The Minnesota Frost hosted the Toronto Sceptres for the second time this season and fourth time overall on Sunday, Feb. 23. The Frost had their roster back intact, while the Sceptres missed one of their top players, Sarah Nurse, who was injured earlier in the season. It was a goaltending battle, as Maddie Rooney started in the net once again, this time against Kristen Campbell for the Sceptres.
The Frost had a jump to their step to start the game, and they were rewarded with a goal on the power play. They got pushed back on their heels as the Sceptres found their stride. Unfortunately for the Frost, they couldn’t hold on as the Sceptres got the lead, held on until the end, and took the 2-1 win. In this article, we’ll look at the one bad thing that led to the loss and the two promising things, as the game wasn’t a horrible loss but a tough one.
Frost’s 2nd Period Woes
The Frost have gotten into a horrible habit of getting a lead and then letting it slip away in the second or third period. The same thing happened against the Sceptres: The Frost got the lead early, played well, and then let off the gas. They continued to play well, but they couldn’t convert, and it ultimately cost them the game.
“We just gotta figure out a way to bury pucks; we had lots of looks. We had lots of chances, obviously, we made the one mistake, and they made us pay for it where we had a couple of bad reads it’s obviously multiple plays that lead to scoring chances against, but I liked our game, I liked our jump. We just gotta figure out a way to finish. We had the 1-0 lead. Obviously, we’d like to try to make it 2 or 3 if we can, but they’re a good team, they play hard, so we know it’s going to be tight.” said head coach Ken Klee about the lead slipping away.
Rooney Stands on Head
Maddie Rooney has been a star for the Frost since her first time in the net. While she’s had some ups and downs, as every goaltender has, her performance against the Sceptres was outstanding. She did allow two goals, but in the first, she was screened, and her team was shorthanded. The second she dove out of the net to make a save, and the Sceptres had someone open in front.
Every other shot thrown her way, she stepped up and found a way to stop it. She even blocked one with her mask that could be heard up in the press box. Her team did turn one over right in front of her net, but again, she was ready to make the save. Her efforts in the net were the difference maker in the game when her team needed her most despite the loss.
“She’s great. She’s that backstop where you know you don’t have to think about it, and so is Nic (Hensley). I think everyone goes through things, and everyone is a player, including myself, who’s been through it. For Maddie to go out there, and she played consecutive games now, to have that confidence, and obviously, we just have to backstop her,” Taylor Heise said about Rooney’s performance in net.
Heise continued, “The first one we need to step up a little bit, having a five-minute major, which I’ll say it, he’s going to be pc about it (nods to Klee), I don’t agree with it. I think that kind of set us back a little bit, but as a team, we took it, and we rocked it. I think our PK was great, one interesting step, and makes it a tie game, and we just gotta be better. I think, stepping back and looking at it, Maddie played a great game, obviously, props to her because she’s back there standing up for us.”
Frost’s Power Play Finds Little Success
The Frost have had an interesting season when it comes to their power play. At first, it looked like it was going to be another game of struggles. However, they came through. They found the perfect play and converted to give themselves a lead. However, later in the game, when they had another power play, they couldn’t find the same results. They were on the defensive for a good chunk of both power plays.
While they scored on the power play, they also allowed a power play goal against them. Regardless of their one shorthanded goal against, they did step up throughout the game. They looked strong and had nearly killed off the five-minute major, but they scored in the last minute of the penalty kill to take the lead.
The Frost may have found a way to score on the power play, but they need to improve in both areas. Had they been able to convert on their other power plays, they could’ve secured another lead before the Sceptres made their charge, and the game could’ve been different.
Frost Head Back on Road
It had been nearly a month since the Frost were back on home ice, and this was their lone game before heading back on the road for another five games. Their home rink, the Xcel Energy Center, just hosted the Minnesota Girls State Hockey Tournament, which quite a few Frost players took part in back in their high school days. They’ll be kicked out once again as the Xcel hosts more state tournaments, including the Minnesota Boys State Hockey Tournament and the final NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
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The Frost will have over a week before they face the Montréal Victoire on the road on Tuesday, Mar. 4, so they will hopefully get some time at home to relax and recharge before heading back on the road. They’ll need to bounce back and refocus to get back on the winning track as they head towards the postseason.
