HARTFORD, Conn. 鈥� The United States women's hockey beat Canada 4-1 on Saturday night, with players hoping the first in a series of five games between the international rivals will help kindle the public鈥檚 interest in both their sport and their fight off the ice for better professional opportunities.
Canada's Victoria Bach and the Megan Keller of the U.S. traded power-play goals in the first period, before Amanda Kessel put the U.S. on top for good with a player advantage in the second. Abbe Roque's backhand in the period gave the US a 3-1 lead and Alex Carpenter beat Genevieve Lacasse for the final goal 1:15 seconds later.
More than 7,000 fans showed up for the international competition, which comes after more than 200 members of what has since become the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association announced in May they would not play professionally in North America during the 2019-2020 season.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important for people to watch us play and see the level of talent and entertainment that鈥檚 out there,鈥� Kessel said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 getting that understanding that we need to help get us a place to play year-round so that people can see us more than five times a year.鈥�
The women are seeking a professional league that provides a living wage, health insurance, infrastructure and support for training. The Canadian Women's Hockey League shut down in the spring after 12 years of operation, leaving only the five-team National Women's Hockey League, where most players make less than $10,000 a season.
鈥淭he product is there,鈥� Kessel said. 鈥淭he people to watch it are there. We just need a structure set in place.鈥�
Sarah Nurse, a forward for Team Canada, whose cousin Kia Nurse plays for New York in the WNBA, said players are hoping to get support from the NHL, which has, so far, expressed little interest in investing in a women鈥檚 league.
鈥淲e can look at (the WNBA) and see that women鈥檚 sports have value and they have a place in this world,鈥� said Nurse, who made $2,000 last season playing in the CWHL. 鈥淭hat is definitely a model that we look to.鈥�
The rivalry series was created after the Four Nations Cup in Sweden was
Without a viable pro league, players who are out of college have been training on their own at random rinks across North America in between gatherings of the national teams or training sessions and exhibitions sponsored by the players association.
Canada won two of those over the US in Pittsburgh last month.
But the lack of consistent competition can stunt the players鈥� development, especially when it comes to be being prepared for world and Olympic competitions, the players said.
鈥淚t's very unfortunate,鈥� Nurse said. 鈥淕ames are when we truly get better and test out our skills, so it's unfortunate that we don't have more games to play.鈥�
Cayla Barnes, who plays
鈥淭hey are putting so much on the line for the younger generations,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ot just for us college kids who are coming up, but for U-8, U-10 girls who are coming up so they have opportunities later on. So I think all of us who are younger are trying to support them in whatever way we can.鈥�
Hundreds of girls wearing their youth hockey jerseys attended the game, chanting 鈥淯-S-A鈥� as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
鈥淚 want to be like them, like in the Olympics when I get older," said 14-year-old Leila Espirito Santo, of Glastonbury "I started playing when I was in fourth grade and I wasn't the best, but watching them play made me want to be better. It showed me I could do it."
The teams will meet again on Tuesday in Moncton, New Brunswick. Other games part of the 2019-20 Rivalry Series are slated for Feb. 3 and Feb. 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Feb. 8 in Anaheim, California.
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Pat Eaton-Robb, The Associated Press
