tour.
Between now and March 29, there will be eight other circuit games on neutral soil, in NHL arenas and the Videotron Center.
La Victoire will be involved in the next three matches of this type: January 8 in Vancouver (against Toronto), January 12 in Denver (against Minnesota) and January 19 in Quebec (against Ottawa).
The Montreal clan will play again on Wednesday at Rogers Arena, against the Sceptres.
