Minnesota Frost clinch PWHL playoff series with overtime victory over Toronto Sceptres

The Frost advanced to the championship round to defend their Walter Cup title.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
May 15, 2025 at 2:25AM

They’re not going back to Toronto.

The Frost canceled 7 a.m. plane reservations Thursday bound for Toronto and a potential deciding Game 5 in their PWHL first-round playoff series. They did so after their 4-3 home overtime victory Wednesday beat Toronto in four games.

The defending champs will defend their title against either Montreal or Ottawa, who will play Game 4 of their best-of-five series Friday. Ottawa leads 2-1.

Those two teams played four overtimes to determine Montreal the 3-2 winner in Game 2 of their series.

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The Frost, in turn, needed only 16 minutes of overtime Wednesday to eliminate Toronto 3-1 before an announced crowd of 3,107 at Xcel Energy Center. Young star Taylor Heise scored the winner, then skated into the boards in celebration after her team trailed 2-0 in the second period and 3-2 in the third.

“We did not want it to go to four overtimes, definitely not,” Klee said. “It was one of those crazy games. Every game in the playoffs is a little different. This one took on a personality of its own.”

That personality included officials not calling a penalty all night long, opting instead to let the players determine a winner themselves. A penalty-free game is a first in the PWHL’s two-season history.

“It one of those things,” Klee said. “They were going to let the players decide. It’s OK by me. I think the players would agree. Let them hash it out. Both teams played super hard.”

The Frost’s top line of Heise, captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and Michela Cava took a team that prides itself on contributions from everybody and carried it on their collective backs, combining for six points.

Coyne Schofield scored twice, Cava had two assists, Heise had an assist to go with her game-winning goal.

Heise celebrated by leading a mob across the ice, in her own way.

“I don’t really know what I was doing, to be honest with you,” Heise said. “It was relief to know how hard we work. It’s really hard in an elimination game to end a team’s season at the end of their season.”

Goaltender Nicole Hensley went back in as starter after Maddie Rooney had won the series’ past two games. Hensley made 26 saves, stopped a breakaway and stretched herself all across the goal mouth, all in overtime.

“It takes everybody in little ways and big ways,” Coyne Schofield said.

After Toronto’s Hannah Miller made it 2-0 midway through the second period, the Frost took just 14 seconds to answer with Coyne Schofield’s deflected goal off Heise’s shot. When Toronto’s Emma Maltais made it 3-2 in the third period’s first minute, Coyne Schofield answered seven minutes later by shoveling the tying backhander from goal’s edge.

“We came back with a vengeance and a fire,” Heise said.

“Prepare for the moment, embrace the moment,” Coyne Schofield said. “If you’re looking for confidence, just look to the left and to the right and your answer is right there. I think the belief in the room is there, and that’s what is most important.”

The Game 4 victory gives the Frost time to rest and recuperate both physically and mentally after they spent nearly two weeks on the road to end the regular season and start the playoffs. For Coyne Schofield that means time away from young son Drew.

“No doubt in my mind Kendall did not want to go back to Toronto,” Klee said. “She has spent a lot of time away from Drew lately. She was like, ‘I’m not letting it happen. If I can spend two or three more days at home with my kid, I’m doing it.’ She was outstanding tonight.”

about the writer

about the writer

Jerry Zgoda

Reporter

Jerry Zgoda covers Minnesota United FC and Major League Soccer for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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