Stage Is Set for Sunday's Isobel Cup Semifinals

March 26, 2022 - Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) News Release

(Tampa Bay, FL) - The 2021-22 Premier Hockey Federation's Isobel Cup Playoffs are down to the final four teams following Friday's preliminary round matchups. The third place Boston Pride eliminated the sixth place Buffalo Beauts with a 6-0 win, and the fifth place Minnesota Whitecaps eliminated the fourth place Metropolitan Riveters by a 4-1 score.

The Whitecaps will now take on the first place Connecticut Whale, and the Pride face the second place Toronto Six in Sunday's semifinals. Both games represent rematches of the 2021 semis played at Warrior Ice Arena. Puck drops are slated for 1:00 p.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. ET at AdventHealth Center Ice with action streaming live on ESPN+ and TSN.ca.

Here's a look back at Friday's results:

Pride open playoffs with shutout over Beauts

The defending champion Boston Pride began their postseason quest for a third Isobel Cup title with authority, eliminating the Buffalo Beauts on Friday afternoon with a 6-0 shutout victory to open preliminary round play at AdventHealth Center Ice near Tampa Bay, Florida.

Katie Burt turned aside all 32 shots faced including 13 in the final frame, and six different skaters found the back of the net including defender Kali Flanagan and forward Tereza Vanisova who both recorded their first career PHF goals. Carly Jackson made 30 saves for Buffalo.

The third seeded Pride avenged a pair of overtime losses suffered at the hands of the sixth place Beauts in last weekend's regular season finish to advance to Sunday's semifinal where they'll take on the Toronto Six.

"I think that's the Boston Pride that we've been waiting for since probably September 28," said Boston head coach Paul Mara. "We had a few spurts here and there during the season but that's what we've been aiming to play all year. When our back is up against the wall I think our leadership group that we have in the locker room really knows how to step up. We did that today."

After a scoreless first period the Pride unloaded for three tallies, beginning at 8:19 of the second stanza with Taylor Wenczkowski who led the team with eight regular season goals. Flanagan followed at 14:42 and captain Jillian Dempsey made it 3-0 less than a minute later at the 15:14 mark.

"That's the way we know we can play," said Dempsey, a two-time Isobel Cup champion and reigning playoff MVP. "I think every line was firing, all the D pairings were making great crisp passes and Burtie (Katie Burt) played unbelievable back there. We were feeding off the energy on the bench and making the little plays on the ice and obviously it worked out great for us. That's the expectation for the Boston Pride and what we aim to bring every game."

Christina Putigna scored midway through the third period and added an assist on Vanisova's goal. Flanagan picked up a helper on a Mary Parker mark in the final three minutes to finish with two points of her own. Fellow defenders Amanda Boulier and Kaleigh Fratkin also finished with two assists, and forward McKenna Brand led the way with three assists all recorded during second period scoring.

"Being able to score my first goal at a time like that was really exciting, and being able to celebrate with my teammates afterwards was even better," said Flanagan, who joined the Pride this season after competing with the U.S. National Women's Team. "Going up 2-0 kind of opened up the flood gates and we were able to put them away after that. It was definitely a big moment."

Flanagan's goal was one of three scored on the power play by a Pride unit that produced only four with the advantage the entire regular season, operating at a league-low efficiency of .056.

"You look at successful teams in the playoffs and regular season, their power play and penalty kill do extremely well," Mara said. "We got three power play goals tonight and did great on the penalty kill and we're going to keep working on it and keep getting better."

The six Pride goals equal the team's second best output this season. What's typically been a high powered offense averaged just 2.4 goals-per-game during the 2021-22 campaign which ranked fifth.

"This whole season it hasn't found the back of the net the way we hoped it would," Dempsey said. "Our belief is that we keep working and believing and keep supporting each other and that they're going to go in. For us the floodgates open and we're excited to go and hopefully produce the same thing again on Sunday."

Burt's shutout was her fourth in 13 total games this season after leading the PHF with a goals-against-average of 1.41 and save percentage of .958.

"I've played in front of Burt for a long time now and I think just having a goalie back there that's just so strong and steady inside the net just gives the team a little bit more confidence," Flanagan said. "Being able to get the win for her, and obviously she played amazing and got the shutout which was really awesome."

The Beauts season comes to a disappointing end, missing out on a semifinal bid for the third straight season. The club led the PHF with 11 newcomers on the roster but showed a lot of growth over the course of the season and displayed heart and character right until the bitter end.

"I think that's what separates a team is the character that you have in the locker room," said Buffalo co-captain Taylor Accursi. "The Beauts have always been prideful on having a family and not just teammates. You learn a lot from losses. There's going to be a lot of players that go home and think about what happened today and what they could have done to be better. That's what's going to make them better."

Boston's date with Toronto is a rematch of the 2021 semifinals, won 6-2 by the Pride last March at Warrior Ice Arena. The clubs split the season series that included two recent overtime victories for the Six, with a shootout win and a lopsided 8-2 decision on record for the Pride.

"We know the group that we have in there," said Mara. "When we play the way we're capable of playing, when we're focused, when we're intense and we're playing with passion there isn't a better team in the world. That's what I believe and I think our team believes that now. We've set the standard and the bar for what we can do out there. Practice tomorrow, get focused for Toronto, and take it from there."

