Northgate, WA - The Seattle Women's hockey club hosted the UW Women's hockey team at the Kraken community Iceplex on Monday, December 13th in front of a good sized crowd. The Huskies would be victorious in this contest, coming out on top by a score of 1-0 thanks to Alex Gardner's goal with 3:40 left to go in the second period. Washington would dominate the offensive attack, only netting the one goal.
Pre-game, with both teams ready to hit the ice
Goaltender battle
It was a close affair, but as mentioned earlier, the Huskies dominated the shots. Seattle would be able to get multiple one on one opportunities, but UW's goaltender Vic Sanford great save after great save to keep the Huskies opponent off the board. The Seattle goaltender made several great saves as well, using their blocker and pads several times to deny Washington. This was a game that easily could have gone the distance without a score, but Alex Gardner's eventual winner made sure that didn't happen.
Getting a little chippy
The Huskies had a player in the penalty box three times, as Bella McQuade would be sent in twice and Leah Johnson would spend some time in the box as well. The second time, McQuade was warned that this is a "non-contact league," to the amusement of the players and the crowd. There were some hits in this game, both along the boards and in the middle of the ice, but both teams avoided injury.
Post-game
Other notes from the game
The Huskies started off the first few minutes of the opening period without a goaltender, and instead with six skaters on the ice. Goaltender Vic Sanford, who helps the team train and work at the Iceplex, would join Washington shortly into the start of the game.
Mia Filardi and Leah Johnson seemed to dominate puck possession during their shifts, showing great promise for this Husky team that is building it's chemistry. Bella McQuade showed good puck handling skill as well as her grit, making some hits in addition to earning some time in the penalty box.
Washington had a handful of players available off the bench, but they were far from full strength. Typically, the team will have about 22 skaters, and only had 11 this game. It will be great to see that as the club team looks to solidify it's roster and prepares to face other universities teams from the area when they are filled out as well.
While the Huskies schedule is not currently set in stone, Circling Seattle sports will do it's best to keep you in the loop on their next contests, who they will be against and where they will be. Consider supporting the team financially! As the team is a club team and not part of the NCAA, all expenses come out of the players and coaches pockets. Any support helps them and grows the game of hockey, especially women's hockey. You can check their website out here: https://whockeyuw.wixsite.com/whockeyuw