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Amanda Kessel, NWHL to Play at UPMC Lemieux Complex

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Amanda Kessel: BDZ Sports [CC BY-SA 4.0

Cue the brass horns! The National Women’s Hockey League will play a regular season game at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township. The Connecticut Whale will face Amanda Kessel, who is the gold medal winning sister of two-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel, and the Metropolitan Riveters on Sunday, Dec. 2. The NWHL has played at the complex in three straight seasons.

In 2017, the NWHL held their All-Star weekend festivities and game at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. In May, the league expanded to five teams by adding the Minnesota White Caps to the original four teams, Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Wale, and Riveters. Pittsburgh is frequently mentioned as a potential expansion candidate, but plans have not materialized, yet.

Per the NWHL release, Amanda Kessel said, “Pittsburgh is a special place for my family, so I’m really looking forward to being with the Riveters in front of the city’s great hockey fans on December 2,” Kessel said. “Playing in the 2017 NWHL All-Star Game in Pittsburgh was a lot of fun, and the support from the fans was incredible. The Penguins organization has been an amazing partner for the NWHL and tremendous for the development of our sport across all levels.”

Kessel was part of the 2018 Team USA Olympic squad which defeated Canada for a gold medal. Kessel, with Team USA, also won a gold medal at the 2017 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Like Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, she is also a St. Mary-Shattuck alumni.

The Riveters are the defending Isobel Cup champions, though Kessel did not play in the NWHL last season due to Team USA commitments.

Game time on December 2 will be 3:30 p.m. Ticket information is available at https://www.seetickets.us/event/Riveters-at-Whale/368177