SAINT PAUL, MN – Kendall Coyne Schofield had a goal and an assist, and Nicole Hensley stopped all 20 shots she faced as Minnesota topped Boston 4-0 on Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center.
The shutout was Hensley’s first in the PWHL which catapults her team into a tie for first place in the league standings, alongside both Montréal and Toronto.
Coyne Schofield got her team on the board first with her fifth goal of the season scored at 18:12 of the opening frame.
Defender Natalie Buchbinder pinched in the offensive zone, intercepting a clearing attempt at the hash marks before putting the puck down low to Taylor Heise in the corner. Heise then made a no-look pass to Coyne Schofield out front, who snapped the puck under Boston starter Aerin Frankel’s blocker to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
Minnesota’s captain recorded her second point of the night—an assist— on Michela Cava’s second goal of the year.
After receiving a pass from Coyne Schofield, Sophie Jaques took a shot from the point, which was partially blocked, deflecting into the end boards. Cava was parked in the right place, just behind the goal line to Frankel’s left, and quickly put the puck on net. The puck went off Frankel’s left pad and into the net, doubling Minnesota’s lead to 2-0.
Despite a final score of 4-0, Boston was within two goals until the 14:43 mark of the third period when Grace Zumwinkle got on the board with her eighth tally of the campaign.
With Boston attempting to make it a one goal game, they found themselves shorthanded—and Minnesota was able to capitalize.
Zumwinkle took a one-timer from the left hash marks after getting a feed from Maggie Flaherty who was at the far point. The shot went through Frankel’s pads to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead. Kelly Pannek also recorded an assist on the play.
Boston pulled Frankel with 4:22 remaining in the game. Despite sustained pressure—including more than a minute of puck possession in the offensive zone—Boston iced the puck and were forced to temporarily put their goaltender back in the net. Frankel once again made her way to the bench with 2:37 left in the match but it was Heise, with her second point of the evening, who iced the game for her team.
Heise got an unassisted goal, blocking a Boston shot then immediately firing the puck down the ice and into the open cage, which made the game 4-0 at 17:57 of the final frame.
Frankel made 20 saves in the loss.
