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River Dragons Flounder, 7-3

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Columbus, GA – The Columbus River Dragons suffered a tough loss against the Monroe Moccasins in a highly contentious matchup.

Over 2,300 local Columbus fans looked on as Columbus’ disorganization on the ice led to a bench minor for too many men on the ice, helping Monroe to pull off an early 2-0 lead at the end of the first period on goals scored by Helmer Oskarsson and Corey Cunningham.

Columbus allowed a goal at 14:12 by Scott Coash, to put Monroe up 3-0 and concluding the second frame.

The third period was red hot. Columbus’ Ryan Hunter eliminated Monroe’s hopes of a shutout, putting Columbus on the board at 2:08 and making it 3-1.

The Moccasins answered quickly, with Coash (at 3:35) and Cunningham (PPG at 4:43) scoring their second of the night, putting them up 5-1 over the River Dragons.

Momentum shifted in favor of Columbus for a bit, scoring twice in 9 seconds. Nolan Slachetka scored a 3-on-3 goal at 10:31 on an assist by Preston Kugler (marking his first FPHL point) and Alexander Jmaeff scored his 100th FPHL goal on a 4-on-4 play at 10:40, closing the gap on the Moccasins to 5-3.

Following Nathan Balkwill’s fighting (5 minute major) and game misconduct, Oskarsson buried his second of the night and gifted Monroe another 3-point lead over Columbus, making it 6-3.

Blake Anderson closed it out for the Moccasins, scoring a short-handed goal at 16:10 and sealing the win over the River Dragons, 7-3.

The River Dragons allowed a season-high 7 goals in this matchup, and recorded a total of 32 penalty minutes.

The Monroe Moccasins will remain in Columbus tonight, where the River Dragons look to settle the score and avoid the weekend sweep.

Fans in Columbus will enjoy Ugly Sweater Night and their annual Teddy Bear Toss tonight.

River Dragons Win Over Sea Wolves

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Columbus, GA – The Columbus River Dragons raised their hands in victory in front of over 2,300 fans, winning their fourth out of their last five games, and turned away 17 out of 18 shots on goal made by the visiting Mississippi Sea Wolves.

Steven Klinck and Ryan Galvin each scored in the first period, gifting the River Dragons an early 2-0 lead over the Sea Wolves.

Ryan Hunter pushed the River Dragons to a 3-0 lead over the Sea Wolves, scoring on an assist by Kyle Moore at 17:05 in the second period.

Columbus’ Sammy Bernard would have managed a shut out, had Noah Hyppolite-Smith not capitalized on a loose puck after just nine seconds into the third period. Although it appeared that Mississippi might alter the game’s momentum and make a comeback, the River Dragons defense allowed Mississippi only three additional shots on goal and secured the win.

Columbus’ Nathan Balkwill returned to active roster after being injured in the 23-24 playoffs against Carolina, playing his first game of the 24-25 season, and brought new life into the River Dragons’ defensive lineup.

Columbus will remain at home to host the Monroe Moccasins this weekend at the Columbus Civic Center on Friday at 7:35 pm, and again Saturday at 7:05 pm.

Saturday night’s game will be a fun time at the Civic Center, where fans can enjoy Ugly Sweater Night and the annual Teddy Bear Toss.

Sirens sign Kayla Vespa

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NEW YORK– The New York Sirens today announced the signing of forward Kayla Vespa to a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement (SPA).“Through her passion, speed, and consistency, Kayla brings a unique energy to every shift,” said Sirens General Manager Pascal Daoust. “This makes her the kind of teammate you want by your side in battle.”Vespa, who began the season on the team’s Reserve Player list, appeared in 23 games for New York during the inaugural season, scoring two goals and one assist for three points. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Vespa spent her NCAA career at St. Lawrence University in Potsdam, NY.

In a corresponding roster move, the Sirens have placed forward Jill Saulnier on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) due to an upper-body injury sustained on Dec. 1 against Minnesota.

PHN’s Best Shots of the Game: Icemen defeat Solar Bears, 3-1

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Icemen were victorious on Tuesday night, as they handed the visiting Orlando Solar Bears a 3-1 defeat.

PHN’s Trina Kirk was on hand and caught the following images.

