Minnesota One Win From PWHL's First Ever Walter Cup Title

PWHL Minnesota won a pivotal game three in the PWHL's Walter Cup finals 4-1 over Boston. They're now only one win away from winning the PWHL's first ever title.

Two point nights from the dynamic duo of Taylor Heise and Michela Cava bring PWHL Minnesota within one win of capturing the Walter Cup after a 3-1 victory over Boston Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center.

It didn't take long for Minnesota to open the scoring. The home side dumped the puck into Boston's end, sending Michela Cava to the races.

She won the puck battle and sent a centring pass in the slot. The puck ricocheted off a Boston stick and onto Taylor Heise's, who sniped it past Aerin Frankel for her third goal in the Walter Cup finals less than a minute into the game.

"We kind of feed off each other, and we give each other positive energy on the bench and always talk out plays," Cava said on her connection with Heise. "Every time we come off, we always kind of have something for each other to be better."

Later in the frame, Brittyn Fleming danced in the offensive zone and attempted a wrap-around. Frankel stopped the initial drive, but Sydney Brodt tracked the rebound and buried Minnesota's second of the game.

End-to-end action filled the middle frame, and with seconds to spare, Boston beat Nicole Hensley.

Jamie Lee Rattray fought off the Minnesota defender and swung a pass down low to Susanna Tapani. Tapani sent a sneaky backhand pass into the slot, which found Alina Müller, who scored with 1.4 seconds to go in the second.

Despite getting its lead cut in half just before the second ended, Minnesota would restore its two-goal advantage off a herculean effort from Cava.

Cava went one-on-one with Emily Brown after receiving a feed from Heise. Cava toe-dragged around the falling defender, deked Frankel and potted her third goal in as many games, sending the fans to their feet.

"Great players step up in great moments, and this is one of those," Heise said on Cava's game in the postseason. "She sees the ice well, clearly; she put two defenders in a blender on her move. So getting her the puck, knowing that she has that confidence and sometimes it just takes putting the puck in one time for you to change your game."

"She's a great hockey player."

After, Kaleigh Fratkin got two minutes for body-checking, giving Minnesota its first power play. While Boston killed off the advantage, two valuable minutes also left the scoreboard.

Grace Zumwinkle added a jailbreak goal — her first playoff tally — with Boston's net empty, extending Minnesota's lead to three and ensuring the home-ice victory.

"The fans definitely elevate your energy levels when you are feeling a little down after a shift," Cava said. "The crowd has just been phenomenal here all season for us."

Boston tested Minnesota's penalty kill twice in the contest, each with varying missteps.

The first chance came seven minutes after Heise opened the scoring, offering an opportunity to stifle Minnesota's momentum. Instead, Hensley made timely saves, and the penalty killers kept Boston at bay.

Boston's second power play — which came 15:37 into the third — only lasted 33 seconds. Minnesota poked the puck out of its zone and spurred a footrace between Zumwinkle, Megan Keller and Hilary Knight.

The Excelsior Minn., product won the battle, slid in her first goal of the playoffs and killed any remaining hope Boston had of climbing back into the contest.

Minnesota has yet to relinquish a shorthanded marker through eight postseason games.

Minnesota continued its postseason perfection on home ice, reaching three consecutive victories when playing at the Xcel Energy Center.

Fans broke out "We want the Cup" chants in the dying minutes of Friday's contest, letting their team know that they hope the inaugural PWHL season ends in the State of Hockey on Sunday.

"I haven't thought about what it's going to feel like because I want it to be a feeling that when it happens, I want it to be electric," Heise said regarding if she is thinking about Minnesota being one game away. "I want to be something that I haven't really had time to think about.

Minnesota can hoist the Walter Cup Sunday on home ice at the Xcel Energy Center with a win over Boston. Puck drop of the potential deciding game is at 5:00 p.m. CT, 6:00 p.m. ET.

"We're just so thrilled to be in the position we are and hopefully not to have to go back to Boston," Heise said. "That's what our goal is."