Torrent set record in home debut

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With 3:57 left in the second period in yesterday’s contest between the Seattle Torrent and the Minnesota Frost, the crowd delivered its first `Ref, You Suck’ at Climate Pledge Arena. Yes, women’s hockey has arrived in the Emerald City.

Seattle Torrent captain Hilary Knight had been taken down, obviously interfered with away from the play, moments after Seattle had been called for a penalty. The referees may or may not have seen the play and no Minnesota penalty was forthcoming.

More so than the referees, the Torrent had the misfortune of facing the two-time Walter Cup champions, in their first-ever home game. Led by three of Knight’s Team USA chums, Kelly Pannek, Kendall Coyne-Scofield and goalie Nicole Hensley, the Frost spoiled the Torrent debut with a 3-0 victory.

However, there were a lot of positives starting with the Seattle setting a record for indoor women’s hockey attendance in the USA, 16,014, Not surprising, considering that Seattle’s the only city to have major league women’s teams in basketball, soccer and hockey. Among those in attendance were singer Brandi Carlile, US Senator Patty Murray, `Ru Paul Drag Race’ winner, Sasha Colan and Joey Daccord, Tye Kartye and assistant coach Jessica Campbell from the Kraken.

On the ice, Torrent coach Steve O’Rourke found positives in yesterday’s performance. ``I like a lot of things we did tonight—much better from Vancouver (where the Torrent lost their road opener, 4-3 in overtime).  I know the result isn’t what we want, but this is going to be a journey for us to get where we want.’’

The Frost, winners of the first two PWHL championships, lost their opener to Toronto last Friday night. The home team got off to a quick start with the first three shots of the game, but Pannek opened the scoring, firing from the slot off a nifty pass from Coyne-Scofield, one of the league’s elite players.

Pannek, the game’s number-one star added a second period goal and Grace Zumwinkle completed the scoring in the third. Grace and the Torrent’s Emily Zumwinkle are the only sisters in the league.

Hensley stopped all 30 shots she faced in the Frost net. Seattle goalkeeper Corine Schroeder had 22 saves on 25 shots. Knight, Alex Carpenter and Julia Gosling, who had two goals against Vancouver, all had five shots on goal in the contest.

At game’s end, the Torrent raised their sticks to the crowd and received an ovation.

``There’s something about Seattle that is so special,’’ said Knight, who grew up in California, Illinois and New Hampshire. ``The rich history of women’s sports and the stars that have graced this arena. We could feel the love. I wish we had won.’’

The crowd reaction meant`a little more to one member of the Torrent- forward Marah Wagner was born in Seattle and grew up in Woodinville. She played last season in Switzerland, but has helped coach young girls at the Kraken Ice Rink.

``It was absolutely tremendous,’’ said Wagner, who played college hockey at Robert Morris and RPI, a traditional hockey power. ``I’m just speechless, how loud the crowd got. It's just tremendous to see how much girls’ hockey and women's hockey has grown. I’m really, really thankful I have the opportunity to be able to share my love and passion of the game with them’’

While this marks the Torrent’s first home game, yesterday’s contest was the second women’s game at Climate Pledge Arena. The first was a Boston Fleet victory over the win over Montréal Victoire, 3-2 in a shootout, on Jan. 5. The game was part of the PWHL Takeover Tour with 12,608 fans in attendance.

Eight members of the Torrent played in that game. Knight, Emily Brown, Lexie Adzija and Hannah Bilka (who had a goal and an assist) played for Boston while Cayla Barnes (one assist0, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Mariah Keopple and Anna Wilgren skated for the Victoire.

Yesterday’s attendance also surpassed the NCAA women’s record set between St. Cloud State at Wisconsin (15,359) on Jan. 14, 2017. The PWHL record was set at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, March 16, 2025, in another Takeover Tour contest. In that game, 14,288 fans saw Minnesota face the New York Sirens
                      Climate Pledge goes dark before yesterday's game.




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