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THEY PACKED THE PRACTICES at the Kraken Community Iceplex, hoping to
sneak a peek at their visiting heroes, and jostled for position in the corridors and along
the railings leading to the ice for an autograph or a wave and a smile from a member
of the U.S. Women's National Team.
And when it came time for the puck to drop on the highly-anticipated Rivalry Series
game pitting the U.S. against Canada at Climate Pledge Arena on Nov. 20, young female
fans and their families were there to set a new U.S. record for a women's hockey game.
"I've never played in front of such a big crowd," said U.S. netminder Nicole Hensley,
who stopped 22 shots in the victory. "I was excited, our whole team was excited —you
could tell with the way we came out."
The announced crowd of 14,551 fans eclipsed the previous mark of 13,320 in
Anaheim for a similar exhibition against Canada in 2019-20. And like that game, the
U.S. squad didn't disappoint the home crowd, clawing out a 4-2 victory in the third
game of the seven-game Rivalry Series, and the first of three slated for U.S. soil.
"Thanks to everyone who bought tickets and were excited to come out and see us
play," said U.S. captain Kendall Coyne-Schofield. "It's moments like this that really
transcend the game and take it to higher levels." P
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM
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