In every brand-new league, the early weeks of the season bring a series of firsts. PWHL Minnesota experienced another piece of history Sunday, though it wasn’t one it will want to remember.
The team absorbed its first loss in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, falling 3-2 in overtime to New York at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota squandered a 2-0 lead, outdueled by a tenacious New York team eager to end a two-game skid. The loss, which ended Minnesota’s three-game win streak, still brought the team a point in the standings.
Though it outshot New York 41-29, Minnesota failed to score on three power-play chances. New York went 2-for-2, getting power-play goals from Alex Carpenter at 14 minutes, 23 seconds of the second period and Jessie Eldridge at 10:49 of the third. Emma Woods scored the winner with 59 seconds remaining in 3-on-3 overtime.
Minnesota also had a golden chance to win when Grace Zumwinkle was awarded a penalty shot in overtime, but she didn’t convert. Lee Stecklein and Kelly Pannek provided the scoring for Minnesota, which couldn’t get past New York goaltender Corinne Schroeder after Pannek’s goal at 11:22 of the first period.
“We had so many chances we didn’t capitalize on,” Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “Those are the ones that kind of bite you in the end.
“Overall, we played well, but not our best. We’ll learn from it, move on and be ready to go in Ottawa on Wednesday.”
The loss ended a three-game homestand for Minnesota, which sits atop the PWHL standings with 10 points. It drew a crowd announced at 7,951, pushing attendance for the three games at the X to 26,074.
New York put itself into an early hole with overlapping penalties in the first period, giving Minnesota a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:52. Minnesota didn’t score, but shortly after the second penalty expired, Stecklein struck from the left point for a 1-0 lead at 7:16.
Pannek made it 2-0 about four minutes later. She batted a puck out of the air while heading to the net, and when two New York players collided, it left Pannek wide-open for a goal from the slot. Down by two goals, New York didn’t crumble.
“We regathered ourselves,” Woods said. “We just wanted to get the energy up, bring more physicality and more communication on the ice. We definitely did that, and it was a big turning point for us.”
New York came out with more fire in the second period and cut the deficit to 2-1 when Carpenter scored a backdoor goal on a pinpoint pass from Ella Shelton. After Eldridge tied it, Minnesota goalie Maddie Rooney made three big saves; at the other end, Schroeder held firm against heavy Minnesota pressure in the final minutes of regulation.