PWHL Boston and PWHL Minnesota are into the PWHL's Walter Cup Final. Here are five players to watch in the championship series.
PWHL Boston and PWHL Minnesota are into the PWHL's Walter Cup Final. Here are five players to watch in the championship series.
The PWHL finals are here with PWHL Minnesota facing off against PWHL Boston. In round one, there were several players who made an impact. Here's a look at 5 players to watch in round two.
5 Players To Watch In The PWHL Final
Susanna Tapani - Boston - Boston won all three games in their opening round series against Montreal in overtime, and Susanna Tapani scored two of them. Tack on the added motivation of playing the team who traded her early this season, and Tapani could be dangerous. Watching that story line play out will be fascinating.
Taylor Heise - Minnesota - When Taylor Heise slumped this season...PWHL Minnesota slumped. She was quiet, albeit looking dangerous, through the opening four games of Minnesota's semi-final series, but scored the game winner in the deciding game five, and then added an empty netter to boot. Talk about the right time for a confidence boost and to find the hot hand. If Heise can build on that performance, it will be bad news or Boston.
Aerin Frankel - Boston - The newly dubbed "Green Monster," Frankel was the difference for Boston in their opening series. She faced more shots than any other goalie in the opening round, including Kristen Campbell who played two additional games compared to Frankel.
Sophie Jaques - Minnesota - The other major piece of the PWHL's first trade, Boston cuts ties with Sophie Jaques after she struggled early this year. But the struggle was one of Boston's for most of the season: offensive production. When Jaques got to Minnesota, her game took off under the tutelage of Lee Stecklein. Jaques tied for the Minnesota team lead with three points in the opening round, and topped all Minnesota players in time on ice averaging 26:56 per game.
Maddie Rooney - Minnesota - It looked like it was going to be a very short series for Minnesota after Toronto handled them easily in game one. When Maddie Rooney entered the crease, everything changed for PWHL Minnesota, not only in net, but from the net out. Rooney posted a 0.45 GAA and .979 save percentage in three games, including back-to-back shutouts to close out the series. Even in game one she allowed her first and only goal against with only 1:25 remaining. Rooney is dialed in.