Minnesota Frost eliminate Toronto Sceptres with 4-3 victory in PWHL playoffs

Minnesota Frost forward Kelly Pannek (12) celebrates scoring to tie the game during the second period of Game 4 of the Walter Cup hockey playoff game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Renée Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Taylor Heise scored in overtime after a two-goal effort by Kendall Coyne Schofield and the defending champion Minnesota Frost eliminated the second-seeded Toronto Sceptres with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night.

Minnesota — the fourth and final seed in both postseasons — rallied from two goals down to become the first team in the league’s two seasons to win a best-of-five series in less than five after splitting the first two matches in Toronto. The Frost’s only home loss in the regular season and postseason came in Game 4 of the finals for the Walter Cup against the Boston Fleet last season — and that was a 1-0 loss in double overtime.

Julia Gosling staked Toronto to a 1-0 lead 5:28 into the match and the Sceptres carried the advantage through the first period. It was Gosling’s third goal of the series. Emma Woods notched her second assist and Anna Kjellbin her first.

Toronto took a two-goal lead at 10:33 in the second when Hannah Miller scored for the first time in the series. Natalie Spooner snagged her first assist.

Coyne Schofield scored 14 seconds later to get Minnesota within a goal. Heise tallied her sixth assist and Michela Cava her first on Coyne Schofield’s first netter this postseason.

Kelly Pannek scored for the first time in the series with 1:12 left in the period to tie it a 2-all. Brooke McQuigge had her first assist and Mellissa Channell-Watkins her third.

The Sceptres took a 3-2 lead just 58 seconds into the final period on Emma Maltais’ first goal. Kali Flanagan had her third assist and Sarah Nurse her first.

Coyne Schofield’s second goal tied it at 8:33 on another assist from Cava and the third of the series from Sophie Jacques. Heise scored the winner unassisted with four minutes left in OT.

Nicole Hensley finished with 26 saves in goal for Minnesota.

Carly Jackson totaled 22 saves for Toronto.

Lower-seeded teams are 14-6 so far in two postseasons. Ottawa leads top-seed Montreal 2-1 in the other series. Game 4 is Friday in Ottawa.

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AP Women’s Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

The Associated Press