Overview
- An announced crowd of 17,228 at Capital One Arena set the U.S. in-arena record for a professional women’s hockey game, surpassing Seattle’s 16,014 in November.
- New York prevailed 2-1 on goals by Kristýna Kaltounková and Anne Cherkowski, while goalie Kayle Osborne made 31 saves.
- A postgame scrum escalated into a line brawl, resulting in multiple 10-minute misconducts and a 20-minute penalty to New York’s Taylor Girard for leaving the bench.
- Merchandise sold out quickly and fans chanted “We want a team!” late in the game, reflecting strong local demand.
- League leaders say two to four teams are expected for 2026-27, with Takeover Tour data like D.C.’s turnout informing expansion decisions.