Written by Abbi Holt; Edited by Laura Everett
Photo by Andrea Cardin/Freestyle Photography; shared with permission of the PWHL
Boston’s last home game was a 4-1 mess against PWHL NY. Everyone was in agreement. In post-game interviews (link to prev. story) players clearly were already reliving and rethinking their actions on the ice, and were ready to get back out and try some changes in practice.
Thank goodness for a Wednesday 1/24 night away game against Ottawa.
On Wednesday, Coach Kessle moved the very effective duo of Alina Müller and Loren Gabel back onto the first line with captain Hilary Knight and put Theresa Schafzahl with Hannah Brandt and Amanda Pelkey.
1/24 lineup
vs. 1/17 lineup
This new setup worked much better. Boston dominated the first period and scored two goals. Müller intercepted the puck in a Boston powerplay, passed it to Megan Keller at the top of the slot who passed it back as Brant set up a nice screen allowing Müller to put it cleanly by goalie Sandra Abstreiter who couldn’t even see to react.
Muller Powerplay goal https://twitter.com/PWHL_Boston/status/1750314137786159505
Sophie Shirley then skated from the midline, timing her arrival perfectly with Jamie Lee Rattray, who tapped Shirley’s pass in the corner of the goal. Boston led at the end of the first period 2-0.
The defensive lines were also shuffled and seemed much stouter with some periods of really gorgeous, fluid passing. The pairing of Megan Keller and Sidney Morin had amazing chemistry and notched an assist each.
Whatever adjustments PWHL Ottawa made in the first break paid off though, and Ottawa struck only a couple of minutes. Kristin Della Rovere chipped the puck around a defender to get down into Boston territory and then redirected the pass from Natalie Snodgrass past Boston goalie Aerin Frankel to make it 2-1.
Lexie Adzija then extended her scoring streak to five games and tied it up in an Ottawa powerplay with 3:47 left on the clock. It looked like the game would go to overtime until Müller set up Theresa Schafzahl for a tap-in in the last few minutes of the game to the almost comical shock of many small Canadian girls that the TV cameras lingered on. Hopefully, Coach Kessel and the team have found a winning game plan, and some much needed confidence, that can give Boston some more consistent performances.
Want to see what happens next? Come to Tsongas Arena 4pm Saturday 1/27! Tickets here. And in a woho meets woso mashup, World Cup winner Sam Mewis will be dropping the puck. Game on Youtube and theoretically NSEN if you can find it. #gotogames
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