#2 Buffalo Beauts v. #1 Minnesota Whitecaps
Game Recap:
The Isobel Cup has come to Minnesota as the #1 ranked Whitecaps host the #2 ranked Buffalo Beauts. To start the game, both teams would feel eachother out and see who would make the first mistake to see who can capitalize. The Whitecaps would get the first powerplay opportunity when Kelly Babstock would be called for Slashing, but the Beauts would kill off the penalty and generate an offense rush for themselves leading to Emily Pfalzer letting go of a bomb from the point to give the Beauts a late 1-0 lead. However, the Whitecaps would not sit back, and they would force a turnover and break Amy Menke into the Beauts zone to score top shelf above Nicole Hensley’s glove to tie the game with less than two minutes in the first period.
For the second period, we would see a lot of back and forth between the two teams, however, the period would be plagued with four tripping penalties and neither team capitalizing on their powerplay opportunities. Both Hensley and Amanda Leveille played spectacular im this period.
For the third period we would see things heat up as both teams trade chances and getting really close calls to swing the game their way, but both teams are getting great goaltending, some solid defense, and most importantly some really, really lucky bounces. However, neither team could get that next goal before the end of regulation, so this game will now go into overtime.
In overtime it would only take 49 seconds for Lee Stecklein to bomb a point shot from a Katie McGovern pass to win the Minnesota Whitecaps their first ever Isobel Cup Championship in their first season in the NWHL.
Lineups:
Buffalo Beauts:
Hayley Scamurra – Maddie Elia – Dani Cameranesi
Emily Janiga – Kelly Babstock – Julianna Iafallo
Corinne Buie – Annika Zalewski – Taylor Accursi
Blake Bolden – Emily Pfalzer
Lisa Chesson – Savannah Harmon
Jacque Greco – Emily Pfalzer
Blake Bolden – Sarah Edney
Nicole Hensley
Julia DiTondo
Minnesota Whitecaps:
Kendall Coyne-Schofield – Hannah Brandt – Amy Menke
Jonna Curtis – Katie McGovern – Kate Schipper
Kalli Funk – Laura Barnes – Allie Thunstrom
Lee Stecklein – Amanda Boulier
Winny Brown – Lisa Martinson
Emma Stauber – Chelsey Rosenthal
Amanda Leveille
Julie Friend
First Period:
Beauts Penalty – 12:49 – Kelly Babstock 2 minutes for Slashing
Beauts Goal – 17:01 – Emily Pfalzer from Blake Bolden and Annika Zalewski
Whitecaps Goal – 18:23 – Amy Menke from Kendall Coyne Schofield and Lee Stecklein
End of 1st – BUF – 1 MIN – 1
Shots 08 04
Faceoffs 08 05
PP 0/0 0/1
Second Period:
Beauts Penalty – 3:58 – Savannah Harmon 2 minutes for Tripping
Beauts Penalty – 12:16 – Dani Cameranesi 2 minutes for Tripping
Whitecaps Penalty – 12:45 – Amanda Boulier 2 minutes for Tripping
Whitecaps Penalty – 16:35 – Lauren Barnes 2 minutes for Tripping
End of 2nd – BUF- 1 MIN- 1
Shots 16 18
Faceoffs 21 17
PP 0/2 0/3
Third Period:
Whitecaps Penalty – 4:54 – Emma Stauber 2 minutes for Interference
Beauts Penalty – 16:19 – Kelly Babstock 2 minutes for Tripping
End of 3rd – BUF – 1 MIN – 1
Shots 23 29
Faceoffs 31 22
PP 0/3 0/4
Overtime:
Whitecaps Goal – :49 – Lee Stecklein from Katie McGovern
End of OT – BUF – 1 MIN – 2
Shots 23 30
Faceoffs 31 24
PP 0/3 0/4
Huge thanks to Erik Wollschlager of Die By The Blade for the assistance with the lineups
