PWHL Minnesota rides Grace Zumwinkle's hat trick, Maddie Rooney's 24 saves to shutout victory in front of record setting 13,316 fans

The Professional Women's Hockey League is less than a week into its first season, but that was enough to lead Stan Kasten to a conclusion. A member of the league's founding board, Kasten had traveled to multiple games since Monday's opener, witnessing the sold out arenas and jubilant fans.

When he came to Minnesota on Saturday, he made a declaration. "What we proved this week,'' Kasten said, "is that women's hockey works.'' In its home opener, Minnesota put an exclamation point on Kasten's verdict. A crowd announced at 13,316, the largest ever to attend a women's professional hockey game, turned out at Xcel Energy Center to watch Minnesota defeat Montreal 3 0.

The attendance smashed the previous record of 8,318, set Tuesday when Montreal played at Ottawa. Grace Zumwinkle, the former Gophers star from Excelsior, scored the first home ice goal in franchise history at 17 minutes, 21 seconds of the first period. She finished with a hat trick, adding a pair of goals in the third period.

At 1:47, her shot from the center point hit a stick and bounced past Montreal goaltender Ann Renee Desbiens, and she added an empty net goal at 17:13. Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney, an Andover native who played at Minnesota Duluth, made 24 saves in a rock steady performance to earn the shutout.

Montreal outshot Minnesota 24 22 but went 0 for 3 on the power play. Minnesota also failed to score with the advantage, going 0 for 4. The victory gave Minnesota another historic distinction. It became the first PWHL team to win a home game, after the visiting teams won the first five games in league history.

Saturday's crowd wasn't just large. It was joyous and loud, creating a celebratory atmosphere for the PWHL's debut in the state. Minnesota's early marketing efforts have focused on the grass roots of the game, as the team worked to attract young hockey players and their families.

That demographic turned out in force Saturday, in numbers the franchise didn't anticipate earlier this week. The team hoped to fill Xcel's lower bowl. That was accomplished by Friday, so seats in the club level were opened for sale. Saturday morning, with tickets still in demand, the arena staff pulled the curtains from some upper deck sections and made those seats available.

Xcel didn't open the doors until 1:30. By 1 p.m., more than 100 people already were lining up in the lobby, waiting to get in. A lucky few wore Minnesota jerseys. Others improvised with sweatshirts or T shirts in the team's purple and white colors. During warmups, kids gathered along the glass with signs that declared, "Making Herstory'' and "We Play Like Girls.

Try To Keep Up.'' Minnesota forward Sophia Kunin, a Wayzata native, predicted the day would be "super exciting and emotional.'' Though she would be focused on the game, she wanted to make sure she saw the larger picture, too. "You soak in all the moments up until that puck drop,'' Kunin said.

"But once we line up for that first shot, it's hockey mode. It's time to give a good show for all the fans, and to do what we came here for.'' Montreal got the better chances early in the game, outshooting Minnesota 5 1 in the first seven minutes. But Minnesota's offense—which was inconsistent during Wednesday's 3 2 victory at Boston—began to find its footing as the first period progressed.

Zumwinkle, who scored the game winner Wednesday, gave Minnesota the lead with 2:39 left before the first intermission. Susanna Tapani controlled the puck along the left boards and passed to Zumwinkle, who skated through the left circle. Her backhander hit Desbiens and caromed into the goal. Minnesota's attack was slowed by three penalties in the second period.

That gave Rooney, who helped bring the U.S. the Olympic gold medal in 2018, a chance to shine. On Montreal's third power play, Rooney blocked a point blank shot by Maureen Murphy. When Murphy got another chance from the bottom of the left circle, Rooney snared the puck out of the air. Zumwinkle scored her second goal of the game early in the third.

She fired the puck toward the net from just inside the blue line; as it sailed through the slot, it appeared to hit a stick and beat Desbiens. Montreal pulled Desbiens with more than three minutes remaining, and Zumwinkle fired the puck down the ice for an empty netter to complete the hat trick. Most of the crowd had stayed, and many hurled their caps to the Xcel ice to salute Zumwinkle.

They rose to their feet for the final seconds. Though none of the PWHL teams have nicknames yet, it didn't matter. The crowd chanted, "Minnesota! Minnesota!'' before the team gathered at center ice for a stick salute..