Two minutes, 12 seconds into the second period of Game 3 of the PWHL playoffs, Minnesota found the back of the net.

Maggie Flaherty’s second goal this year was a shot from the top of the circles that found its way through traffic and got Minnesota on the scoreboard for the first time in the best-of-five series. It held up as the game-winner in a 2-0 Minnesota victory as the team fought off elimination from the PWHL semifinals against top-seeded Toronto on Monday night.

The tally broke a team goal drought of 159:51. It hadn’t scored since the regular-season finale in New York on May 4.

“We’ve had great chances, and it was only a matter of time before we broke through,” said forward Liz Schepers, who assisted on both goals for her first multi-point game in the PWHL. “Quick little play low to high, and Maggie made a great shot through a screen.

“I think we could all kind of take a breath there and realize we can do this thing.”

The win for Minnesota, in front of a small, but always energetic, announced crowd of 3,344 at Xcel Energy Center, marks the first playoff win in team history in this inaugural round of playoffs. It also snapped an 0-7 skid for Minnesota this season. Minnesota will return to the X for game four on Wednesday night with a similar message to game three.

“The message was, we need to win one game,” said Minnesota coach Ken Klee. “That’s it.

“We’re certainly pleased with the outcome today.”

Maddie Rooney made 18 saves to help snap a six-game winning streak for Toronto, a team that hadn’t been shut out since the Jan. 1 season opener. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Goaltender Maddie Rooney made her second consecutive start in net for Minnesota, earning the shutout victory with 18 saves. She also kept Toronto off the scoreboard for nearly all of game two, until Jesse Compher scored with 1:25 left in regulation. On Monday, Minnesota fans showed their love for Rooney by chanting her last name throughout the game while waving their white PWHL Playoffs towels.

“The chants, that’s always fun,” said Rooney, who credited her teammates in front of her for their defense. “A lot of blocked shots today. Clearing the rebounds when they were there and really fun atmosphere to play back in our home building.”

Victory snaps lengthy losing streak
It’s been about seven weeks since Minnesota last won a game, earning an exciting shootout victory over Montreal on March 24. It completed a five-game winning streak heading into the International Break. But that momentum was obliterated and turned into a 0-5 stretch to end the regular season, culminating in Minnesota backing into the PWHL playoffs as the No. 4 seed thanks to a little help from an Ottawa loss on the final day of the regular season.

They spent much of the season in first or second place in the six-team league, with not only the playoffs in sight but possibly home-ice advantage, too.

In game three, Minnesota’s third line produced the scoring. Lakeville native Flaherty scored the first goal, with Mound Westonka grad Schepers and Andover alum Claire Butorac assisting. It was Flaherty’s first goal since Valentine’s Day. Schepers recorded her first point since Jan. 27.

Mellissa Channell and a Toronto player tangle along the boards in game three. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Their second goal, about six minutes after the first, was a bit of good fortune from the hockey gods, perhaps making up for some tough bounces and circumstances lately. Toronto goaltender Kristen Campbell, who came into the game with a 153:34 shutout streak, didn’t realize where the puck was underneath her in the crease when it was sent into the zone. Denisa Krizova was right there to capitalize with her fourth goal of the year.

“It was certainly good to finally get a bounce for us,” Klee said. “It just allowed us to breathe a little easier.”

Toronto was “out of character”
While Minnesota felt good about getting the necessary victory to extend its season, Toronto’s postgame consisted of what coach Troy Ryan called an “extra-long chat in the dressing room.” He called Monday’s game the team’s “worst of the year.” They were outshot 11-2 in the first period and 22-9 through two periods.

“I wouldn’t say any of us staff and athletes were very happy with that performance,” Ryan said. “A little bit out of character. Our passing was off.

“Just not doing the little things that have made our group successful all year. We’ve just got to be better, without a doubt, in all areas.”

Whether it was Toronto not playing like themselves, or Minnesota finally getting something to go their way, Klee said he was proud of his team effort and resiliency.

Rooney mentioned the word “resilient” when asked for a word to describe the game. Schepers also referred to Minnesota as a “resilient group” in terms of the coaching staff and team leaders doing a good job of instilling belief in the room throughout this tough, winless stretch. They’ve been in many close games and haven’t felt their belief in each other dip, Schepers said.

“It’s great to get back in the win column tonight, obviously in a huge moment,” Schepers said. “But just a credit to the character of our group and how we never quit on each other.

“We’re in this thing now.”

The post Breaking The Ice appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Now, the Whitecaps and its professional league are memories for Stecklein and hockey fans. The new women’s league – the Professional Women’s Hockey League – is off and skating to prepare for its inaugural season in 2024.

“It feels a little surreal,” Stecklein said while meeting with the media last week. “It’s been a long road to get here.”

The new six-team league was announced this summer led by Mark and Kimbra Walter, Billie Jean King and Premier Hockey Federation Governors Johanna and John Boynton. The league acquired the PHF and spent months negotiating a collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association.

