Vancouver Goldeneyes: Vancouver wins 4-3 with OT goal

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The Vancouver Goldeneyes’ opening night went so well that Sarah Nurse, who’s seen a thing or two in her hockey career, was talking in superlatives.

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Before an announced sellout crowd of 14,958 at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver won its inaugural game in the PWHL 4-3 in overtime, defeating the Seattle Torrent on a goal by Abby Boreen 1:36 into the extra session. The fans showed up early, with the kids putting up signs on the glass one hour before the puck drop. No word on how much team merchandise is left over, but it can’t be much, since it felt like everyone was wearing a jersey or a T-shirt or a hoodie with a Goldeneye logo.

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Various other Vancouver teams were on hand to support, and the Goldeneyes neatly recognized them all. The music was pumping, the energy was upbeat. It didn’t feel like it was the first time the team has done this. It felt polished. It felt, most of all, like they created some return business by night’s end.

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The Goldeneyes had separate press conferences to unveil their jerseys and their team name and the new-look Coliseum. They probably could have had one media availability for all that. They had scrimmages behind closed doors. That felt like a miss. The home opener? They nailed al the right notes, including offering up story time with the ever eloquent Nurse afterwards.

“I’ve played a lot of hockey games — a lot of really big hockey games — and I’ve never felt the emotion and I’ve never felt emotional like I have in that first 20 minutes of the game,” Nurse, the veteran Canadian international forward, told the media. “It felt like something different was in the air, like I’ve never experienced.

“And, so, I have nothing but thanks and gratitude for this whole organization, the PNE, the league, for placing us in a pretty special place.”

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It’s the third year for women’s hockey pro league, and Vancouver and Seattle bring the PWHL to eight teams. The Goldeneyes are the first hockey tenant for the Coliseum since the WHL’s Vancouver Giants left for the Langley Events Centre ahead of the 2016-17 season.

The Coliseum looked fresh and crisp, and there was a Goldeneyes logo everywhere you turned. They’re the lone team in the PWHL that has its logo at centre ice. All that connects for this group of players it seems.

“Getting to come to work every day and seeing it’s all about us is something that we’ve never ever had before,” Nurse said. “I joked through training camp that every day there was some new sign or some new branding somewhere in the arena and to see it slowly come together over the last week has been something so special.

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“We are the priority. We’ve never ever been a priority before. We’ve been No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 but to be No. 1 is something we’ve never been used to. It’s going to set a standard for the rest of the league.”

Nurse scored Vancouver’s first goal. Boreen and Claire Thompson had a goal and an assist. Gabby Rosenthal also had a goal, and Emerance Maschmeyer made 24 saves in the Vancouver net.

Julia Gosling tallied twice for Seattle.

We live blogged the game. Check out the recap.

9:56 p.m.: Vancouver wins it 4-3. Abby Boreen scores at 1:36 into the extra session.

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9:52 p.m.: We’re going to OT. Vancouver and Seattle knotted 3-3 after three periods. Shots are 27-25 in favour of the Torrent. OT is 3-on-3.

9:48 p.m.: We’re tied 3-3. Thompson sneaks in from the point and slots one home for Vancouver in a scramble with 2:03 remaining.

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9:43 p.m.: Video review overturns the call on the ice. It’s a Hannah Bilka tally at 13:47 to give Seattle a 3-2 lead.

9:41p.m.: Add the Vancouver Canucks to the teams getting shoutouts on the big screen. There’s several players in a suite. Looked like Aatu Räty had a Goldeneyes jersey on.

9:39 p.m.: Refs just waved off a Seattle goal. We’re still 2-2. There’s 6:13 left. It is under review.

9:01 p.m. : We’re tied 2-2. Rosenthal takes a feed from Boreen and from her off wing beats Seattle netminder Corinne Schroeder glove side to the far post at 19:01 of the third period.

8:57 p.m.: We’re through two and Seattle still leads 2-1. Shots are 20-19 in Vancouver’s favour. Feels like Seattle had more of the play in the second and especially in the later stages.

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8:49 p.m.: James Butler and Nathan Rourke of the B.C. Lions are here and get a shoutout on the big screen. More kudos to how the Goldeneyes are running tonight.

