Goldeneyes Rally Back in Hockeytown for First Road Win

The Vancouver Goldeneyes fought back against the league’s top team, the Boston Fleet, after going down 3-1 in Detroit for their first win on the road. 

It was Fleet rookie, Olivia Mobley, who struck first in Hockeytown off a pass from Ella Huber. This is Mobley’s second game in a row with a goal. But, it didn’t take long for the Goldneyes to answer, with BC native Hannah Miller bringing the puck in from the top of the offensive zone, Boston got a poke at the puck, but Miller reclaimed the puck, shooting from the slot to tie the game early. 

Minutes later, Susana Tapani scored off a pass from Sophie Shirley that created a breakaway that Tapani was able to capitalize on to take the lead back for the Fleet, heading into the second period. The second period was scoreless, with both teams’ defence and goaltending on point. 

The Fleet came out hard in the third with Jamie Lee Rattray scoring just 19 seconds into the period for her first of the season, to make it a two-goal game. 

Then it was Claire Thompson for the Goldeneyes, collecting the rebound from Michela Cava’s shot, to get Vancouver back into the game. Minutes later, Boston would take a tripping penalty, putting the Goldeneyes on the power-play, and it would be Sophie Jaques with a snipe from the top of the offensive zone to tie the game. 

Thompson and Jaques both joined the Goldeneyes in the exclusive signing window, before the expansion draft from the Minnesota Frost. They’ve been paired up all season on the blue line, making several important plays on defence for the Goldeneyes while also being the top contributors on offence, leading the team with 3 goals each. 

Minutes later, Hannah Miller brought the puck back into the Goldeneyes offensive zone before getting tangled up, but Jenn Gardiner was able to pick it up and bring it deep, passing to Izzy Daniel in front of the net, who was able to get a quick tip into the net for the game winner. 

Goldeneyes First Win on the Road 

The win marks the Goldeneyes' first win on the road, which comes at a good time as teams are heating up starting the new year. They now move up from the bottom to sixth overall and will look to carry this momentum as they gear up for the second half of their 6-game road trip. 

The team has definitely had their struggles trying to find their rhythm and create chemistry on their lines. This has been one of their best outings as a team. If they are able to keep the momentum alive and continue within that rhythm and chemistry, they’re going to be a tough team to face. 

Goldeneye Headed to the Olympics 

Michelle Karvinen has been named to Finland's Olympic roster for the upcoming Milano-Cortina Games in February. This will be her fifth Olympics; so far, she has brought home 3 bronze medals (2010, 2018, 2022). 

So far, Karvinen is the only Goldeneye player named to an Olympic roster, though they are expected to have a few more when Canada announces their roster January 9th. 

Fleet Headed to the Olympics 

Susana Tapani will be joining Michelle Karvinen on Finland’s Olympic roster, in her fourth appearance. She was a part of the bronze medal teams in 2018 and 2022. 

For the USA, Fleet Captain Megan Keller will be making her third appearance. She was a part of the gold medal team in 2018 and the silver medal team in the 2022 games. Joining her will be Aerin Frankel and Haley Winn, who are both making their Olympic debuts. Frankel and Winn have been a force all season for the Fleet. 

Attendance at an All-Time Low for Detroit

Historically, Detroit has been one of the most popular Takeover stops, drawing in a crowd of 13,736 in 2024 and 14,288 in 2025, setting the US attendance record both times. While this time around attendance took a major dip, only bringing in 9,364 fans. This year, Hockeytown has 2 stops on the Takeover Tour, which may have contributed to this low attendance, along with the teams playing in the game. 

The PWHL, now in their third season, has grown their fan base massively across North America. With the league now having been around, fans are picking their teams and loudly supporting them, leading to several questions around Detroit’s low attendance this time around. Could it simply boil down to who was visiting? And if so, will Motor City bring in more fans for their second stop when the New York Sirens take on the Montreal Victoire, March 28th?