The Minnesota Frost and Toronto Sceptres opened the PWHL playoffs on Wednesday evening, May 7, in Toronto, in a rematch of last season’s Round 1 matchup. Both teams had full, healthy rosters and were ready to go from the drop of the puck. The goaltending battle was between Nicole Hensley for the Frost and Kristen Campbell for the Sceptres.
Related: 3 Things the Frost Need to Get Past the Sceptres in Round 1
The game started in favor of the Sceptres, but the Frost hung with them. Although things got close, the Sceptres clinched the win, 3-2. This win gave the Sceptres a 1-0 series lead in a best-of-five Round 1.
Game Recap
The Sceptres got on the board with a goal by Blayre Turnbull in the first to give them a 1-0 lead. Jesse Compher and Hannah Miller assisted her. Both teams had a lot of chances as the period went on, but couldn’t get anything past the goaltenders, and the Sceptres took the lead into the first intermission.
In the second period, the Sceptres took charge, and things unraveled a bit for the Frost. Julia Gosling scored, unassisted, a little over seven minutes into the second to give her team a decisive 2-0 lead. Gosling scored again under two minutes later, and the Sceptres took a big 3-0 lead. The goal was on the power play, and Miller and Renata Fast assisted her. It was also Miller’s second assist of the night.
However, when things looked like they would continue the Sceptres’ way, the Frost bounced back with a goal scored by Britta Curl-Salemme. Claire Thompson and Lee Stecklein assisted her, and their team was right back in it. Curl-Salemme then took a five-minute major for checking to the head and was ejected, but her team killed it off and went into the third down 3-1.
The Frost continued to push as they had all game, and Katy Knoll scored just over two minutes into the third to make it a one-goal game. Klára Hymlárová and Liz Schepers assisted her to make it 3-2. The Frost couldn’t get anything past Campbell in the rest of the period, and they pulled Hensley late to try and force the tie. Despite many tries, they couldn’t tie it, and the Sceptres won 3-2. Game 2 will be in Toronto on Friday evening, May 9.
