Minnesota Frost Rally Late, Fall in Overtime in Regular-Season Finale
Minnesota Frost erased a two-goal deficit in the third period but fell in overtime as Vancouver claimed the regular-season finale.
By Robert Brent
The Minnesota Frost closed their season out Saturday evening when they traveled to Vancouver to take on the Goldeneyes at Pacific Coliseum.
Saturday night’s matchup was the two teams’ first contest since a frenzied 6-5 game the Frost won on April 4th.
With Minnesota’s playoff spot solidified and the Goldeneyes just playing for draft position, there wasn’t too much on the line from a standings perspective. Still, the Frost looked to enter the postseason on a high note, with goaltender Maddie Rooney speaking before the game on the importance of going into the playoffs strong.
“Today’s game is an opportunity to close out the regular season on a high note and continue to gain momentum heading into the playoffs,” Rooney said. “This is a special group, and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but know there is still work to be done.”
Recap
Marlène Boissonnault made her first start of the season in net for the Minnesota Frost. Boissonnault is the team’s third goaltender and has been with the team since last season, when she was signed before the playoffs. The start marked the first regular-season appearance of Boissonnault’s PWHL career.
Olympian Emerance Maschmeyer started in net for Vancouver for the 17th time this season. Maschmeyer has been solid for the Goldeneyes this season, logging one shutout and a .917 save percentage.
The Frost got off to a quick start when captain Kendall Coyne Schofield scored on Minnesota’s third shot of the game. Mae Batherson made a fantastic play on the rush, taking on multiple Vancouver defenders before backhanding the puck to Coyne Schofield on the doorstep. The captain scored her 12th goal of the season on the play.
Jenn Gardiner tied the game for Vancouver less than a minute later when a slapshot from the faceoff circle leaked through the Frost’s goaltender.
The Goldeneyes took the lead roughly halfway through the period after forcing a turnover in the Frost’s defensive zone. Sarah Nurse got the goal from the low faceoff circle.
Vancouver added to their lead early in the second period on a power play opportunity. Abby Boreen made a nifty pass to a wide-open Hannah Miller in the center of the ice, who fired the puck into the net.
Both teams continued to push for another goal but were unable to find the back of the net. The Frost skated into the third period needing a comeback to emerge victorious.
Minnesota scored early in the third period to start their comeback bid when league-leading scorer Kelly Pannek roofed a backhand shot from close to the net. Pannek’s tally was her 16th of the season. Kendall Cooper and Grace Zumwinkle registered assists on the play.
The Frost continued to push for an equalizer and found one moments later when Klára Hymlárová tipped a shot from Mae Batherson on an extra-attacker opportunity.
The goal came roughly halfway through the period, leaving ten minutes remaining in the game for either team to find a winner.
Both teams pushed for a game-winner but couldn’t find it in regulation. Marlène Boissonnault made several grade-A saves down the stretch to maintain the tie game going into overtime.
Former Minnesota Frost player Sophie Jacques scored shortly after the beginning of overtime on an odd-player rush to earn Vancouver the victory.
Key Takeaways
Comeback Bid Falls Short
The Frost entered the third period with a two-goal deficit to erase if they wanted to get any points in the standings out of Saturday night’s matchup. The team mounted an impressive comeback bid with two third-period goals and a fantastic performance by Minnesota’s goaltender.
Unfortunately, the Frost weren’t able to finish the game in the extra frame. While Vancouver ultimately won the game, an optimistic view could still find some positives from Saturday’s game.
With Minnesota heading to the playoffs, they’re going to have to deal with adversity. On Saturday night, the Frost showed they aren’t going to lay down when facing a deficit late in the game. That resilience will serve them well in the postseason.
Kendall Cooper Sets Rookie Assist Mark
A lot of attention has been paid to Kelly Pannek and Taylor Heise being the first players in PWHL history to break the 30-point barrier. Still, they aren’t the only members of the Frost who made history this season. Rookie defender Kendall Cooper recently attained a milestone of her own in Saturday night’s matchup.
When Kendall Cooper assisted on Kelly Pannek’s third-period goal, she broke the record for most assists in a season by a rookie in the PHWL. Her 17th helper of the season broke the deadlock with the previous holder, Sarah Fillier.
Kendall Cooper has been a massive addition to the Minnesota blueline this season. The rookie matured into a high-level distributor and defender for the team. Her ability to create offense has been especially impressive, with the rookie assist record being a well-earned achievement.