 

Contact the photographer: Trina.Kirk@prohockeynews.com

Charge win home opener over the Sceptres

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OTTAWA, ON  – A two-goal surge in the third period allowed the Ottawa Charge to win their Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) home opener by a 3-2 score over the Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday night at TD Place. Tereza Vanišová set up Jincy Roese for a power play goal to tie the game, then Vanišová lifted the crowd of 6,451 by scoring the winner a few minutes later. Mannon McMahon put the home side on the board with her first career goal, but Sarah Nurse replied and Izzy Daniel’s first put the Sceptres in front in the middle frame. In a typical, tightly contested PWHL game, the suspense lasted until the end, with the visitors having a chance to tie the score in the last second of play, but Emerance Maschmeyer stood up tall to pull the Charge’s first win of the season.

QUOTES

Ottawa rookie Mannon McMahon on scoring the first goal of the season at TD Place: “It was a surprise, almost. I was just going out there, doing my job. I got a nice pass from (Alexa Vasko) and found myself alone with the goalie. It was amazing. It was a team win today, so it was nice to be part of that.”

 

Charge Head Coach Carla MacLeod on her team’s successful run against Toronto dating back to last season: “I think every team in this league is so highly competitive. I don’t think there’s an advantage over one team or another. I don’t think we’ve got anything special over Toronto. I don’t think any team has anything special over us. I always think there’s a natural excitement when we play Toronto. I’m fairly new to Ottawa, but I’ve learned very quickly that there’s a natural energy when Toronto comes into town. That’s part of the vibe.”

 

Toronto forward Daryl Watts on returning to Ottawa: “It was fun. The fans here are so great, so the atmosphere was really electric. It’s tough to lose, but it’s just the second game of the season so we definitely have a lot to learn off of this one.”
Toronto Head Coach Troy Ryan on the team’s loss: “Obviously you can put it into perspective at this point in the year. I just would have liked to see a little bit more compete. A little bit more composure at times, so it’s frustrating but obviously nothing to get too stressed about in game two. From what I know of our group, it seemed to be out of character.”

NOTABLES

For the first time, a PWHL all-Ontario matchup was settled by a single goal, breaking the trend from last season when all five games were decided by margins of two or more goals.

Ottawa secured its first-ever regulation win by a one-goal margin. Last season, the team led the league with 10 one-goal defeats in 11 games (0-1-6-4).

Tereza Vanišová (OTT) scored in back-to-back games to open the season and recorded her second multi-point game as a member of the Charge in eight appearances.

Sarah Nurse (TOR) extended her regular season goal scoring streak to three games dating back to last season. With her multi-point performance, she now has three goals and four assists in her last four games against Ottawa.

Kateřina Mrázová (OTT) recorded her first two assists of the campaign. She led the Charge with 12 helpers in 23 games last season.

Ottawa fifth round pick Mannon McMahon opened the scoring with her first career PWHL goal. Alexa Vasko, who signed as a free agent with the Charge in the offseason, recorded the primary assist for her first point of the season against her former team.

Toronto third round pick Izzy Daniel scored her first career PWHL goal, assisted by fourth round pick Lauren Bernard who recorded her first career point. The second period tally was the first 5-on-5 goal for the Sceptres this season.

Charge alternate captain Jincy Roese scored her first career PWHL goal in her 26th career game. The defender had five assists in 24 games during the inaugural season.

With one assist tonight, Hannah Miller (TOR) extended her point streak to five games dating back to last season.

Defenders Renata Fast (TOR), Ronja Savolainen (OTT) and Aneta Tejralová (OTT) have each recorded assists in back-to-back games to open the season.

Emily Clark (OTT) leads the league with 10 shots on goal after tying for the game-high with five.

Jocelyne Larocque (TOR) was credited with 27:16 time on ice – the highest figure in the league this season.

Toronto allowed three goals against, excluding empty netters, for the first time in 11 games, a streak that includes the 2024 PWHL Playoffs.

All four PWHL games to date have had at least one power play goal bringing the overall success rate to 33.3%.

Home teams are now 3-1 to open the 2024-25 campaign. Last season, PWHL teams were 1-5 in home openers, with Minnesota picking up the only victory. 

