Victoire Upset the Frost in Overtime

The Minnesota Frost returned home after a big overtime win over the New York Sirens. While the Victoire looked to bounce back from their loss against the Sirens.

It was a battle of the goaltenders with some of the best in net with Ann-Renée Desbiens for the Victoire and Nicole Hensley for the Frost, both goaltenders rank in the top five of all goalie categories. The matchup also saw the return of Frost defender Lee Stecklein, for the first time since the Frost visited the Victoire January 4th. 

So it came as no surprise that this was another low scoring affair, with both teams holding off any goals till the last 2 minutes of the second period. With just over a minute and a half in the second Maureen Murphy, with her first goal of the season. Murphy has been with Montreal since their inaugural season and has continued to make an impact, through team transitions and changes. 

As the minutes counted down in the third period it looked like the Victoire were gonna take the game, but the Frost weren’t ready to back down with Kelly Pannek finding the puck amongst the chaos to fire home the game tying goal, sending it to overtime. 

Both teams were able to find a look in overtime before Captain Clutch came back out and sent the game winning goal behind her, while the Frost were looking to cover where the pass was going. Poulin has continued to showcase why she’s known as Captain Clutch and one of the most dangerous players to face on the ice, with her creative plays and trust in her ability to execute, expect to see more big plays from the Captain as she gears up for her fifth Olympic Games. 

Maggie Flaherty Home in Montreal 

After winning back-to-back championships with the Minnesota Frost, Maggie Flaherty signed with the Victoire as a free-agent and she’s putting up her best season in the PWHL. Flaherty led ice time for both teams, with a big net front presence, holding off her former team and their powerful offence. Beyond the matchup she has recorded a career high 2 goals this season, she also has a career high of 32 blocks. She’s already made a major impact with the Victoire and with her defensive skills and big presence, that impact will only grow as the season goes on. 

Up Next 

Both teams have two more home games before the Olympic break. The Victoire will look to continue their momentum as they look to continue rising in the standings, with the 2-points for the overtime win the Victoire now sit in a playoff position, ranking fourth just one point behind the Frost and two behind the Sirens. While the Frost look to bounce back against the New York Sirens this weekend, with the home crowd behind them.