SAINT PAUL, MN– The reigning Walter Cup champions will return to the PWHL Finals because the Minnesota Frost defeated the Toronto Sceptres 4-3 in extra time on Wednesday evening at Xcel Vitality Heart to win the best-of-five semifinal sequence 3-1.
Taylor Heise scored the extra time winner on the 16:00 minute mark of the additional body, securing a Frost victory over the Sceptres for a second straight playoff season. Minnesota was the decrease seed in each sequence and eradicated Toronto final season in 5 video games. The Sceptres opened the scoring at 5:28 within the first interval with a aim from Julia Gosling on the primary shot of the sport.
Hannah Miller prolonged Toronto’s lead at 10:33 of the second interval however, simply 14 seconds later, Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield bought the house staff on the board— the shortest span between targets in PWHL historical past. Kelly Pannek tied the sport at 18:48, sending the groups into the third interval locked 2-2.
Emma Maltais regained the lead for Toronto simply 58 seconds into the ultimate body, solely to see Minnesota battle again as soon as extra with Coyne Schofield’s second of the sport at 8:33.
The Frost’s prime line accounted for 16 factors in three straight wins and had six factors tonight, with Coyne Schofield’s two targets, two factors for Heise, and a pair of assists by Michela Cava. Nicole Hensley returned to the Frost crease for the primary time since Recreation 1 and turned in a 26-save efficiency within the win. Carly ‘CJ’ Jackson stopped 22 pictures of their playoff debut —simply their second begin of the season.
Minnesota will defend their title in opposition to the winner between the Montréal Victoire and Ottawa Cost. Ottawa leads the sequence 2-1, with Recreation 4 of the PWHL Playoffs, introduced by SharkNinja, set for Friday.
QUOTES
Frost ahead Taylor Heise on the sport profitable aim: “Really Kelly (Pannek) yelled at me as a result of I didn’t see her come off the ice…and for good motive! I hopped the bench and Grace (Zumwinkle) is nice with puck possession, she got here round and dished it to me. I gave a shot pretend and hoped to get somebody to chew and Brooke (McQuigge) had an incredible display screen and shifted like a goaltender. I let it rip and hoped to maintain it low.”
Frost Head Coach Ken Klee on the staff win: “This can be a testomony to the group. You have a look at the leaders Kendall (Coyne Schofield), Lee (Stecklein), and Kelly (Pannek) at the start as our captains and our goaltenders are skilled and veterans, after which we now have our younger gamers like Taylor (Heise), Britta (Curl-Salemme), Sophie (Jaques) and including Claire Thompson to our group. We’ve a younger group and we now have a veteran group and so they’ve been in these conditions quite a bit. They don’t get rattled by it.”
Sceptres defender Renata Quick: “I by no means actually felt prefer it [the game] slipped away. I assumed it was a good sport the entire means by means of, even after we had been up 2-0 it was nonetheless a good sport. I assumed we competed exhausting your entire sport and had our seems and our possibilities; it simply didn’t go our means, however by no means felt prefer it slipped away.”
Toronto Head Coach Troy Ryan: “I believe tonight’s sport, the sensation I’ve as a coach, is I’m extremely happy with the hassle, the perspective, the taking part in inside our staff construction, the battle and compete ranges that our group confirmed all through that sport. I believe the final couple of video games, the best way sport three ended, we may have taken a neater route on this one [series], however I assumed they confirmed a ton of character in battling this proper to the top. Clearly, placing CJ [Jackson] in aim for that sport is, to some extent, placing CJ in a very powerful scenario, however I assumed CJ actually answered the decision and gave us a possibility to win.”
NOTABLES
Tonight was the primary sport in PWHL historical past with none penalties.
The Frost have scored a number of targets in six straight video games and 16 targets over their final three video games, essentially the most by any staff over any three-game span in PWHL historical past.
All three Recreation 4s in Minnesota’s playoff historical past have gone to extra time on residence ice, with the earlier two determined in double-overtime.
Taylor Heise scored a aim and an help for a 3rd straight multi-point efficiency (1G, 6A). Her seven factors symbolize the perfect three-game manufacturing in her complete PWHL profession. The reigning Playoff MVP additionally scored the profitable aim in opposition to Toronto in Recreation 5 of final yr’s semifinal sequence.
