OTTAWA, ON – Kendall Coyne Schofield scored her first PWHL hat trick to steer the Minnesota Frost to a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Cost on Tuesday evening at TD Place.
The Frost captain’s first objective got here simply 24 seconds into the primary interval – the quickest objective to begin a recreation thus far this season – and opened a trio of objectives within the first seven minutes from Minnesota forwards Dominique Petrie and Grace Zumwinkle which set a PWHL document for the quickest three objectives to begin a recreation.
After a scoreless second, Coyne Schofield tallied her second objective of the sport 4:14 into the third to carry the Frost’s result in 4-0, earlier than scoring an empty netter to spherical out the hat trick. Ottawa rookie defender Rory Guilday netted her first profession objective on a 3rd interval energy play to make the scoring to 4-1.
Cost captain Brianne Jenner recorded a major help to carry her to a four-way tie for the league lead in scoring with 5 factors, alongside Coyne Schofield and Frost forwards Kelly Pannek and Britta Curl-Salemme, who every contributed two assists within the recreation.
Frost goaltender Nicole Hensley made a career-high 35 saves in her second straight highway begin and victory, whereas Gwyneth Philips turned apart 28 pictures in Ottawa’s second loss in a three-game homestand to open the season.
QUOTES
Minnesota Head Coach Ken Klee on his group’s quick begin: “There’s no query we’ve a extremely expert ahead group, and we all know if we get to work, are good on the forecheck, and have good sticks then we’re going to create alternatives, and we had been lucky to bury a pair straight away. Kendall jumped on it fast and had a pleasant shot to have the ability to rating however then the opposite strains following it again up was actually large for us.”
Frost ahead Kendall Coyne Schofield shares her ideas on Carla MacLeod: “It was positively robust when the information broke. It’s not one thing you learn and simply transfer ahead together with your day. Whether or not Carla or not, you discover a solution to attain out and let her know that she’s in our hearts and on our minds and we’re behind her on this battle. I stay up for seeing her again on the bench and again with Czechia when the time comes. It’s one thing you carry with you, and we would like her to know we’re interested by her and we’re along with her in any method, form, or type all through her battle.”
Ottawa alternate captain Emily Clark on the feelings with out Carla MacLeod behind the bench: “It’s been an emotional large week for us. Everybody remains to be processing the information. We needed to come back out laborious for Carla. It was positively not the beginning we needed, however I believe we will be proud that we by no means gave up. We took the teachings the place they had been. We obtained higher as the sport went on, ending with the pictures as shut as they had been between the 2 groups. Some good issues to come back out of that, however not the beginning we needed.”
Cost rookie defender Rory Guilday on her first PWHL objective: “It was actually enjoyable to attain in entrance of our house crowd with these ladies beside me. We work laborious on the ability play, and we’re gaining confidence on it. Brianne Jenner set me up with an opportunity for an ideal shot. Typically you’ve simply obtained to tear it; in that second, I wasn’t considering of a lot else.”
NOTABLES
Minnesota turned the primary group to attain three objectives within the first interval of a recreation this season. Within the 2024-25 season, they led the league with three first interval objectives in two video games together with Mar. 7 in a 5-0 win towards Ottawa throughout the Takeover Tour in Raleigh, and on Could 3 in an 8-1 win over Boston.
Ottawa entered tonight’s recreation with out having allowed any objectives within the first interval this season. 
Haley Irwin served in her first recreation as Head Coach for the Cost instead of Carla MacLeod who’s present process remedy for breast most cancers.
Kendall Coyne Schofield’s first profession hat trick got here on a season-high six pictures on objective and is simply her second profession multi-goal recreation (Dec. 22, 2024). She leads the league with 4 objectives and has prolonged her level streak to 3 straight video games to open the season (4G, 1A). The Frost captain turned simply the sixth participant in PWHL historical past to achieve 20 profession objectives along with her opening tally changing into the quickest of the PWHL season up to now (0:24).
Kelly Pannek has recorded consecutive multi-point video games for the primary time in her profession with two assists tonight on the heels of her two-goal efficiency on Friday in Seattle. The Frost alternate captain has a three-game level streak (2G, 3A) to open the season.
Britta Curl-Salemme recorded her second straight multi-assist recreation, additionally marking her first time with consecutive multi-point efforts. She leads the league with 5 assists, one shy of her rookie complete of six in 28 video games, whereas her three-game level streak (5A) ties her career-high.
Nicole Hensley has made 30 or extra saves in consecutive begins (35 tonight, 30 on Nov. 28) for the primary time since her first two video games of the inaugural season (33 on Jan. 3, 2024 and 31 on Jan. 10, 2024).
Dominique Petrie scored her first objective of the season and has factors in consecutive video games (1G, 1A). As a rookie final season, Petrie opened her PWHL profession with a objective in every of her first three video games.
Grace Zumwinkle has scored in back-to-back video games for the primary time because the inaugural season when she had a pair of two-game objective streaks (Jan. 3 to six, 2024 and Mar. 13 to 16, 2024).
Rory Guilday scored her first profession objective after recording the primary multi-point recreation of her profession final Wednesday towards Vancouver (2A). The Chanhassen, MN, native chosen fifth general by the Cost is tied for the rookie lead in scoring and is simply the second rookie defender to seek out the again of the web this season.
Brianne Jenner adopted her document tying 4 level efficiency with a major help to provide her 5 factors (2G, 3A) in two video games.
Gabbie Hughes recorded her third help in two video games and leads the league with two energy play helpers. Final season, the Lino Lakes, MN, native didn’t document her third level of the season till her fifteenth recreation.
Denisa Křížová picked up her first level of the season with an help on Petrie’s objective. Final season, three of Křížová’s 5 helpers had been major.
Lee Stecklein recorded her first level of the season with an help on Petrie’s objective. Final season, her first level got here in her seventh recreation earlier than main the 2025 PWHL Playoffs in scoring with eight factors (4G, 4A).
Emily Clark recorded six pictures on objective for the fifth time in her profession and is now tied for the PWHL lead within the class with 14, but she remains to be searching for her first objective of the season.
Minnesota’s five-goal flurry is greater than they scored by means of the primary two video games of the season (4G) and ties Ottawa and New York for the very best single recreation complete within the PWHL thus far this season.
The Frost have gained each of their video games this season when being outshot by their opponent.
THREE STARS
- Kendall Coyne Schofield (MIN) 3G
- Nicole Hensley (MIN) 35/36 SV
- Rory Guilday (OTT) 1G
