It began with a bang, had a see-sawing turn of fortune and ended with a whimper in overtime.Â
Despite aggressive work along the boards and a conservative defensive effort, the º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøSceptres fell 4-3 in overtime to the defending champion Minnesota Frost on Wednesday night, dropping their semifinal series in four games and ending their quest for the Walter Cup.
Julia Gosling and Hannah Miller scored to give the Sceptres an early two-goal lead, but a pair of swift and timely shots from Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and Kelly Pannek helped the Frost claw their way back in the second period, setting up a crucial final frame that left little room for error.Â
But the third period ended up being just as loose and slippery as the series itself, with few whistles and several moments that looked to be decisive but ended up being only temporary turning points.
Emma Maltais opened the scoring minutes into the third to give the Sceptres the lead, only to see it quickly evaporate when Coyne Schofield scored her second of the night, setting up Taylor Heise’s overtime heroics. Â
“I think we’re really excited to sleep in,” Heise said jubilantly, adding that the team is “playing with a great amount of pace right now.”
Minnesota will face the winner of the league’s other semifinal series between Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire. The Charge lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 slated for Friday.
Fast was the league’s top-scoring blueliner this season and also led the PWHL in power-play assists, hits and minutes.
Fast was the league’s top-scoring blueliner this season and also led the PWHL in power-play assists, hits and minutes.
Jackson over Campbell
Carly Jackson got the start in net over Kristen Campbell after the latter allowed seven goals on 24 shots in Game 3 and saw her post-season goals-against average balloon to a ghastly 4.75 and her save percentage fall to .813.
Jackson, who appeared in just one regular-season game this season, stopped 22 of 26 shots in her PWHL playoff debut. The 27-year-old Nova Scotian was sharp early, making a swift kick save on Minnesota’s Michela Cava early in the first period. She stumbled in the middle frame before settling in again. Â
Minnesota’s Nicole Hensley got her second start of the series, making 26 saves, including key stops on a Hayley Scamurra overtime breakaway and a number of other net-front scrums and scrambles.Â
Special teams not a factor
After three games defined in part by special teams, neither team spent any time in the penalty box in the largely disciplined Game 4, leaving the score to be settled at even strength.Â
The Sceptres had the league’s best power play during the regular season at 25.8 per cent and held their own on the penalty kill (82.1 per cent), while the Frost were in the middle of the pack on the power play (17.9 per cent) and dead last on the penalty kill (78.4 per cent).Â
It was a hard ask for the PWHL team to go head-to-head with the Maple Leafs at playoffs, each team starting at 7 p.m., but the Sceptres did just fine.
It was a hard ask for the PWHL team to go head-to-head with the Maple Leafs at playoffs, each team starting at 7 p.m., but the Sceptres did just fine.
Fast a finalist for top defender
Prior to the game, Sceptres defender Renata Fast was named a finalist for the 2025 defender of the year award.
Fast, 30, scored six goals in 30 regular-season games, good enough for third in the league among blueliners. Her 16 assists tied New York’s Sarah Fillier for the most among all skaters.
Minnesota’s Claire Thompson (four goals, 14 assists) and Sophie Jaques (seven goals, 15 assists) are the other two finalists.
Montréal’s Erin Ambrose (four goals, 14 assists) took home the award in the league’s inaugural season.
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