The 2023 Isobel Cup Playoffs are officially set after Saturday’s Premier Hockey Federation results. Boston is crowned regular season champions with their victory over Toronto, and Connecticut clinched third place with their win against Minnesota. The Pride will host the Whitecaps in their semifinal series, while the Whale travel to take on T6.
Boston Pride 3, Toronto Six 2
Boston took care of business to clinch first place in the overall standings in their first weekend opportunity against Toronto who needed to win both series games to steal the spot. T6 led twice in the first period beginning with Breanne Wilson-Bennett who set a new career-high with six goals burying a rebound just 2:41 after puck drop. The Pride responded at 4:15 with Christina Putigna also setting a new career-high with her ninth of the season to make it 1-1. The early flurry continued at 5:59 when newcomer Daryl Watts was the last to touch a loose puck in the goalmouth to put T6 up again. The rest of the offense came midway through the second period with Boston goals just 45 seconds apart. Top scorer Loren Gabel picked off a pass and capitalized on the breakaway with her league-leading 20th goal of the year at 10:23, then defender Olivia Zafuto blasted the game-winner at 11:08. Corinne Schroeder made 35 saves to build her single season record to 19 wins, while Elaine Chuli stopped 17 in the loss. The victory was Boston’s 100th all-time in regular season competition since the league’s 2015-16 launch.
Connecticut Whale 3, Minnesota Whitecaps 0
The Whale also entered the weekend knowing that one win over the Whitecaps would solidify their third place standing and wasted no time getting it done. Connecticut outshot Minnesota 40-25 with Abbie Ives earning her third shutout of the season opposite Amanda Leveille who returned from injury to stop 37 in her first game in over a month. The game was scoreless until 18:23 of the second period when Kennedy Marchment redirected a Taylor Girard shot for her 17th goal of the season and 34th point to set a new career-high and franchise single season record while extending her point-streak to 17-straight games. Katerina Mrazova extended the lead at 3:26 of the third period with the team’s eighth shorthanded goal of the season, followed by extra insurance from Lenka Serdar at 16:24. The win gives the Whale five-straight, while the loss makes it seven in a row for the Whitecaps who have been shutout three times in that stretch.
Buffalo Beauts 2, Metropolitan Riveters 3
The Riveters wrapped up the regular season with a sweep over the Beauts on home ice and a four-game winning-streak, their longest since 2017-18. Buffalo got on the board first for a second straight game with Claudia Kepler’s team-leading 10th of the season at 8:02. The Riveters took a 2-1 lead in the second period with goals by Kendall Cornine at 4:48 and Madison Packer on the power play at 7:30 with her team-leading 11th of the season. Courtney Maud scored for the sixth time this season and second time this series for the Beauts to tie the game at 8:13 of the third period, but another power play conversion put the Riveters up for good with Fanni Gasparics deflecting her seventh of the year at 11:04. There was no love lost between the Founding Four rivals who battled until the bitter end in a spirited final frame. Rachel McQuigge stopped 26 shots to finish her rookie season with four wins, while Samantha Ridgewell was rock solid once again for Buffalo with a career-high 42 saves.
Cover photo by Lori Bolliger
