The Montreal Victoire are heading to their first Walter Cup final as they defeated the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost 2-1 at Place Bell on Tuesday within the fifth and deciding game of their Skilled Women’s Hockey League semifinal.
Marie-Philip Poulin scored the game-winning goal at 3:06 of the third period on the facility play. The win sets up a best-of-five final against the Ottawa Charge, ensuring that the league will crown its first Canadian champion. It was Poulin’s second game-winning goal of the tight series.
It’s the primary time the Frost lost a game facing elimination, moving to 6-1. They’ve been in all the league’s deciding fifth games.
Erin Ambrose made a cross-ice pass to Poulin, who beat Maddie Rooney on a pointy angle near the goal line.
Minnesota pushed hard after the goal, getting several probabilities within the Montreal end, but Ann-Renee Desbiens was solid within the Victoire net. Rooney made some big saves of her own, keeping the sport at 2-1.
Sam Cogan scored for the Frost, while Rooney made 15 saves.
Catherine Dubois also scored for the Victoire, while Desbiens made 25 saves, including eight within the third period.
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Montreal opened the scoring when Dubois’ shot hit off of Elizabeth Giguere’s stick and tricked Rooney. Poulin moved Dubois right before the faceoff, and won it back to her within the shooting position. The goal got here 12:18 into the primary period, and was scored after Minnesota opened with a 9-2 shot advantage.
Dubois was moved to the highest line for this game, and it was her first goal of the playoffs.
Desbiens had an eventful period of her own. A Mae Batherson shot deflected in front by Kendall Coyne Schofield and trickled through Desbiens, but she was in a position to turn around and use her keep on with stop the puck from crossing the road before grabbing it.
Minnesota tied the sport 1-1 with 11:45 left within the second period when Cogan tipped a Abby Hustler pass within the slot that beat Desbiens.
As much as that time within the second period, each goaltenders made big saves with Desbiens making a rolling two-pad stack save on Giguere, and Rooney stopping Laura Stacey and Kaitlin Willoughby on separate probabilities early within the frame.
The shots within the second period were 6-5 Montreal, however the Frost had a lot of the possession within the period, aided partially to the sport’s first power play.
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