Streak Snapped: Minnesota Frost Ice Undefeated Fleet in 5-2 Victory

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ST. PAUL, MN — The Boston Fleet’s historic start to the season has finally met its match. In a physical, high-stakes battle at Grand Casino Arena on Friday night, the Minnesota Frost (3-2) handed Boston its first loss of the year, skating away with a decisive 5-2 win.

Coming into the game, the Fleet (5-1) were the talk of the PWHL, having set a league record with five consecutive regulation wins. However, Minnesota’s veteran leadership and a wall-like performance from goaltender Nicole Hensley ensured that the record books would not be rewritten further this weekend.

Minnesota’s Early Surge

The Frost wasted no time challenging the league’s top-ranked defense. Just six minutes into the first period, Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield netted her league-leading fifth goal of the season, pouncing on a rebound to give the Frost an early 1-0 lead.

The momentum stayed with the home team throughout the first frame. Dominique Petrie doubled the advantage at the 12:37 mark, redirecting a Lee Stecklein wrist shot past Boston’s Aerin Frankel. By the time Britta Curl-Salemme poked home a rebound early in the second period to make it 3-0, the Frost seemed to have the game in hand.

The Fleet’s 24-Second Response

Boston, true to their “never-out-of-it” reputation, refused to go quietly. In the third period, the Fleet’s rookie class briefly turned the tide of the game with a staggering offensive burst:

The Spark: Olivia Mobley scored her first professional goal at 9:01 of the third, cleaning up a rebound to cut the lead to 3-1.
The Dagger: Just 24 seconds later, Mobley turned playmaker, setting up fellow rookie Riley Brengman for another quick strike.

In less than half a minute, a three-goal lead had evaporated to one, and the Frost crowd was suddenly silenced.

Hensley Slams the Door

With the Fleet mounting a furious rally, Minnesota goaltender Nicole Hensley rose to the occasion. Hensley finished with 27 saves, including several point-blank stops in the final five minutes as Boston pulled Aerin Frankel for an extra attacker.

The Frost finally put the game away with two empty-netters. Katy Knoll scored with just over a minute remaining, and Kelly Pannek added the final insurance goal with eight seconds left on the clock.

Game Totals

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Final
Boston Fleet	0	0	2	2
Minnesota Frost	2	1	2	5

What’s Next?

The win moves Minnesota into second place in the standings and marks their first home victory of the season.

The Frost: Head to Chicago this Sunday to host the Ottawa Charge as part of the PWHL Takeover Tour™.
The Fleet: Will look to start a new streak as they continue their road trip, visiting the Seattle Torrent at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday.

QUOTES

Minnesota Head Coach Ken Klee on Kendall Cooper’s impact so far this season: “I think she’s an elite skater; she thinks the game well. For her, it’s about knowing who she’s out there against. I think that’s probably the toughest thing for her is how the players play. Once she sees everybody once or twice, I think she’s going to be an elite defender. I think she’s playing well now, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg for her.”

Frost forward Katy Knoll on the line changes coming into tonight: “The way [Ken Klee] coaches is everyone should be ready to play with anyone and everyone. That’s the style of hockey we like to play. We had a few days to practice and work with our new linemates, and figure out what their tendencies are, and where they are on the ice. To get those couple days of practice was really good, and to play with Kendall [Coyne Schofield] and [Taylor] Heise is amazing. They’re obviously such great playmakers as you saw on the ice. I think [the lines] may change even in the next couple games here, so just everyone be prepared to play with anyone is super important, and I think that’s the way we like to play.”

Boston Head Coach Kris Sparre on the game overall: “It was an entertaining game, certainly if you’re a fan. It was back and forth a bit. I thought we had some sustained pressure from time to time. I would’ve liked to have seen it a little bit more, but credit to Minnesota that they played a solid game. They were hard all over the ice.”

Fleet forward Olivia Mobley on scoring her first goal: “It was cool. Obviously fun playing in Minnesota in front of my friends and family. We would have liked a different result, but we have a fun group and I’m just glad I got to help out.”