8:41 p.m.: Just had a conversation with someone who was “surprised this used to be an NHL rink.” I’m angry. And I’m officially old now.

 8:22 p.m.: Texted with Julie Smulders. She’s one of the heads of She’s Got Next, the Vancouver group that’s looking to both support women’s sport and give women leaders a chance to network at something other than a pricey fundraiser dinner.

I have all sorts of time for Julie and should have gone to see her, but with this crowd that felt like a daunting task.

She’s Got Next has 64 seasons tickets — section 107 — and another 50 or so members scattered around the rink. Tonight, they have corporate professionals from Deloitte, PwC, RBC, and Aviso at the game.

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“People are showing up together from all walks of life and will continue to support this team, and the NSL Champion Rise FC. First of many sold out games!” Smulders wrote.

More from Smulders: “This shows that Vancouver is the home for women’s sports.”

8:17 p.m.: We’re back underway in the second period. The intermissions crowds were a traffic jam.

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7:57 p.m.: First period is over. It’s 2-1 for Seattle. Gosling followed up Nurse’s goal at 17:41 with a tally at 19:04.

7:52 p.m.: It’s 1-1. Nurse scores first-ever Goldeneyes goal. And, yes, people went bonkers.

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7:49 p.m.: Lina knows. Listen to Lina.

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7:47 p.m.: TSN broadcast just showed Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko and centre Teddy Blueger In one of the luxury boxes. Hat tip to colleague Patrick Johnston.

7:45 p.m.: Seattle scores with 5:20 left in the first to go up 1-0. Gosling jumps on a loose puck in a scramble and fires it home.

7:40 p.m.: Members of the Northern Super League champion Vancouver Rise are introduced during a play stoppage. Goldeneyes doing well to spread the love.

7:37 p.m.: Best chance to date as Vancouver’s Boreen tries to go five-hole on a breakaway on Schroeder but Schroeder holds her ground. It’s still 0-0, with 8:09 to go in the first period.

7:25 p.m.: Crowd is “ohhing …” and “awing …” every time Vancouver gets near the Seattle net. Very lively group. Place could become unhinged when the Goldeneyes score.

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7:24 p.m.: Game is underway. Being told there’s still a lineup to get into the building.

7:19 p.m.: We’ll leave this here.

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7:11 p.m.: Goldeneyes hitting all the right notes — called on soccer great Christine Sinclair for the ceremonial faceoff.

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7:09 p.m.: First “Let’s go Goldeneyes,” chant. Haven’t even had a puck drop yet.

7:05 p.m.: Smart move by the Goldeneyes bringing in Al Murdoch — the Canucks usual public address announcer — to handle proceedings. Murdoch is such a pro.

7:01 p.m.: Goldeneyes celebrating former tenants, with Darcy Rota, Dave Babych and Nathan LaFayette representing the Canucks and Bronson Maschmeyer on hand for the Giants. Maschmeyer, of course, is the big brother of Goldeneyes goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer.

6:48 p.m.: Videotaped speech from tennis great Billie Jean King, who’s one of the PWHL’s executives, draws more cheers.

6:30 p.m.: Goldeneyes take to the ice for the warm-up to a loud cheer.

6:14 p.m.: The crowd is young and energetic. The house music is pumping. Nurse talks about how PWHL games are a little like Taylor Swift concerts. Bet she’s bang on.

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Partner-in-crime Gemma Karstens-Smith of Canadian Press brings up how the lineups at the merchandise stands are starting to get lengthy and suggests the rink may be sold out of jerseys and T-shirts and other souvenirs before the game ends. Bet she’s bang on.

5:58 p.m.: Signs are starting to find their spots along the boards. We’re at least 30 minutes from warm-up, more than an hour from the game.

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5:30 p.m.: Ran into another Coliseum staffer that I knew from the Giants’ days. He says staff are excited about the team, and they’re ready for the crowd. He says the last event that packed the venue was probably a Sabrina Carpenter concert in November 2024. I’d imagine it’ll be a similar demographic.

5:15 p.m.: The rink looks superb. Ran into a rink staffer that I knew from the Giants’ days who says that things have really come together over the past five or six days in that regard. I bet it shows well on TV.

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4:59 p.m.: There are lineups to get in.

4:55 p.m.: Park by the Agrodome. The lot is filling up already. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

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