The Minnesota Frost handed the New York Sirens a devastating blow to their playoff hopes beating the Sirens 4-1. Minnesota now has the four highest scoring players in the PWHL.
The Minnesota Frost handed the New York Sirens a 4-1 loss in front of 9,159 fans in Minnesota. It was a devastating blow to New York's playoff hopes as they now sit five points back from the Ottawa Charge.
In the first period, Lee Stecklein opened the scoring on a point shot, which was quickly responded to 41 seconds later as Micah Zandee-Hart scored on a shot from the blueline herself to tie the game at 1-1.
After a scoreless second period, Abby Hustler notched a power play goal, which would stand as the eventual game winner.
Three minutes later Taylor Heise scored off the rush to add insurance for the Frost before Britta Curl-Salemme put the game away with an empty netter. Maddie Rooney made 23 saves for the Frost in the win.
According to Minnesota head coach Ken Klee, the Frost's goaltending tandem have been difference makers this season.
“I think [Maddie Rooney] and Nicole [Hensley] have been a difference maker for us all year," said Klee. "They make a big save at a key moment in the game, and it's the difference of us being able to get going, get our offense going; it's not like we're just steamrolling teams. Other teams play well, there's tight games, and obviously you need a key save at a key time."
The Frost have continued to build momentum building separation between themselves in third place and the rest of the pack still chasing a playoff spot.
“Momentum's huge and whether it's personal or it's as a group, I think you always try to bring it back to the group that we have," said Minnesota's Taylor Heise. "
We've been feeling really good out there and obviously battling really hard. Our team has taken that momentum and taken it in our favor every single game and with people like Abby [Hustler], you're never giving up when things aren't going right for you. We constantly are on that positive side of things, and I think getting these games to work on our craft prior to playoffs is really important for us.”
Minnesota's High Octane Offense Dominates
The Minnesota Frost now have the four top scorers in the PWHL in Kelly Pannek (29), Taylor Heise (27), Britta Curl-Salemme (26), and Grace Zumwinkle (21).
Pannek and Heise remain the only two players in the league scoring at more than a point per game, and should they hit the mark in the four games the Frost have remaining, they could become the first players in league history to hit the 30 point mark.