Boston’s Megan Keller reflects on the Walter Cup Final loss, previews upcoming PWHL season

Megan Keller knows there's unfinished business for the Boston Fleet after falling in the Walter Cup finals, and she's ready for the offseason to end, and to begin a new campaign.

Megan Keller says game five of the Walter Cup final against the Minnesota Frost is one of the loudest games she's been a part of.

Boston Fleet fans packed the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, hoping to see their team lift the Walter Cup. But 60 minutes of hockey and three goals from the Minnesota side later, the Fleet would be on the wrong side of the handshake line.

Keller says walking off the ice following the Fleet's game-five defeat was heartbreaking. But she feels the loss stung a little more, given the Walter Cup was up for grabs for the first time.

"It was a tough loss. The inaugural season, it had a little more meaning behind that Walter Cup championship," she said. "At least in my eyes."

Reflecting on the loss months later, the Olympic gold medalist remembers her Boston teammates who retired following this loss.

"Someone like Gigi Marvin, who's given so much to women's hockey, and she's been a legend in this game," Keller said. "She's somebody that I think a lot of us and a lot of girls that will continue to come into this league look up to. You want to win it for teammates like that.

"And unfortunately, when we weren't able to get it done."

Still, being one of only two teams to compete for the PWHL's top prize is no small feat.

"It's a big accomplishment to get there, and there's a lot of hard work," Keller said. "It's not just the team that gets us there; it's everybody else as well. So I take a lot of pride in that, and hopefully that can help us this upcoming season."

Entering this season, Keller says this year feels like unfinished business.

"I think for a lot of us, that's how it will feel."

The puck will drop on the PWHL's second season in three weeks, featuring a Saturday doubleheader. The Fleet will face off against the Toronto Sceptres at Coca-Cola Coliseum, and in Montreal, the Victoire will host the Ottawa Charge.

And Keller says the season can't come soon enough.

"I can speak for all of us; we're really excited. It's been a nice offseason. In the beginning, I think everybody was excited for some downtime after the first season — It's definitely a grind," Keller said. "But I think now, at this point, everybody's itching to get going."

After visiting Toronto, Boston will return home to face the Minnesota Frost at the Tsongas Center. The defender says preparing for that match is no different than any other, but acknowledges that in this league, there are some teams you want to beat more than others.

"You build rivalries as a player and as a team and organization over the course of your hockey career," Keller said. "I think there are always some teams that you probably want to beat more than others, and them ending your season last year definitely adds a little more to it."