Boston Halts Wave: Whitecaps Fall 5-1 Before Pride

The game started with a lot of promise for the Whitecaps, they were undefeated, playing at home, and came out strong as they put quite a few shots on goaltender Katie Burt. Amanda Leveille didn’t see her first shot until 5:15 when Emily Field finally got the puck directly on net. Then Jordan Smelker took a cross-checking penalty at 7:33 and things started to go downhill for Minnesota. Amanda Pelkey had a breakaway attempt, which Leveille denied, and killing the penalty boosted Boston’s confidence enough they went on the offensive. That never truly stopped for the rest of the game.

Kaleigh Fratkin took a delayed tripping penalty at 12:33. While Minnesota had some solid puck cycling and shots, Gigi Marvin’s flyby shortie attempt was the best of the power play. Then there was a mess in front of Leveille and Dana Trivigno tried to fight first Jonna Curtis and then Lee Stecklein, which got Trivigno and Stecklein sent to the box for roughing at 15:20. Just before the 4-on-4 play ended Mallory Souliotis made a high slot shot into the back of Minnesota’s net at 17:10. Pelkey had the lone assist. The Pride scored again when Jillian Dempsey lofted the puck over Leveille from between the circles at 18:16. Jordan Smelker and Lexi Bender assisted.

Second period the Whitecaps got on the board when Amanda Boulier beat Burt from the right circle at 3:59 of a feed from Curtis. Amy Schlagel went for tripping at 6:28, but then Fratkin took an interference minor at 6:49 stopping a Whitecaps breakaway, and both penalties were killed. The Pride killed a Lauren Kelly tripping penalty, which was after she tried to stop a Kendall Conyne Schofield breakaway, that started at 11:53.

Trivigno tried to start something with Chelsey Brodt Rosenthal and they both went to the box at 15:06 for cross-checking and unsportsmanlike conduct respectively. During this 4-on-4 play there was this weird and amazing play where Burt dived out to stop the puck, but sent it soaring and if Schofield had been just a little taller, she would have had a goal. @strongforecheck posted a great gif of it as seen below. Schofield then wound up in the box for tripping at 19:11. On the resulting power play Alyssa Gagliardi fired on goal from about the right circle and Haley Skarupa tipped it in at 19:25. Fratkin had the second assist.

Third period the Pride were on the prowl. They weren’t even that hampered by a too many skaters penalty at 2:55, which Souliotis served. Soon after Marvin fired from the left circle into the top right pocket of goal at 5:11. Skarupa assisted. Honestly the Whitecaps looked overwhelmed and there was chaos around Leveille for much of the period and she did an amazing job keeping the score as close as she did. Trivigno fired point blank on the her, but Leveile denied her. Later Denisa Krizova fed Marvin the puck for a 5-hole goal at 15:43. McKenna Brand had the second assist. Winny Brodt Brown took an interference penalty at 16:46, which Minnesota killed, but they had already received the final nail in their coffin. For the first time since joining the NWHL the Minnesota Whitecaps lost, 5-1, to the Boston Pride.