The Minnesota Frost visited the New York Sirens for a lunchtime hockey game at noon on Dec. 22. This was the second matchup for the two teams this season in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). The reigning champs held nothing back, as they came out swinging in the first period. The Sirens were able to hold their own and force a shootout. It was the Frost though, who took home the victory, 4-3.
Game Recap
Despite the Sirens having strong first-period control of the puck, it was the Frost who struck first. Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield scored the first goal of the day. Kelley Pannek had control and passed it to Michela Cava. Cava got a hold of the biscuit from the middle of the ice. She passed to Coyne, who had an excellent breakaway. In front of the net, she shot and scored the first goal of the game five minutes in. At the 15-minute mark, she scored her second of the game. After a pass missed Cava and hit the boards, Abigail Levy exited her crease in an attempt to get the Sirens’ possession. However, it was Coyne who received her pass. With Levy still out of the net, she took the shot and scored her second goal of the game.
As the second period kicked off, the Sirens opted for a goalie change. Kayle Osborne was in net for her first PWHL appearance to get New York started in the second. Just 36 seconds in, the Sirens entered the box first after Jessie Eldridge took a kneeing penalty, and the Frost went on the power play. As the extra woman advantage began to dwindle down, Claire Thompson possessed the puck at the blue line. She passed to Taylor Heise, who skated up towards the net. She took the shot, which bounced off a skate into the back of the net for a power play goal.
Just 42 seconds after Heise’s power play goal, the Sirens were able to get themselves on the board. Elle Hartje passed from the blue line, and found Brooke Hobson. She took a shot, ringing it off the post, and scoring the first goal for New York of the game, as well as her first goal of the season. Six minutes later, the Sirens got their second. It was Hartje who passed the puck from the boards. Both Allyson Simpson and Elizabeth Giguere attempted to take possession. It was Giguere who won the battle. She took the shot and scored the second goal of the game for the Sirens. New York earned two more penalties towards the end of the second, but the Frost were not able to take advantage of the extra woman on the ice. The second closed, and with the scoreboard reading 3-2 in favor of the Frost, both teams had a lot of work to do in the third.
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The third started with some action, with the Frost earning two penalties. The Sirens were not able to capitalize on the advantage, and the two were back to full strength. Things were quiet, until close to the halfway point of the third. Alex Carpenter was able to get a hold of the puck after a failed pass attempt by the Frost. Carpenter shot it from the left side near the boards, and scored the third goal of the game. With the score tied at 3-3, the two teams headed into overtime.
Although each team had some great chances during the five minutes of overtime, both Osborne and Nicole Hensley held their own, allowing no goals into the net. With the five minutes done, the two teams headed to a shootout to see who would claim the victory.
First up in the shootout for New York was Noora Tulus. She made the first shot with grace, earning the first point. Denisa Krizova was first up for the Frost. She took advantage of Osborne reacting too fast and being down on the ice, earning her the first point for the Frost. Next up for the Sirens was first-round draft pick Sarah Fillier. She skated up to the net but was not able to score. Zumwinkle was up next and netted another point for the Frost.
The pressure was on for Carpenter, who had already scored one goal in the game. She came up to Hensley’s net with speed and scored a second point for the home team. Cava was up next for the Frost, and she was unable to find the back of the net. The score was back to 2-2. Giguere was up for the Sirens and was unable to repeat her goal from the second period. Heise was up next and scored for the Frost, giving them the 3-2 advantage. It all came down to Abby Roque. Perhaps the pressure was too much, for she was unable to score to tie it up for the Sirens, and the Frost headed home with a 4-3 shootout victory.
Next Games
There is a nice break for the holiday, and then games begin again on Friday, Dec. 27. However, the Frost do not play again until Saturday, Dec. 28, when they host the Montreal Victoire. The Sirens will play in exactly a week, on Dec. 29, when they host the Ottawa Charge at home.
