In women’s hockey there is nothing quite like Canada vs USA on the international stage, and earlier this month a trio of Premier Hockey Federation players got to experience this firsthand.
Canada’s Loren Gabel and Élizabeth Giguère, along with USA’s Becca Gilmore, are all members of the PHF’s Boston Pride, but for three games in November they represented their countries at the highest level of competition in the Rivalry Series.
“Amazing. It’s been a big goal of mine to get on the senior national team and what a dream come true,” Gilmore said following the Nov. 20 contest in Seattle. “Ever since I was a little girl I looked up to some players on this team. Every time you get the opportunity it’s just an incredible honor to wear the red, white, and blue and go out there to compete to the best of your ability.”
The United States won all three games including the first two played in British Columbia by one-goal margins, before capping the opening leg of the series with a 4-2 triumph at Climate Pledge Arena in front of 14,551 which is the largest crowd ever to watch a U.S. National Women’s Team game in the country.
“The last game in front of that many people on U.S. soil and to get the sweep is just an incredible way to go out and something I’ll definitely remember forever.”
Gilmore hails from Wayland, MA and previously suited up for Team USA at three-straight U18 World Championship events winning two golds and a silver. The series was her senior debut and also marked the first time Giguère skated as a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team after winning U18 silver of her own.
“I always wanted to be here and the fact that I’m here now is amazing,” said Giguère. “That’s not the three games we would have wanted but I had a lot of fun with the girls, and just to play with such amazing players and against such good players was good.”
The Quebec native was able to chip in offensively in her debut, assisting on a goal by Marie-Philip Poulin that counts as a personal highlight.
“She’s my idol, so the fact that I got to be with her and experience practices with her and just hang out with her for the last 10 days was just amazing for me. I learned a lot from her and from the older crew on that team. It was a great moment.”
Gabel also assisted on the same Poulin goal in her return to the national team program she was a part of in 2019 when Canada earned bronze at the World Championship.
“It was a good experience,”…
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