The Minnesota Frost finished up their recent road trip against the Montréal Victoire on Tuesday evening, Feb. 18. The Frost were looking to salvage the final game of their recent road trip as they had lost all three games prior. The game started out pretty even for both teams, but late in the first, the Frost found their scoring stride.
In previous games on this road trip, they found a way to get the lead but couldn’t hold onto it. This time, they played consistently and protected their lead from start to finish as they got the 4-0 win. In this article, we’ll look at how the Frost bounced back, starting with their netminder, Maddie Rooney.
Rooney Stands Her Ground
In the Frost’s previous losses, the goaltending for both Rooney and Nicole Hensley looked a little shaky. It was a hard time for the entire team, but that shakiness was gone against Victoire, as Rooney looked solid. She was ready for everything, even when her team had full control of the puck and turned it over right in front of her. She made the save and ensured her team had every chance to win.
She had her focus back and was ready for every shot that came her way. She earned her first shutout of the season, stopping all 21 shots the Victoire threw at her, some of which were close calls. It was a great bounce-back effort for her, and she gave her team the confidence to go the other way and score goals.
Without her efforts, her team would have struggled to keep things going. Hopefully, she can keep up this effort, and her goaltending partner, Hensley, can do the same.
Frost’s Defense Steps Up
Part of the reason Rooney was able to do her job so well was that her team played strong defense in front of her. They were all willing to block shots, and that’s why only 21 shots made it through to Rooney, who was ready for them. The defense also did their best to keep the Victoire forwards away from the front of the net so Rooney could see clearly at all times.
While the Frost’s defenders were strong in their own end, they contributed slightly on the offensive end as well. Sophie Jaques, Lee Stecklein, Mae Batherson, Maggie Flaherty, and Claire Thompson all had assists against the Victoire and helped the Frost on both ends of the ice. If the Frost wants to keep on the winning track, they need their defense to keep up this production on both sides of the ice.
Frost’s Penalty Kill Makes a Difference
The Frost’s special teams have had an up-and-down season so far, but this time, their penalty kill shone brightly. They took three penalties throughout the game. Two of the three were undisciplined and should not continue to happen, such as boarding and illegal body checking. The third was a normal penalty that happens quite often when getting outskated to the puck, such as hooking, but Frost killed all three off and went 100 percent.
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While the penalty kill stood tall, the Frost’s power play was stagnant once again. It’s either one or the other; it’s been rare for both the penalty kill and power play to do well at the same time this season. The Frost know how to kill penalties, but they need to score on the power play as well if they want to win games as the season reaches the postseason run.
Frost Head Home
The Frost have had quite the time away, four straight games on the road, and they were hard-fought. Now, they get home for a game to face the Toronto Sceptres on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 23, before heading back on the road. The season is starting to wind down, and the Frost picked up some much-needed points over the Victoire, but they need to keep it up, or they’ll start to fall and not be able to make it up. Hopefully, they can continue to play like their victory over the Victoire, and they will keep the wins coming.
