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When given the chance to take a shot on goal during intermission, two women took the chance to surprise the audience — and each other.
As PWHL Boston grabbed its spot in the women's hockey playoffs, two fans grabbed viewers' hearts with a surprise on-ice proposal.
The sold-out game at the University of Massachusetts Lowell's Tsongas Center briefly paused Saturday night to give fans the chance to take a shot on goal from center ice. When it was one couple's turn, the two women took the opportunity to surprise the audience — and each other.
As one woman took her shot, her girlfriend took out a small box and lowered to one knee. The woman taking the shot didn't see her at first as she celebrated her goal, but as soon as she looked back, she dropped her stick in surprise. She then lowered to one knee herself, and took out a ring of her own to propose with.
Shocked, the first woman to propose covered her mouth and nodded, and the two embraced in a tender kiss. A PWHL official then skated over to gift the couple a bouquet of flowers as they exchanged rings, all while the crowd roared.
"THEY BOTH SAID YES," PWHL Boston wrote accompanying a video of the heartwarming moment posted to Instagram. "Congratulations Gaby and Nicole on your engagement!"
Comments celebrating the engagement poured in, including one from out tennis legend Billie Jean King, who told the couple "Congratulations!" The Providence Bruins, minor league team to the NHL Boston Bruins, also congratulated the two.
PWHL Boston clinched its playoff spot in the Saturday game after a 4-3 victory over PWHL Montréal, where defender Kaleigh Fratkin scored the game-winning goal with just 1:20 remaining in the third period. The team now advances to the first-ever Walter Cup championship in the league's inaugural season.
PWHL Boston also held its first Pride Night during their April 18 game against PWHL Toronto, in which out forward Jamie Lee Rattray was featured. She told The Hockey News after the team's 2-1 victory that team support goes a long way towards making fans feel welcome.
“It was really cool seeing all the rainbow signs and all the representation here tonight,” Rattray said. “It just shows that we’ve been able to create this safe space for everybody in hockey. I hope we can continue to do that for everybody, not just on Pride Nights.”
Ryan is a staff writer at the Advocate, and a graduate of New York University Tisch's Department of Dramatic Writing, with a focus in television writing and comedy. She first became a published author at the age of 15 with her YA novel 'Someone Else's Stars', and is now a member of GALECA, the LGBTQ+ society of entertainment critics. In her free time, Ryan likes watching New York Rangers hockey, listening to the Beach Boys, and practicing witchcraft.
Ryan is a staff writer at the Advocate, and a graduate of New York University Tisch's Department of Dramatic Writing, with a focus in television writing and comedy. She first became a published author at the age of 15 with her YA novel 'Someone Else's Stars', and is now a member of GALECA, the LGBTQ+ society of entertainment critics. In her free time, Ryan likes watching New York Rangers hockey, listening to the Beach Boys, and practicing witchcraft.