“The game has deserved this for a very long time,” said Kendall Coyne Schofield. “You look at a lot of the players who came before all of us who are walking into TRIA today who didn’t have the opportunity that we’re going to have moving forward.

“And I think even with the opportunity that we do have moving forward, we’re going to want to push for more. We’re going to strive for more.”

Taylor Heise, the PWHL first overall draft pick, meets with the media at TRIA Rink. (MHM Photo / Heather Rule)

While Stecklein and Coyne Schofield, along with some of their teammates, are professional-playing veterans, others like Taylor Heise get to start their professional careers with the new PWHL. They’re all signed to play for Minnesota’s team.

“My agent actually texted me this morning… ‘hey, happy first day of school,’ and I didn’t even think about it that way. But it makes sense,” Heise said.

First days often include introductions aplenty. Heise said she introduced herself to half of her teammates on day one.

Heise, the 23-year-old native of Lake City, Minn. and graduate of Red Wing High School, made history as the first overall pick in the inaugural PWHL Draft in September. In six years with Red Wing, she scored 180 goals and 316 points in 149 regular-season games. She then spent five seasons with the Gophers, scoring 97 goals and 227 points in 173 games.

Minnesota general manager Natalie Darwitz said there wasn’t much need for discussion for who Minnesota would select with its top lottery pick at the draft, held in Toronto.

“I have told everyone, I kind of blacked out when my name was said, especially since Billie Jean King was the one that said it,” Heise said.

Along with Heise and Stecklein, there are plenty of Minnesota natives on Team Minnesota, like forwards Kelly Pannek, Maggie Flaherty and Grace Zumwinkle. Susanna Tapani is from Finland, Coyne Schofield is from Palos Heights, Ill. and goaltender Nicole Hensley is from Colorado. As of early this week, these players are all signed to a standard player agreement.

A ‘fresh start’ for everyone
Minnesota welcomed 28 total players to training camp. Darwitz and head coach Charlie Burggraf will look for competition from these players and what they could provide for the team. While a player’s draft status and previous hockey resume are important, Minnesota wants to give every player a “start-from- scratch feel,” Darwitz said.

“Everyone’s at the same starting point,” Darwitz said. “You’re here to show us what you can do on the ice and hopefully for this organization and hopefully a consistent spot in the lineup.”

Minnesota will be led behind the bench by Roseau native and former University of North Dakota player Charlie Burggraf. He’s had a few stops in his coaching career, most notably and recently at Bethel University where he was an assistant men’s hockey coach from 2002-04, head women’s coach from 2006-10 and then the head men’s hockey coach starting in 2010. He was also an assistant for the Gophers women’s team from 2004-06.

Burggraf said they’re looking for strong locker-room players who are skilled and can skate fast, along with having great goaltending.

“We like to play a fast, aggressive style of hockey, and they’ll play different roles,” Burggraf said. “So, there’s going to be variation in the type of player that we have depending on where they fall.

“Speed kills is what we say in hockey. Because if you’re fast and quick and smart, you’re difficult to play against. That’s what we’re looking for in our players.”

Camp officially started Nov. 15. They’ll have a lot of meetings over the first couple of weeks to get on the same page, Darwitz said.

All six PWHL teams – Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto – will meet Dec. 3-7 at the Utica University Nexus Center in New York for a pre-season evaluation camp. The days will be filled with training sessions, practices and scrimmages to help prepare for the inaugural season. Minnesota is scheduled to scrimmage against Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.

The league announced earlier this month that TRIA Rink, also home to the Minnesota Wild, will be Team Minnesota’s practice facility. Regular season games start in January.  

Lee Stecklein meets with the media Nov. 15, 2023 at TRIA Rink as PWHL training camp opens. (MHM Photo / Heather Rule)

Minnesota needs to trim its roster to 27 players by the last week of November before the Utica trip. After those scrimmages, Minnesota will get down to its active roster of 23 players and two reserve players.

“This is new for everyone,” Darwitz said. “They’re coming from different colleges. Some have the luxury of this pro league started when they graduated college, and they don’t know anything else. Some of them, the last few years, they had to rough it. They were playing in men’s leagues, they were working out on their own.”

No logos, nicknames for 1st season
For this first season, there will be no team-specific logos or nicknames, although purple will be one of Minnesota’s team colors. Darwitz supports the league’s move to take its time and get these decisions right.

“I know people want names, they want jerseys,” Darwitz said. “They want all that stuff, they want apparel. I think it’s really important to do things the right way. … Our jerseys year one are inaugural jerseys. You won’t see these same jerseys year two.

“Years two and on, it’s going to be up to every market, I think, to establish their own identity.”

Whatever that new identity will be for Team Minnesota, the players hope to attract new fans to the new league. Heise has high expectations when it comes to support from “the best fans in the league” in Minnesota.

But the women’s hockey history already runs so deep in the land of 10,000 lakes. That shouldn’t be overlooked, Stecklein said.

“The Whitecaps were trailblazers for a really long time,” Stecklein said. “And I’m so grateful for what they did. Because we would not be here without them.”

The post ‘The Game Deserved This’ appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.