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Toronto Six Strike Late In Second, Defeat Minnesota Whitecaps To Open Second Half Of Season Series
Tereza Vanisova nets go-ahead goal in second, powering Toronto Six to 1-0 victory over third-place Whitecaps
On February 25, at Richfield Ice Arena, the Toronto Six (women’s pro hockey team) defeated the Minnesota Whitecaps by a final score of 1-0 in the third of four meetings on the 2022-23 PHF calendar.
“I thought it was definitely a team effort from goaltending out, and players are working on the things that we’re asking them to do, especially in our defensive zone,” said Geraldine Heaney, Head Coach of the Toronto Six. “We switched our defensive zone coverage to man-on-man, and I thought they did a really good job with that.
“It was nice to see some players really stand out tonight like T [Tereza Vanisova],” Heaney continued. “Shi [Shiann Darkangelo] always has a good game, and the defense I thought played well again, so it was a good team effort and a big win.”
Looking to replicate their dominance from an explosive effort last Saturday in Simsbury, Toronto’s Tereza Vanisova broke the ice just over sixteen minutes into the second period, potting her fourth goal of the season and the lone tally of the contest, which was more than enough to help lift the Toronto Six en route to a hard-fought 1-0 victory.
“It was a good shot,” remarked Vanisova of the game’s lone tally after the game. “At first, I got a breakaway and missed the net, then somehow we got into the offensive zone again, and I tried to shoot the puck and went for the rebound. My teammates were screening in front of the net, which made it an easy rebound for me.”
“Obviously, the team who scores more goals is going to win,” Vanisova continued. “We got the only goal at least and we won, so this is the most important part, but we have to keep going to the net and keep shooting. I hope we’re going to score more goals tomorrow and sweep the weekend.”
“Her soft hands, soft personality, she comes through with the small little moments,” said assistant captain Taylor Woods of her team’s lone goalscorer. “She brings that confidence coming into the front-end and backend, so we’re very lucky to have her. She’s shining at the right moments.”
“I thought T probably played one of her best games all year,” added Coach Heaney of the value Vanisova presents to the team. “It’s nice to see, with Tereza being a top player and being able to score and get the goal for us for the big win.”
“We fixed a few things systems-wise, so we were honed in on that to start the game, and I think it worked for us,” said Chuli following the shutout victory. “Otherwise, we were just trying to get pucks on the net right away. I don’t know if that was the best job we did there, but we got one and it was all we needed.”
“I think this is a huge win,” continued Woods, reflecting on her team’s overall performance. “Especially since we might be playing these guys in the playoffs. It was a very hard-fought game, and we showed up to play that hard-fought game, which we needed. With Chuli getting that shutout, it re-establishes that we know how to play defense, we know how to play offense, and it’s all on our hands. Going into tomorrow, if we continue to play the right way, the same way, I think we’ll be on the right track.”
Making her sixteenth start of the regular season, Elaine Chuli made 36 saves between the pipes in the winning effort.
“Obviously, we rely on Chuli quite a bit, and like I’ve said before, we need good goaltending to be a top team, and obviously that’s what we have with Chuli in net,” commented Coach Heaney of her starting backstop’s performance. “Near the end of the game with all the shots, I don’t know how she stopped half of them, but having her in net, the team feels very comfortable.”
The Toronto Six look to overtake first place in the standings on Sunday afternoon, as they face the Whitecaps in the series finale at 1:00 p.m. EST. The game will be available for viewing on ESPN+ in the United States, and on TSN Direct for viewers tuning in across Canada.
For standings or more information visit: https://toronto.premierhockeyfederation.com/
About The Toronto Six
The Toronto Six (The 6ix) is a professional women’s hockey team. As girls and Women’s Hockey registration in Canada continues to grow, The 6ix are on a mission to drive change for women (players, fans, and sponsors) by offering an elevated experience on the ice, in the locker room, and throughout our communities. The 6ix aims to be the gold standard in women’s hockey, and to create the model for a sustainable sports organization that also serves as a platform for gender equity in sports and beyond. The 6ix aim to do this by EDUCATING about a new way to look at, consume and support women’s professional sports, EMPOWERING women to take risks, skate outside the lines, and build meaningful confidence in sports and beyond, and INCLUDING people of diverse backgrounds and opinions.
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Media please contact: Tory Crowder Jumpstart Communications, [email protected] 416.998.9702 or Justin Levine, Toronto Six, [email protected]