Trio of Ladies Make SPHL History in Columbus
Published on November 21, 2014 under SPHL (SPHL) News Release
HUNTERSVILLE, NC - Girl Scout Night in Columbus, Georgia became a history-making event in the Southern Professional Hockey League on Friday as the Cottonmouths downed Fayetteville 5-4 in overtime.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Shannon Szabados earned her first professional victory, becoming the first female goaltender to win an SPHL game, while Erin Blair and Katie Guay became the first female officials to referee an SPHL game.
Szabados made 34 saves in the win as Matt Gingera scored a power-play goal with just 34 seconds remaining in the 3-on-3 overtime period that featured several odd-man rushes for both teams.
Szabados led Canada to gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics while Blair and Guay both have extensive international officiating experience. Blair's career highlight came in 2014 when she was one of just six referees selected to officiate in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Guay was selected in October to officiate the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship in Malmo, Sweden.
SPHL Stories from November 21, 2014
- Trio of Ladies Make SPHL History in Columbus - SPHL
- Columbus Downs Fayetteville in Overtime, 5-4 - Columbus Cottonmouths
- 1st Period Explosion Propels Rivermen to Win - Peoria Rivermen
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