Kendall Coyne Schofield recorded her first profession playoff multi-goal efficiency and has produced consecutive multi-point video games (2G, 2A) for the primary time all season. The captain is the fourth member of the Frost with a multi-goal sport this sequence.
Kelly Pannek scored her first aim in 14 profession playoff video games and prolonged her level streak to 3 video games (1G, 3A).
Michela Cava recorded two assists and has consecutive multi-point performances for the primary time in her profession, and a three-game level streak total (3G, 2A).
Sophie Jaques recorded a career-high third straight multi-point efficiency with two assists (2G, 4A). Her stat-line in 4 video games of this sequence exceeds her 10-game playoff whole of a yr in the past when she led the playoffs in scoring amongst defenders (2G, 3A). 
Julia Gosling scored her rookie-leading third aim of the playoffs, one shy of her common season whole throughout 30 video games.
Hannah Miller scored for the primary time in 14 video games and had three playoff factors in consecutive seasons (1G, 2A).
Emma Maltais recorded her first aim of the sequence, extending her level streak to a season-high three video games (1G, 3A).
Emma Woods collected her second main help on a game-opening aim this sequence (Recreation 2). Her two helpers in 4 playoff video games are another than her common season whole in 30 video games.
Anna Kjellbin had factors in consecutive video games for the primary time all season (1G, 1A).
Natalie Spooner recorded an help for her first level in 9 video games.
Sarah Nurse collected her first level of the sequence with an help, tying final season’s playoff whole.
Izzy Daniel recorded an help for her first playoff level and the primary level of her skilled profession in her residence state of Minnesota.
Brooke McQuigge tallied her first profession playoff help and has a two-game level streak (2G, 1A).
Mellissa Channell-Watkins recorded a helper, extending her level streak to 3 video games (1G, 3A).
Grace Zumwinkle has recorded an help in two-straight video games (2A).
Blayre Turnbull had a minimum of one hit in all 9 of her profession playoff video games.
All 13 intervals within the sequence featured a minimum of one aim scored and eight intervals featured a number of tallies.
Each groups had 11 completely different aim scorers all through the sequence.
The primary shot on aim by both staff got here at 5:28 of the primary interval, ending the longest shotless stretch to open a sport by both staff of their playoff historical past. This was the fourth time in PWHL playoff historical past {that a} staff scored on their first shot of the sport, and the primary time Toronto scored on their first shot since Feb. 25 in opposition to Montréal, a sport they misplaced 3-1. 
SCORESHEET RECAP
Toronto 1 1 1 0 – 3
Minnesota 0 2 1 1 – 4
1st Interval-1, Toronto, Gosling 3 (Woods, Kjellbin), 5:28. Penalties-No Penalties
2nd Interval-2, Toronto, Miller 1 (Spooner), 10:33. 3, Minnesota, Coyne Schofield 1 (Heise, Cava), 10:47. 4, Minnesota, Pannek 1 (McQuigge, Channell-Watkins), 18:48. Penalties-No Penalties
third Interval-5, Toronto, Maltais 1 (Nurse, Daniel), 0:58. 6, Minnesota, Coyne Schofield 2 (Jaques, Cava), 8:33. Penalties-No Penalties
1st OT Interval-7, Minnesota, Heise 1 (Zumwinkle, Jaques), 16:00. Penalties-No Penalties
Pictures on Purpose-Toronto 9-9-6-5-29. Minnesota 6-4-11-5-26.
Energy Play Alternatives-Toronto 0 / 0; Minnesota 0 / 0.
Goalies-Toronto, Jackson (26 shots-22 saves). Minnesota, Hensley (29 shots-26 saves).
A-3,107
THREE STARS
1. Taylor Heise (MIN) 1G, 1A
2. Kendall Coyne Schofield (MIN) 2G
3. Renata Quick (TOR)
SERIES
Minnesota wins the sequence 3-1 over Toronto
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Minnesota: Recreation 1 of the PWHL Finals at Montréal/Ottawa (TBD)
