Frost Flood Fleet, Ends Boston Playoff Hopes In Regular Season Finale
LOWELL, Mass. — For the second straight season, the Minnesota Frost dealt a heartbreaking blow to the Boston Fleet.
The defending Walter Cup champions punched their ticket to the playoffs and sent the Fleet packing with a dominating 8-1 win.
The Fleet controlled their own destiny entering their regular season finale at Tsongas Center against the Frost. All Boston needed was one point, and the franchise would secure a spot in the PWHL playoffs.
Minnesota, however, had other plans and a playoff spot of its own to clinch. The Frost controlled the game from the opening faceoff and never looked back.
Britta Curl-Salemme and Lee Stecklein gave the Frost an early 2-0 lead in under four minutes to begin the game, and Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield capped off the first period with her 12th tally of the season on the power play with Fleet defender Megan Keller in the box for cross-checking.
After allowing three goals on 10 shots, Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel was replaced in net by rookie Klára Peslarová to begin the second period.
Peslarová, who earned a 29-save shutout in her first PWHL career start a week ago, didn’t fare much better in relief, giving up two goals on six shots in the middle frame. The Frost took a 5-0 lead into the final period.
Fleet defender Jessica Digirolamo scored the lone goal for Boston. It was her first goal of the season.
Coupled with the Ottawa Charge defeating the Toronto Scepters in overtime, the Fleet’s hopes of making the playoffs in their sophomore season were shattered with their loss to the Frost.
Nicole Hensley made 28 saves for Minnesota and improved to 7-3-1-0. The Fleet fell to 1-5-0-0 against the Frost this season. The top-seeded Montreal Victoire will decide whether they want to face the Frost or Charge in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. The Walter Cup playoffs begin Wednesday, May 7, in Toronto.
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