Tag: Women’s Hockey

Today the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced their Three Stars of the Week for the week of December 30th through January 5th.

First Star – Susanna Tapani (F – BOS)

At Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, before a season-high crowd of 12,608 in Sunday’s opener of the PWHL Takeover Tour, Tapani scored the game-tying goal at 10:58 of the third period and contributed a shootout goal to give the Fleet a 3-2 victory over Montréal. Tapani’s performance capped a three-goal week, helped Boston snap a three-game losing streak, provided the team’s first road point of the campaign and snapped a four-game win streak by the Victoire. After being held off the scoresheet in a 3-1 loss to Montréal at Place Bell last Monday, the 31-year-old native of Turku, Finland made PWHL history in the following contest against Minnesota – scoring twice within 49 seconds to record the fastest two goals ever by a PWHL player; Toronto’s Natalie Spooner scored twice in 3:11 against Ottawa last March 23. The Fleet trailed the Frost 3-1 with fewer than four minutes remaining in regulation time before Tapani scored on a power play at 16:43 and added an even-strength score to pull Boston even at 17:32 of Minnesota’s eventual 4-3 overtime victory. With four goals in eight games this season, Tapani has matched her goal total over the 26 games she played in 2024.

Second Star – Megan Keller (D – BOS)

Keller had a four-point week, with an assist in Boston’s loss to Montréal Monday, an assist in Minnesota Thursday and two assists in Seattle against the Victoire. With her assist on a goal by Knight at 10:30 of the third period at Place Bell, the 28-year-old from Farmington, Michigan helped Boston into a temporary 1-1 tie. The combo clicked again in Minnesota when Keller kept in the puck at the point and took a shot before Knight converted the rebound at 7:05 of the third period – getting the Fleet on the scoreboard and halving the 2-0 lead Minnesota had built with second-period goals 43 seconds apart. At Climate Pledge Arena, Keller collected her second two-point game of the season – she had two goals against the New York Sirens on Dec. 8 – to help the Fleet wipe out a 2-0 deficit and lengthen her point streak to four games. Keller’s pass from the top of the right-wing circle set up Hannah Bilka’s 5-on-3 one-timer to the short side at 12:45 of the second period, and her assist on Tapani’s tying goal marked yet another success for Boston’s PWHL-leading power play (29.2%).

Third Star – Hilary Knight (F – BOS)

Boston’s captain collected two goals, one assist and amassed 14 shots during the Fleet’s busy week on the road. Against Montréal Monday, the 35-year-old, from Sun Valley, Idaho scored her third goal of the season, then notched her first two-point performance of the 2024-25 campaign with a goal, an assist and five shots against the Frost. While it didn’t show up on the scoresheet, Knight also harried Minnesota defender Claire Thompson into the turnover that resulted in Tapani’s unassisted goal that tied the score, 3-3, with just 2:28 left in regulation play. In Seattle, Knight followed up with a season-high six shots. With four goals in eight games this season, Knight is just two short of her total for 24 games in the PWHL’s inaugural campaign. Trailing league-leading goal scorer Alex Carpenter by just one goal, Knight is in a four-way tie for second with Tapani, New York rookie Sarah Fillier and Minnesota rookie Britta Curl-Salemme.

*All Graphics and Pictures courtesy of the PWHL.

*Player Profiles written by PWHL Staff.

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Today the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced their Stars of the Month for the month of December 2024.

Alex Carpenter (F – NYS)

New York Sirens forward Alex Carpenter has been named a SupraStar of the Month for December, recording eight points (4G, 4A) in six games. Carpenter collected at least one point in each of New York’s games in the month, which ties her for the longest-ever point streak in a season. She leads the PWHL in goals (4) and is tied for first in the league in points (8), contributing to 44.4% of the Sirens’ goals to start the season. Additionally, her shot accuracy has been impressive with a 26.7% shooting percentage. With two game-winning goals—making her the only player in the PWHL with multiple game-winners this season—the 30-year-old helped New York achieve the third-highest winning percentage (.500) in December. Her month included a 58.7% faceoff win percentage on 109 attempts—good for a team-high 64 faceoff wins— while averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game.

