After a very long offseason, the PWHL started their second season on Saturday, Nov. 30. The Minnesota Frost had to wait one more day before their season got underway on Sunday evening, Dec. 1 against the New York Sirens in the Frost’s home building, the Xcel Energy Center. The Frost raised their inaugural Walter Cup Champions banner prior to the game and then things started with a bang.
The Frost got on the scoreboard almost immediately and took a two-goal lead into the second period. The Sirens answered back with two goals of their own in the second to tie it up and make the third period the deciding factor, it wasn’t and required overtime. Unfortunately for most of the 8,022 fans in attendance, the Sirens took the game in overtime 4-3. In this article, we’ll look at some key points for the Frost, starting with how they look strong.
Frost Looking Strong
The Frost ended their season last year by winning it all after some hard-fought games to get that far. At the start of this season, they had the same attitude of playing hard and forging through. They came out with the same speed they capitalized on many times last season, and although they have a number of new additions this season, they seemed to fit in seamlessly.
The line of Grace Zumwinkle, Kelly Pannek, and Britta Curl-Salemme got things going immediately with a goal early and showed a lot of strong chemistry throughout the game. The line of Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, and Michela Cava was kept together and showed they hadn’t lost anything in the offseason with quite a few big chances.
Even the other lines got in on the action, as Dominique Petrie found the back of the net to tie things up and give her team a chance at the win late in the third. That goal changed the momentum of the game, and they had a strong push; however, it wasn’t enough, and they fell in overtime.
“…But it was a good hockey game, and overall, when we outshoot teams two to one, I like our chances. It was a good point by us, and it was a good hockey game,” said head coach Ken Klee when asked about the game overall.
Frost Have Things to Build On
Despite the loss, Frost did many good things and have a lot of things they can continue to improve on and build on. They have a lot of speed and strong puck-handling sticks in nearly every player, and the lines all have chemistry. As mentioned, each line gets along well and works almost perfectly.
Their goaltending is as strong as last season, and Nicole Hensley did what she could to keep her team in the game when the Sirens found their strong momentum. They have a strong foundation still in place from the previous season with many returning players, and it’s clear they’re still a very strong team with great scoring abilities that just have a few minor details to work out.
“I think we knew they were going to push; I think you look at the first 20 minutes of everyone’s season, whether it’s the rookies making their pro debut or the players who were there last year making their year two debut, there was a lot of emotion in the first period. I thought we came out hard and knew they were going to push in the second, and we just didn’t match that push; I thought we came back with a harder push in the third, but obviously, it wasn’t enough. The good part is it’s game one, day one, and we get the opportunity to learn from tonight’s game,” said Coyne-Schofield after the game when asked about the change in momentum.
Frost’s Special Teams
Special teams were an issue on and off for the Frost last season, and they didn’t start on the right foot against the Sirens. Their penalty kill struggled initially as they allowed a shorthanded goal that gave the Sirens their first goal of the game and the boost they needed to add another.
While their penalty kill struggled, so did their power play, which had multiple shots but couldn’t find the back of the net. They were cycling the puck well and setting up strong opportunities, but they waited a little too long in some circumstances, which led to the puck being blocked. It is only game one, which gives them plenty of time to iron both special teams out and get them working the way they want.
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“I think they(Sirens) only had one and it was a good shot. She made a shot off the post short side; I think that’s a shot as a power play that we’re going to have to give up. It’s dot line, top of the circle, she just made a really nice shot so I think they were one for one and we were 0 for one. There wasn’t many calls like some of the other games yesterday that we watched obviously there was a lot of power plays but it was a good game. I thought both teams played hard….” said Klee about the Sirens on the power play.
Frost Head on the Road
The Frost had one quick home game to start the season, and now they’ll head on the road to face the Boston Fleet, whom they last saw in the final round of the Walter Cup Championship last season. It’ll be interesting to see how both teams have changed this offseason, and it’ll likely be a close-fought battle just like last season. Hopefully, the Frost can find a way to bounce back and get a win on the season.
