Taylor Heise scores in OT, Frost eliminate Sceptres to advance to PWHL Final
Taylor Heise scored in overtime to give the Minnesota Frost a 4-3 win over the Toronto Sceptres Wednesday night, clinching their best-of-five series and eliminating the Sceptres from the postseason for the second straight year.
DID YOU REALLY THINK WE WERE DONE? WE'RE GOING BACK 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/XwWhZoKdBS
— x – Minnesota Frost (@PWHL_Minnesota) May 15, 2025
The Frost came back from a 2-0 deficit in the second period, then again tied the game midway through the third to force the game into overtime.
The Toronto Sceptres Walter Cup dreams fall short in 2024-25.
Taylor Heise scores the 4-3, Game 4 OT and series winner for the Minnesota Frost to send them back to the PWHL Final.
Goaltending and defence just not good enough in the series for Toronto.pic.twitter.com/TIZ4kD1JSa
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) May 15, 2025
Toronto opened the scoring five minutes into the opening frame when Julia Gosling took a feed from Natalie Spooner, wristing it past Frost netminder Nicole Hensley for her third of the series. Midway through the second, Hannah Miller fired one from the top of the circle to make it 2-0 Sceptres.
HANNAH MILLER HAS ENTERED THE CHAT đź‘€
She snaps a 13 game goal drought to put TO up 2-0! pic.twitter.com/brglhiQgW3
— Jocks In Jills (@JocksInJills) May 15, 2025
Just 14 seconds later, Kendall Coyne Schofield buried one past Sceptres’ goaltender Carly Jackson – who was starting just the second game of her career – to cut the deficit to one. Then with a minute to go in the second, Frost forward Kelly Pannek tied the game with a tip on a Brooke McQuigge shot.
One minute into the third, Toronto forward Emma Maltais was alone in the slot, firing the puck past Hensley to give Toronto a 3-2 lead. Midway through the third, Coyne Schofield scored her second of the game, burying a rebound off a Grace Zumwinkle shot and sending the game to overtime.
With four minutes left in overtime, Heise shot a puck with eyes through both traffic and Jackson, and it was game, set and match the the Frost, defeating the Sceptres 4-3 and clinching the series in four games.
THE STATE OF HEISE IS BACK 🤯
Taylor Heise scores the OT game-winner and @PWHL_Minnesota advances to the Finals for the second time! pic.twitter.com/gQCJpuDEio
— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) May 15, 2025
Quick stats
• Heise’s goal was the sixth playoff goal of her career. She finished with a goal and six assists for seven points in the series.
• Jackson stopped 22 of 26 shots, making their second career PWHL start. They had been named the starter just an hour before the game started, a decision head coach Troy Ryan and co. made after Kristen Campbell allowed 12 goals on just 49 shots.
• Hensley made 26 saves, getting the start after Maddie Rooney allowed five goals in Game 3 on Sunday. The Frost have started each goaltender every other game, and may carry the strategy into the finals.
The Frost now wait to see who will win between the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge in their first-round series. On Tuesday, Gwyneth Philips recorded a shutout in a 1-0 Charge win, giving Ottawa a 2-1 series lead and putting them just one win away from the PWHL Final. Game 4 is Friday night, puck drop is 7 p.m. ET.