SCORESHEET RECAP

Toronto 1 1 0 – 2
Ottawa 1 0 2 – 3

1st Period-1, Ottawa, McMahon 1 (Vasko, Tejralová), 6:08. 2, Toronto, Nurse 2 (Miller, Fast), 19:04 (PP). Penalties-Savolainen Ott (tripping), 12:27; Serdachny Ott (interference), 18:59.

2nd Period-3, Toronto, Daniel 1 (Bernard, Nurse), 15:22. Penalties-Bach Tor (tripping), 9:12.

3rd Period-4, Ottawa, Roese 1 (Vanišová, Mrázová), 5:42 (PP). 5, Ottawa, Vanišová 2 (Mrázová, Savolainen), 8:53. Penalties-Compher Tor (holding), 4:46; Savolainen Ott (boarding), 19:55.

Shots on Goal-Toronto 8-8-6-22. Ottawa 8-11-12-31.

Power Play Opportunities-Toronto 1 / 3; Ottawa 1 / 2.

Goalies-Toronto, Campbell 1-1-0-0 (31 shots-28 saves). Ottawa, Maschmeyer 1-0-0-1 (22 shots-20 saves).

A-6,451

THREE STARS

1. Emily Clark (OTT)
2. Tereza Vanišová (OTT) 1G, 1A
3. Sarah Nurse (TOR) 1G, 1A

Carpenter, Poulin, and Boreen named PWHL 3 Stars of the Week

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NEW YORK AND TORONTO ( – New York Sirens forward Alex Carpenter, Montréal Victoire forward Marie-Philip Poulin, and Victoire forward Abby Boreen have been named the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) ‘3 Stars of the Week’ presented by SharkNinja Canada following opening weekend games ending Dec. 1.

FIRST STAR – ALEX CARPENTER, F, NEW YORK SIRENS

Carpenter scored two goals – including the overtime winner – and recorded a career-high three points to lead the Sirens to a 4-3 season-opening road victory against the Minnesota Frost on Sunday. The alternate captain picked up the primary assist on Jessie Eldridge’s power play goal to put the Sirens on the board and found instant chemistry with first overall pick Sarah Fillier who set up both tallies. The performance was reminiscent of Carpenter’s inaugural season success where she tied for the league lead with 10 power play points and two overtime goals. The 30-year-old from North Reading, MA tied for second overall in the PWHL with 23 points (8G, 15A) in 24 games last season and received First Team All-Star honors in addition to being named a finalist for Forward of the Year and the Billie Jean King MVP award.

SECOND STAR – MARIE-PHILIP POULIN, F, MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE

Poulin scored the shootout-winning goal to lift the Victoire to a 4-3 triumph over the Ottawa Charge on home ice on Saturday. Her performance also included six shots on goal and 18 faceoff wins on 21 draws while centering the top line between Laura Stacey and Lina Ljungblom. The captain’s goal came in the fifth round of the shootout on her second attempt and secured Montréal’s first-ever shootout win. Last season, Poulin led the league with six shootout opportunities and converted once. The 33-year-old from Beauceville, QC tied for second overall in the PWHL with 23 points (10G, 13A) in 21 games last season and was named a First Team All-Star and finalist for Forward of the Year and Billie Jean King MVP honors alongside Carpenter.

THIRD STAR – ABBY BOREEN, F, MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE

Boreen scored a goal and an assist to tie a career-high two points in her Montréal debut on Saturday, helping the Victoire to a 4-3 shootout victory at home against Ottawa. Her goal was the Victoire’s first of the season and was scored at even strength in the second period with the team trailing 2-0. She picked up the secondary assist on rookie Jennifer Gardiner’s game-tying goal on the power play midway through the third period. Boreen was selected by the Victoire in the third round of the 2024 PWHL Draft and signed a three-year deal in October. The 24-year-old from Somerset, WI spent last season as a reserve player for the Minnesota Frost where she won the Walter Cup. She recorded five points (4G, 1A) in nine regular season games and one assist in five playoff games.

The ‘3 Stars of the Week’ are announced each Monday throughout the regular season and playoffs encompassing games from the previous Monday through Sunday. Points will be awarded to each selection and will help determine rankings at the end of the year.

First Star = 30 Points
Second Star = 20 Points
Third Star = 10 Points

PWHL ‘3 Stars of the Week’ Standings:

1. Alex Carpenter (NY) = 30 Points
2. Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) = 20 Points
3. Abby Boreen (MTL) = 10 Points