The Professional Women’s Hockey League is preparing to close the curtain on its most ambitious travel experiment to date. On Tuesday night, the PWHL Takeover Tour Boston vs. Vancouver matchup will serve as the 16th and final stop of the season’s tour, bringing two contrasting teams to Rogers Place in Edmonton for a high-stakes clash of momentum and geography.
The Boston Fleet enter the contest as one of the league’s most formidable forces, currently sitting in second place with a 13-5-2-4 record and 51 points. They arrive in Alberta riding a four-game winning streak where every victory has been by multiple goals—a testament to a defensive system that has become nearly impenetrable. In contrast, the Vancouver Goldeneyes are fighting for footing in seventh place (7-1-4-13), looking to salvage a road trip that has seen them drop three of their last four games.
While the standings suggest a mismatch, the history of the Takeover Tour in Canada tells a different story. Every single one of the seven tour games played on Canadian soil this season has been decided by a single goal, including three that required a shootout and two that went to overtime. For Vancouver, the neutral-site environment has been a sanctuary; their only win against Boston this season occurred during a tour stop in Detroit on January 3.
Fans can follow the action live via thepwhl.com and Prime Video in Canada, or via the league’s official YouTube stream.
A Duel of Goaltending Extremes
The narrative of Tuesday’s game may well be decided between the pipes. Boston’s Aerin Frankel is currently playing some of the most dominant hockey in the history of the league. The U.S. Olympic gold medalist has posted three consecutive shutouts and has not surrendered a goal in 191:01 of play. In the four meetings between the Fleet and the Goldeneyes this season, Frankel has maintained a .951 save percentage and a 1.25 goals-against average.
Facing her is Vancouver’s Emerance Maschmeyer, a native of Bruderheim, Alberta. For Maschmeyer, the game is more than a statistical battle; it is a homecoming. While she has been winless in two career PWHL games in Edmonton, she has found success elsewhere on the tour, including wins in Denver and Toronto. Maschmeyer has performed well against Boston specifically, posting a .914 save percentage across two games in the season series.
The psychological edge may lean toward Boston, but the emotional energy will likely reside with the Goldeneyes. Maschmeyer noted that bringing women’s hockey to her grassroots home is “incredibly special” and hopes the event inspires young females in the region to enter the sport.
Blue Line Battles and Milestone Hunts
Beyond the goaltending, the game features a clash of the league’s most productive defensive pairings. Boston’s Megan Keller and rookie Haley Winn have combined for 33 points this season, the third-highest total for any defensive duo in PWHL history. Winn, in particular, is in peak form, riding a four-game point streak (2G, 4A).
Vancouver counters with Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, a pair that previously set the gold standard for defensive scoring with 40 combined points last season. Jaques is currently hunting history, sitting just one goal shy of the PWHL single-season record for defenders (eight) and one goal away from the all-time career record for defenders (17).
| Date | Location | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 3 | Boston | 2-0 BOS | Regulation |
| Jan. 3 | Detroit (Tour) | 4-3 VAN | Regulation |
| Mar. 10 | Vancouver | 2-1 BOS | Overtime |
| Mar. 24 | Boston | 2-0 BOS | Regulation |
Offensively, Vancouver will look to Sarah Nurse to provide the spark. The alternate captain is making her first appearance at Rogers Place after missing previous visits due to injury. Nurse, whose cousin Darnell stars for the Edmonton Oilers, comes off a strong performance against Minnesota where she scored the opening goal of a five-goal effort.
Homecomings and Community Impact
The game carries significant personal weight for several athletes. Boston forward Sophie Shirley, who has recorded consecutive multi-point games, will be joined by nearly 30 friends and family members for her first PWHL appearance near her Saskatoon hometown. Shirley described the drive through Alberta as “feeling like home,” adding that she is excited to share the moment with those who helped her reach the professional level.
The event also marks a transition on the Boston bench. Stefanie McKeough will serve as the Interim Head Coach for the evening while head coach Kris Sparre is away with his family following the birth of his second child, Quinn Callie Sparre, on April 3.
The PWHL has leveraged the final tour stop to emphasize gender equity in sports. Partnering with the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation and nonprofits like Free Play for Kids and HEROS Hockey, the league is providing access to live sporting experiences for the next generation of female leaders. This community focus follows a successful youth clinic held Monday, featuring Maschmeyer and fellow goaltenders Kristen Campbell and Kim Newell, alongside Boston’s Hannah Brandt and Liz Schepers.
The evening will begin with a nostalgic touch as Edmonton native and former Boston defender Jess Healey reads the starting lineups. Healey, who retired after a productive inaugural season, represents the bridge between the league’s beginnings and its current expansion into NHL-caliber venues.
Following Tuesday’s finale in Edmonton, the PWHL will shift its focus to a historic milestone this coming Saturday, when Boston hosts Montréal for the first time at TD Garden in Boston.
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