Friday March 17, 2023
By Laura Everett
The opening game of the 2023 Premier Hockey Federation Playoffs was decidedly not what had been scripted. The top of the table Boston Pride were facing off against the fourth place Minnesota Whitecaps, who were coming into the three-game playoffs following an eight game losing streak. Boston had players leading every league leading category. But this, dear reader, is why we watch the game.
Because, while Boston had the target on their back, with two Isobel cups in their trophy case and having won the regular season, Minnesota came into town and played with absolutely nothing to lose.
“They played fancy and free. Everyone picked Boston to win,” said Pride Coach Paul Mara in the press conference afterwards. “We gripped our sticks a little too tight.”
The first ten minutes of the first period were telling. The Whitecaps began absolutely on fire, with Jonna Albers getting her first shot off on Boston’s goal only 22 seconds in, and Sydney Brodt only 20 seconds later. The Whitecaps came with fire ready to shoot and act quickly, and by the third minute, the Whitecaps’s Ronja Mogren scored with an assist from Taylor Wente.
The Pride ran their usual starting lineup, heavy with offensive power.
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps returned with their Goalkeeper Amanda Leveille who had recently come back from injury. Leveille is a force- a two time Isobel Cup winner, two-time PHF Goalkeeper of the Year, and the keeper with the best save percentage after Boston’s Goalkeeper Corrine Schroeder.
All of this goalkeeping prowess was matched against the offense in full force during this semifinal. Leveille managed to save a strong shot from Sammy Davis that had real possibility to even the score. And Olivia Zafuto let off a slapshot that was blocked by Stephanie Anderson’s body, the sound of which is the stuff of nightmares.
With about six minutes left in the period, the Whitecap’s Taylor Wente was called for slashing, and almost immediately after, Jonna Albers scored a short-handed goal.
What is remarkable about this Boston Pride team, is that down 2-0, the team turned on the focus that had clearly been off, and used the power play to its full advantage. First year player Becca Gilmore scored with assists from Kaleigh Fratkin and Allie Thunstrom.
And then, the Whitecaps did the thing that you definitely do not want to allow- give Loren Gabel any open ice to break away. Because she will take flight and she most definitely will score on you.
With a little over 3 minutes left in the first period, Gabel scored to draw even at 2-2. And the score would remain that way through the second period.
The second period was marked by multiple changes in momentum as each team traded possession. The Pride suffered from a number of missed opportunities to not clean up after shots on goal or finish when the puck rebounded. There was some beautiful, balletic motion, and stunning passing which got close to the goal. The period ended as it began with a 2-2 score.
As the teams entered the third period, the teams were nearly even in shots on goal, with Minnesota’s 23 to Boston’s 24. But the third period is also where Boston had a few lapses in focus that proved dangerous. And play was getting increasingly rough, rough enough even to take a referee down to the ice. There were a series of unfortunate events that just cascaded, and like a good professional team, the Whitecaps capitalized.
First, Kali Flanagan was issued a minor 2 minute penalty for tripping. Shortly after that penalty was served out, the Boston Pride were issued a penalty for “Too Many Men” served by Kayla Friesen.
Now, I want the Premier Hockey Federation to use gender inclusive language particularly since the transition away from the National Women’s Hockey League, so why on God’s green earth is the penalty “too many men?” I certainly would like to issue that penalty to plenty of panels, board rooms, leadership teams and advisory boards in my life. But I’m fairly sure this is not the terminology that the PHF needs to still be using on their official stats report and game sheet.
Secondly, Coach Paul Mara sounded dubious about the “bench penalty” of “too many men.” When asked after the game if he wanted to comment on it, he responded, “It was a mental breakdown,” and to comment, “would probably just get us in trouble.”
Regardless, the penalty led to a power play, which led to a goal. Forty seconds in, Jonna Albers scores on Schroeder as she’s falling to the ice, with an assist from Liz Schepers and Sidney Morin, making the score 3-2.
And somehow, from here, the wheels seem to come off from the proverbial MBTA trolley. Olivia Zafuto took an incredibly nasty fall over a Whitecaps player, landing right on her knee, and there was no call. Boston kept pressing, but things just weren’t working.
With 1:23 left in the game, the Pride pulled the goalie in an attempt to overload the offense and the Whitecaps Sydney Brodt scored an open net goal, making it 4-2. Jonna Albers capped off her night with her own open net goal, making her play-off win a hat trick as well.
When asked after the game, Coach Paul Mara said, “It’s a loss, no big deal. They’re on an 8 game losing streak. We’ve beaten them 4 times in a row. What do you expect? You roll the dice, you’re gonna get seven every once and a while. We’ll be better, we’ll be fine.”
Did this game matter?
Saturday, according to Captain Jillian Dempsey, “We’ll see what we’re really made of.”
The win or go home, next game for the Boston Pride is Saturday, 6pm at Bentley arena in the best of three series.
Boston Women's Sports 
Leave a comment