Sunday's semifinal starts at 4:30 p.m. ET and streams live on ESPN+ and TSN.ca.

Whitecaps wash away Riveters in first round playoff

The Minnesota Whitecaps punched their ticket to the Isobel Cup semifinals with a 4-1 preliminary round victory over the Metropolitan Riveters on Friday night at Tampa Bay's AdventHealth Center Ice.

Goaltender Amanda Leveille returned to the Whitecaps crease for the first time since February 5 and made 32 saves, with the offense led by two goals from Sydney Baldwin and three assists from both Jonna Curtis and Audra Morrison.

Minnesota represents the PHF's fifth seed, finishing just two points behind Metropolitan in the 2021-22 standings. The teams played to 2-2 records in head-to-head action, splitting their final weekend series of the season just two weeks ago. The Whitecaps will take on the top ranked Connecticut Whale on Sunday.

"It's just unbelievable," Leveille said of her return. "I've been wanting to be able to put on my jersey and be with my teammates for the longest time now and when it actually happened, it's just so incredible. Just looking around the room I feel so confident being able to play because of the teammates I have in front of me. I'm just so grateful to be part of this team and to have the opportunity to play today."

Before her injury, the PHF's most winningest goaltender of all-time started the team's first 11 games of the season, collecting four wins and a save percentage of .937 that was among the league's best. She was proud of what she saw from inside the crease.

"I think our team absolutely dominated today," Leveille added. "We controlled the puck from start to finish and I think that really helped carry our team the full way. It's easy to play goalie when you have teammates like I do."

And Leveille's presence undoubtedly raised the confidence level of her teammates.

"She's always been kind of our backbone for the team," said Whitecaps co-head coach Ronda Engelhardt. "When I told her she was playing she was like a little kid in a candy store. She was so excited. She loves to play, loves to compete. We know that every time she's in the net she's competing to do her best and wants to be the best no matter what. It helped energize things and maybe even gave the team a little extra energy to play hard for her."

Morrison agreed, and summarized her feelings for Leveille in one simple word.

"Amazing," she said. "I don't know what else to say besides amazing."

The fourth year forward led last year's playoffs with five points in two games. Alongside Curtis, she assisted on each of Minnesota's first three goals, finding Taylor Turnquist at 7:54 of the first period to open the scoring.

"Our line is buzzing and we just feel really confident on the ice," Morrison said. "We're getting pucks to the net and they're leading to the back of the net."

Morrison now has points in nine-straight games, totalling 12 in that span after a slow start to the year.

"My confidence level has gone up," she said. "At the beginning of the season I couldn't find the back of the net. When that happens you just need to keep going and find a way. I have great linemates and they help me get my points."

Baldwin's first goal at 6:54 of the second period made it 2-0 for the Whitecaps. Kelly Babstock put the Riveters on the board less than two minutes later at 8:42. Baldwin's second at 11:58 widened the gap and showed just how dangerous a defender she can be with four points in three games since the late season re-signing. Allie Thunstrom added an empty-netter. Brooke Wolejko made 29 saves in defeat.

"The first period was eye opening for a lot of players," said Riveters captain Madison Packer. "Minnesota is a fast team and they're physical, so they push the pace and we were kind of on our heels in that first period. We reset and played decent in the second, but we got outplayed."

The Riveters season showed flashes of promise with two victories over Boston, one against Connecticut, and closely contested battles with Toronto, but could not find the gear they needed against Minnesota.

"They outworked us for the majority of the game," Packer added. "We had some chances that we couldn't capitalize on. We just couldn't get the bounces tonight. They played better than us tonight and deserved to win the game."

This marks the fourth straight instance where the Whitecaps have ended the Riveters season, winning 5-1 and 1-0 in the 2019 and 2020 semifinals. They also beat them 1-0 in what became the Rivs final game of the shortened 2021 season in Lake Placid.

"Definitely disappointing," said Riveters head coach Ivo Mocek. "We felt that we prepared well. We felt that our last three weekends over the regular season we were playing the hockey close to the kind of hockey that we wanted to play. We felt ready when we came here. Unfortunately that game was kind of a summary of the entire season. Too many ups and downs. We had some really good stretches in the game, really good moments, but then two shifts later we were not sharp mentally. It was a perfect display of that season in one game."

The Whitecaps turn their attention to the Whale and a fourth straight semifinal appearance. The clubs also met last year with a berth in the Isobel Cup final on the line with Minnesota cruising to a 7-0 win.

"It felt good to get the win," Engelhardt said. "They are always intense games when we play the Riveters. Our team came out ready to play, ready to win, worked hard, and played a full game and that's what we needed to do."

Sunday's semifinal starts at 1:00 p.m. ET and streams live on ESPN+ and TSN.ca.

Premier Hockey Federation Stories from March 26, 2022

• Stage Is Set for Sunday's Isobel Cup Semifinals - PHF
• Whitecaps Wash Away Riveters in First Round Playoff - Minnesota Whitecaps
• Pride Open Playoffs with Shutout over Beauts - Boston Pride

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