1 week Ago By Dean Spiros / St. Paul Pioneer Press
ST. PAUL — The Frost were done in once again Sunday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center by an inability to finish, and it might have ended their chances of repeating as PWHL champions. Despite outshooting the New York Sirens 33-21 and controlling play for most of the game, the Frost were unable to solve Sirens goaltender Corinne Schroeder in a 2-0 loss that left them 4 points behind the Ottawa Charge for the fourth and final playoff spot with two games to play.
ADVERTISEMENT The Frost will have to beat the Charge on Wednesday and third-place Boston on Saturday — both on the road — and get some help to make it into the postseason. The Sirens broke a scoreless tie at 11:07 of the second period. Frost defender Maggie Flaherty was unable to control a pass back to the point at the New York blue line, allowing Taylor Girard to beat Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney on a breakaway.
The Sirens added an empty-net goal at 19:52 of the third period to seal the victory. “At the end of the day, you have to score to win, and we didn’t,” said Frost center Taylor Heise. It was a frustrating afternoon for a team that failed to win a crucial game on home ice against the PWHL’s last-place team.
“Regardless of a win or loss today, we knew we’re going to have to go into Ottawa and play well and win,” said Frost coach Ken Klee. “And we know we have to go into Boston and do the same thing. The mindset doesn’t change.
“It takes it out of our hands a little bit. We need a little help now, where we didn’t need that before this game. But we’ve got to go in and win games.
” ADVERTISEMENT In their first game back from the PWHL’s three-week break that allowed its players to participate in the IIHF world championship in Czechia, the Frost got off to a fast start, outshooting the Sirens 17-6 in the first period. “We had a great first period,” Klee said. “We probably had 30 shot attempts; it was outrageous how many good looks we had.
We just have to find a way to bank one in, put one in, hit one off someone’s shin pad. “We practiced hard the last few days, and we looked sharp. We were scoring goals like crazy in practice.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s a tough league.” The Frost had a great opportunity to take the lead early in the second period when they went on a five-minute power play. But they weren’t able to put any sustained pressure on Schroeder.
“Good on them to kill it off,” said Frost defender Lee Stecklein, “but I think we just kept going. I didn’t feel like that deflated us. But we definitely didn’t keep that great energy we had in the first.
I think that was good to see us come out that way; we need to find a way to keep that going through all three.” Klee felt the power play could have done more to make things difficult for the Sirens. The Frost entered the third period knowing their season likely was on the line but did not have the look of a team playing with desperation.
ADVERTISEMENT “I thought we played desperate, I just thought we played a little dumb,” Klee said. “We don’t often pinch and give up odd-man rushes. It wasn’t that they weren’t trying to do the right things; I just think we were trying a little too hard and we were pressing.
” As for ways to kickstart the offense, Stecklein said now is not the time for a new approach. “Obviously it didn’t work tonight,” she said, “but we just have to believe it’s going in. Sometimes that’s half the battle.
” Now, battling for their playoff lives, the Frost have left themselves no room for error. “We lost; it is what it is,” Heise said. “We have to come out and play two hard games.
Whether or not you make the playoffs, these are some really big games for us. If we win both and we still don’t make it, that potentially puts you up for the (first overall) pick (in the draft). “We’re going to continue to work hard.
Ottawa is the next game and we just have to settle it down and work our way to the net and figure it out.” ____________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers.
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