Goaltender Makes 30 Saves in Return, Seals Victory with Perfect Shootout Performance
NEW YORK, NY – Katie Burt announced her return to professional hockey in spectacular fashion, making 30 saves through regulation and overtime before stopping all three shootout attempts to lead the Metropolitan Riveters to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Toronto Six on Friday night.
The veteran netminder, making her season debut after an extended absence, was nothing short of sensational across 65 minutes of action, repeatedly frustrating a potent Toronto offense that managed just two goals on 32 shots.
“For Kate to come in today and do what she did was a huge plus for the team. The mentality of starting off strong and tough was a huge plus for us. We had good confidence on the puck; we won the neutral zone today, which was huge for us. We had a few penalties today, but overall, a better job of minimizing them. Now, we look forward to tomorrow.”
— Venla Hovi, Riveters Head Coach
FIRST PERIOD SETS TONE
The Riveters struck first at 11:31 of the opening frame when Amanda Pelkey capitalized on a power-play opportunity. Breaking out of the penalty box, Pelkey received a perfect feed and fired a shot high blocker side past Toronto goaltender Elaine Chuli, who had been stellar to that point.
Kendall Cornine and Regan Rust were credited with assists on Pelkey’s opener.
Toronto answered quickly, however, capitalizing on a bench minor assessed to the Riveters at 12:05. Just seconds into the man advantage, Dominikia Laskova found herself unmarked at the left faceoff dot and rifled a shot past Burt despite the goaltender’s diving effort.
The period ended deadlocked at 1-1, with the Riveters holding a 14-8 advantage in shots on goal.
SECOND PERIOD SURGE
The Riveters came out aggressively in the second period, peppering Chuli with scoring chances. Their persistence paid off at 11:40 when Regan Rust found space in the slot and beat Chuli’s blocker side following a beautiful setup from Kelly Babstock.
Toronto responded with another power-play marker at 16:30, as Brittany Howard capitalized on a failed clearing attempt to even the score at 2-2. Michela Cava and Emma Woods assisted on Howard’s equalizer.
DEFENSIVE BATTLE IN THIRD
The final period showcased both goaltenders at their finest, with Burt and Chuli making several spectacular saves to preserve the tie. The Riveters dominated territorially, outshooting Toronto 12-5, but couldn’t solve Chuli on the power play despite generating quality chances.
Sarah Bujold was a physical presence throughout, creating havoc in front of the Toronto net and drawing the ire of opposing players with her relentless forechecking.
OVERTIME DRAMA
The extra session featured end-to-end action, with Toronto holding a 5-2 shot advantage but failing to capitalize on their best opportunities. Burt’s finest moment came when she robbed Howard on a breakaway from center ice, remaining calm under pressure to make a game-saving stop.
The Riveters generated two prime scoring chances of their own but couldn’t beat Chuli, setting up the dramatic shootout finish.
SHOOTOUT HEROICS
In the skills competition, Burt was perfect, stopping all three Toronto attempts while Minttu Tuominen provided the lone goal for the Riveters to secure the victory.
“Sarah Bujold is doing okay and will be ready to go tomorrow!”
— Team Update
The teams will meet again Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, with coverage available on ESPN+ and TSN.ca.
FINAL STATS:
- Katie Burt: 30 saves on 32 shots, 3-for-3 shootout
- Shots: Riveters 36, Toronto Six 32
- Power plays: Toronto 2-for-3, Riveters 1-for-4
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