Goldeneyes Home Winning Streak Continues

There is no question that the hottest ticket in town is one that you can purchase at the PNE’s Coliseum to attend an upcoming Vancouver Goldeneyes game who continues to draw impressive numbers.    

Regardless of the weather conditions which were horrific for those driving to the City the weather clearly wasn’t a detriment for those attending.

The Pacific Coliseum has already begun to feel like home for the Vancouver Goldeneyes, and Tuesday night only strengthened that connection.

The Goldeneyes earned a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Charge in a goaltenders’ duel at the Coliseum, improving to 2-3-1-0 and remaining unbeaten at the historic venue in their inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League season. 

Ottawa dropped to 1-4-0-0 and remained at the bottom of the league standings.

Katie Chan and Jenn Gardiner scored for Vancouver, while Kristen Campbell turned aside 33 shots to backstop the victory. 

Anna Shokhina provided the lone goal for the Charge, and Gwyneth Philips made 27 saves in defeat.

While the Goldeneyes had already played at Pacific Coliseum earlier this season, each game continues to reinforce the significance of the building’s return to top-level professional hockey.

The Goldeneyes became the league’s first team to be the primary tenant in their home arena, allowing the Coliseum to be fully configured and branded for women’s professional hockey — a rare opportunity in the modern sports landscape.

Tuesday marked my first opportunity to cover a Goldeneyes game in person, and the experience underscored how naturally the building has adapted to its new role. 

From the concourse to the seating bowl, the Coliseum carried the feel of a venue rediscovering its hockey identity, rather than debuting one.

Before puck drop, the Goldeneyes held a pre-game ceremony honouring women in uniform, setting a meaningful tone for the evening. 

During warmups, I took a walk high into the upper reaches of the arena, standing near the rafters where legendary broadcaster Jim Robson once called Canucks games. 

From that vantage point, the connection between the building’s past and present was impossible to miss.

On the ice, Vancouver opened the scoring midway through the first period. At 7:50, Chan netted her first PWHL goal by batting home a rebound from Hannah Miller. 

The opening frame featured momentum swings in both directions, but the Goldeneyes carried a 1-0 lead into the intermission.

Vancouver extended its advantage early in the second period. Gardiner picked off a defence-to-defence pass at 3:36, protected the puck with a strong power move and finished past Philips for an unassisted goal. Despite Ottawa hitting the crossbar twice and generating sustained pressure later in the period, the Goldeneyes maintained a 2-0 edge after 40 minutes.

The Charge mounted a push in the third, finally breaking through at 14:17 when Shokhina scored her first PWHL goal to pull Ottawa within one. 

The visitors pressed hard in the closing minutes, including a short-handed breakaway by Rory Guilday midway through the frame, but Campbell slid across her crease to make a key save and preserve the lead.

Vancouver closed out the 2-1 victory, extending its home winning streak and continuing a defensive turnaround. 

After being outscored 13-6 over their first three games, the Goldeneyes have now allowed just one goal across their last two contests.

Ottawa showed flashes of resilience, outshooting Vancouver early in the third period, but could not find the equalizer until late and ultimately ran out of time.

As the Goldeneyes continue to establish themselves, the Pacific Coliseum is no longer a novelty stop or temporary solution. 

With each game, it is becoming a true home — one that honours its history while supporting the growth of women’s professional hockey in Vancouver.

The Goldeneyes will look to keep their perfect home record intact Saturday when they welcome the Montreal Victoire, while the Charge continue their West Coast swing Wednesday against the Seattle Torrent.