PWHL Boston spoiled PWHL New York's debut at New Jersey's Prudential Center in front of 5,132 fans earning a 2-1 win.

NEWARK, N.J. -- PWHL Boston forward Lexie Adzija spoiled New York's inaugural party at the Prudential Center with the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory for the visiting squad on Saturday afternoon.

And it was quite the rockin' environment at The Rock despite the loss as a supercharged crowd of 5,132 made it almost a playoff atmosphere by waving white hankies and doing plenty of dancing and singing during the television timeouts.

After a bad giveaway by New York deep in their zone, Nicole Kosta wristed the puck toward the net and Adzija was in front to deflect it past goalie Corinne Schroeder with just 3:09 left in the game.

Kosta had struck for Boston's first goal to break a scoreless deadlock in the second period.

"Any time you play in a venue (like the Prudential Center) it's pretty special, and to help my team get the win made it even more special," said Adzija, who like Kosta had a goal and an assist for the visitors.

Adzija noted that putting the puck past fellow Quinnipiac University alum Schroeder on such a big stage and in a game so important to the playoff race is no small feat.

"She's a great goalie and we joke around a little bit, but now it's all about trying to help my Boston team out here," Adzija said. "I just slipped that one through (Corinne)...not really sure how it happened but I'll take it."

Boston clearly set the pace in the third period and, were it not for a couple of shots that hit the post, could have made it tough on the hosts long before Adzija's goal.

New York had delivered the equalizer with just over three minutes left in the second period when Jessie Eldridge knocked in a rebound from the left side of Boston goalie Aerin Frankel.

Frankel made the initial save, but the puck tricked off her stick to a waiting Eldridge for her seventh goal this season. The tally came after Jill Saulnier kept the puck in close following Alex Carpenter's persistence in applying pressure in Boston's defensive zone.

After having the upper hand in the latter stages of a scoreless first period and early into the second, New York lost the battle around the crease as Boston jumped ahead earlier in that middle stanza.

The visitors took advantage of a scrum in front of the New York net at the 6:13 mark.

Kosta poked the puck underneath a sprawled-out Corinne Schroeder to break up the scoreless duel. It was Kosta's first PWHL goal and came off assists from Sophie Shirley and Megan Keller.

The goal came after New York controlled the pace of play and had the better of the overall push up to that point in the contest.

The hosts had to shake off some early rust from the three-week break due to the IIHF Women's World Championships and benefitted from strong offensive-zone time in the latter stages of the first period.

After Boston came out aggressive and outshot the hosts 4-1 over the first seven minutes, New York turned the tables and started to win puck battles resulting in a 9-7 advantage after the initial 20 minutes.

New York had the crowd in a festive mood with a good flurry of high percentage chances that resulted from establishing a good pace and being persistent in its transition game.

The return to the Prudential Center was very special for New York assistant coach Colton Orr, who played his 300th there as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Orr's team defeated the New Jersey Devils that night.