On Wednesday, Jan. 7, the Seattle Torrent travelled to Massachusetts to take on the Boston Fleet. This was the two teams’ second meeting of the 2025-26 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season. The Fleet got on the board first with a late goal in the first. They scored a power-play goal early in the third to take a 2-0 lead. The Torrent managed to score their first goal seven minutes into the third, but it was not enough. The Fleet won 2-1 and have won every game in the season series so far.
Bilka with the Only Goal
Although the Fleet had a two-goal lead, Hannah Bilka managed to cut that down to one just seven minutes into the third period.
Hilary Knight skated the puck into the Torrent’s zone and dropped a pass down for Bilka. She skated it into the faceoff circle, where she took a sharp-angle shot. Despite the angle, the puck flew into the empty space Aerin Frankel allowed as she hugged the goal post. With this shot, Bilka put the Torrent on the board.
In nine games with the Torrent, Bilka now has seven points, including three goals and four assists. She is currently in fourth place on the leaderboard, technically tied with Alex Carpenter with seven points. However, Carpenter currently sits in third because she has more goals that make up her point total. Both Carpenter and Bilka are just under Knight and Julia Gosling, who both have eight points apiece. The Torrent have been off to a strong start in their first season, and Bilka is a huge reason why.
Torrent Took Too Many Unnecessary Penalties
Seattle’s biggest downfall was the number of penalties they took. They took a total of five minor penalties in this game. On the Torrent’s fourth penalty, Cayla Barnes took a penalty towards the end of the second period for roughing. Tensions ran high, which is why she had to sit in the box. The third period kicked off with Barnes still in the box, and Megan Keller scored just 18 seconds in for the Fleet’s second goal. If it weren’t for this penalty from Barnes resulting in a power-play goal for the Fleet, this end result might have looked a little different.
Related: Fleet Hold Off Torrent For Hard-Fought 2-1 Victory
Luckily for Seattle, though, they avoided a major penalty. Megan Carter was initially handed a five-minute major for a check to the head on Jill Saulnier. After reviewing the play, the officials changed the call on the ice to a two-minute minor. This was their last penalty of the game, and the Torrent managed to kill it off successfully.
The Torrent only managed to draw one penalty, and they couldn’t find a scoring chance on their extra-player advantage. Special teams will need a little more work heading into the next game.
Some Things Are Bigger Than the Game
This game was a major one for several Torrent players. For Lexie Adzija, Hannah Bilka, Emily Brown, and Hilary Knight, this was their first game back in Boston since they were selected by Seattle in the 2025 Expansion Draft or signed with the team during free agency, in the case of Adzija. Regardless, this was a moment of high emotion for all four of these players, but none more so than for Knight.
When Knight was announced in the starting lineup, there was a round of applause for her. She spent her first two PWHL seasons in Boston and was named captain here. She helped build support around the Fleet, so Boston will always welcome Knight with open arms. Now, she is able to do the same thing in Seattle.
The love that Boston showed Knight demonstrates how the PWHL is growing something special. While still in its third season, the league has managed to create support not only for its now eight teams but also for the players within the league. As these four players returned to Boston, the city where they began their PWHL careers, they received a video tribute, followed by a standing ovation. It was more than well-deserved for these four players in Boston last night.
Torrent Continue on the Road
The Torrent will continue their road trip, with a stop to take on the Minnesota Frost on Sunday, Jan. 11.
