Centre Hanna Miller scored a milestone goal as the Vancouver Goldeneyes kept their slim Professional Women’s Hockey League playoff hopes alive with a 4-1 win over the Seattle Torrent in a battle between two expansion teams on Tuesday night.
Sarah Nurse, Anna Meixner and Madison Samoskevich also scored for Vancouver, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Defenceman Ashton Bell added two assists.
Miller’s goal was her fourth of the season and 50th career PWHL point.
Mikyla Grant-Mentis scored for Seattle, which was eliminated from the playoff hunt.
The Goldeneyes improved to 8-1-4-14 for 30 points and sit seventh in the eight-team league. The Torrent, who have just two wins in their last six games, are last in the league with a 7-1-3-16 record for 26 points.
The top four teams advance to the playoffs. The Ottawa Charge currently sit fourth with 36 points (7-7-1-12).
Vancouver goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 29 shots. Her shutout bid ended when Grant-Mentis beat her with a floating shot midway through the third period.
One of her best saves came in the second period during a Seattle power play when she stopped an Alex Carpenter shot from a sharp angle. In the third period Maschmeyer had the Pacific Coliseum crowd on their feet after a pad save on Aneta Tejralova.
Seattle goalie Corinne Schroeder stopped 11 of 15 shots before being pulled in the second period. Carley Jackson stopped all nine shots in relief.
Miller gave Vancouver a 2-0 lead at 6:37 of the second period. She took a pass from Jenn Gardiner, stepped around a Torrent defenceman, and fired a shot past Schroeder.
The opening period was just 2:18 old when Nurse deflected in a shot for her seventh goal of the season to give Vancouver a 1-0 lead.
Goldeneyes: With 24 goals and 25 assists, Nurse is just one point away from 50 … Nurse’s goal was Vancouver’s 16th in the first period this season. Only Seattle with 14 has scored less. … Vancouver has six home wins this year (5-1-3-4) … Goldeneye defenders have scored 12 goals, second most in the PWHL behind Boston with 14.
Torrent: The Torrent have allowed 20 opening goals this season, tying them for most in the league with Vancouver. … Seattle has just two road wins this season (1-1-2-11) … Fifty Torrent fans made a bus trip to Vancouver to cheer on their team.
Meixner and Samoskevich broke the game open with goals 33 seconds apart in the second period to give Vancouver a 4-0 lead. First Meixner put a shot over Schroeder’s shoulder then Samoskevich drilled a shot past her stick side on a breakaway. It was Samoskevich’s first PWHL goal and point and also ended Schroeder’s night.
Miller had 17 goals and 21 assists in 42 games with Toronto before joining Vancouver. She has four goals and eight assists in 27 games this season.
Torrent: Host the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.
Goldeneyes: Visit the Seattle Torrent on Saturday.