Sarah Fillier (F – NYS)

New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier, the first overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft, has made an immediate impact in her rookie season, recording eight points (3G, 5A) in her first six games as a pro. Her point total is tied for first in the PWHL, while her assists are third-most among all skaters. Fillier sits alone atop the rookie scoring race, with twice as many points as the next highest scorer in the category. Her debut month included back-to-back multi-point efforts to begin the season, including two assists in her pro debut against Minnesota where she assisted on the game-winning goal. In her second game of the month, Fillier recorded a season-high three-point game against Montréal, where she scored her first two PWHL goals— including a power player marker— to lead the Sirens to a 4-1 road victory. The 24-year-old has hit the scoresheet in five of her first six games in the PWHL, launched by a season-opening four-game point streak.

Sarah Nurse (F – TOR)

Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse finished December as one of the league’s top three scorers. Nurse recorded six points (3G, 3A) in seven games, tying for the team lead in both points and goals. Her versatile play was on display in the month, as the forward recorded a power play goal and assist against Ottawa on Dec. 3, and a shorthanded ‘Jailbreak’ tally versus Boston on Nov. 30. Nurse has also been a driving force in the faceoff circle, taking a league-high 141 faceoffs—21 more than the next closest player—while maintaining a 51.1% success rate. Consistently making her presence felt, the 29-year-old had 21 shots on goal –– fourth most in the league––while averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game and recording at least a point in five of seven games to start the season.

Jincy Roese (D – OTT)

Ottawa Charge defender Jincy Roese has been a force on the blue line this season, emerging as one of the top scoring defenders in the PWHL. Roese is second on her team in points with five (2G, 3A), placing her in the top 10 in league scoring and top three among all defenders. After going goalless in 24 games in the inaugural season, the 27-year-old has already hit the scoresheet twice through six games, including a power play marker against Toronto on Dec. 3. Her standout December also included a two-assist game against Minnesota on Dec. 19 and a game-winning goal with less than two minutes left in a pivotal matchup against Toronto on Dec. 31. Averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per game, Roese’s strong two-way play and ability to step up in key moments have made her an invaluable asset to the Charge, who currently sit in third place in the PWHL standings.

Claire Thompson (D – MIN)

Minnesota Frost defender Claire Thompson has been a standout in the PWHL this season–– her first in the league after being selected third overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft. Thompson is tied for the league lead in points with eight (1G, 7A) while leading all players with seven assists, showcasing her ability to generate offense from the blue line. The 26-year-old recorded points in five of her six games played in December and is currently on a four-game point streak (1G, 6A). Her month was highlighted by her historic Dec. 19 performance against Ottawa, where she tied the PWHL record for most points in a single game with four (1G, 3A). Averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time per game, Thompson has been a critical presence for the Frost at both ends of the ice.

Emerance Maschmeyer (G – OTT)

Ottawa Charge goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer has been a cornerstone for her team thus far, starting six of seven games while leading the PWHL in several key categories. Maschmeyer has played the most minutes in the league (361) and leads all goaltenders in save percentage (.938), shots against (194), and saves (182). She is also tied for first in both wins (3) and goals-against-average (2.00). The 30-year-old started the season by making a career-high 42 saves against Montréal, while her month was capped off with two regulation road wins; first, against New York on Dec. 29, then versus Toronto on Dec. 31, where she combined for 71 saves on 73 shots, achieving a .973 save percentage across the two games. The two wins propelled Ottawa to third place in the standings, with Maschmeyer backstopping the team to each of its 10 points earned in the month.

*All Graphics and Pictures courtesy of the PWHL.

*Player Profiles written by PWHL Staff.

TXHT may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through Cool Hockey and Dr. Squatch ads/links in this article.