PWHL Players of the Week: Coyne Schofield, Hensley, Buchbinder give Minnesota a clean sweep

After a bit of a lull in results, Minnesota has turned things up over the last couple of weeks, with their offense coming alive over the past week.

Three players were big contributors in wins over Boston and New York, including two of the mainstays on the international stage, and are featured as DFO’s PWHL Players of the Week.

Kendall Coyne Schofield (F, Minnesota)

Though the longtime Team USA mainstay has been slow to start this season, Coyne Schofield has stepped up, especially when Taylor Heise was out of the lineup. The 31-year-old was all over the ice in Minnesota’s 4-0 victory over Boston last Wednesday and scored the clinching goal in the 5-1 victory over New York on Saturday.

With a goal and an assist in both affairs, Coyne Schofield led Minnesota with four points last week, and has seven points in the last five games. She now sits second on the team, scoring with six goals and seven assists, just three points behind Grace Zumwinkle.

Natalie Buchbinder (D, Minnesota)

She might not be the most dominant offensive weapon from the blue line, but Buchbinder has been influential on a team that has had to be extra solid defensively as the offense slowed down. Yet, the rookie defender has been contributing on both ends of the rink recently, earning assists in both wins last week, with a nice finesse play leading to the first of two goals from Michela Cava on Saturday.

It helped extend the former Wisconsin Badger’s point streak to three games, while giving her a goal and three assists over her past five appearances.

Nicole Hensley (G, Minnesota)

Not unfamiliar with being named DFO’s goaltender of the week, Hensley has been stout between the pipes all season. However, there was one accomplishment that she had yet to achieve in the PWHL: a shutout.

That changed last Wednesday, when the former Lindenwood star stopped all 20 shots she faced against Boston, earning her first donut this season.

It was the fellow USWNT netminder’s first win in three starts. Hensley did have a shutout in the final season of the PWHPA Dream Gap Tour, and reportedly last posted two shutouts in her one season with the Buffalo Beauts of the Premier Hockey Federation back in 2018-19.

Hensley now has a 6-3-1 record with a 1.79 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage – good for second in the PWHL.