Sunday, February 16, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. ET | Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
WATCH LIVE: NESN, FanDuel Sports Network North, TSN 2, TSN.ca, TSN App, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S. / International)
Jamie Hersch (Play-by-Play), Gigi Marvin (Analyst), Natalie Noury (Reporter)
MINNESOTA FROST
5-4-3-5 | 26 PTS | 2ND PLACE
Top Scorers: Coyne Schofield (6-10-16) & Heise (4-12-16)
Last Game: 8-3 L at OTT on Feb. 13
BOSTON FLEET
4-3-2-6 | 20 PTS | 4TH PLACE (TIED)
Top Scorers: Keller (5-7-12) & Knight (5-7-12)
Last Game: 3-1 L at TOR on Feb. 14
2024-25 SEASON SERIES: MINNESOTA LEADS 10-2 IN POINTS (BOSTON WON 8-7 IN 2024)
Dec. 4 at BOS: 2-1 MIN | Jan. 2 at MIN: 4-3 MIN (OT) | Jan. 8 at MIN: 2-1 MIN (OT) | Jan. 26 at MIN: 5-2 MIN | Feb. 16 at BOS | May 3 at BOS
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Minnesota and Boston will be meeting for the fifth time this season as the Frost have won each of the first four meetings (two in regulation, two in overtime). The only PWHL team to beat another five times in a regular season was Toronto against Montréal last season.
Minnesota is coming off an 8-3 loss to Ottawa on Thursday with the 11 combined goals being the most in a single game in PWHL history. It was the Frost’s second game this season with at least nine combined goals (6-3 win over Toronto) after there was just one such game all of last season (Montréal vs Ottawa, Feb. 24 ,2024).
Taylor Heise had her 11th and 12th assists of the season (tied with Sarah Fillier for most in the PWHL) against the Charge. Heise, Claire Thompson and Kendall Coyne Schofield have a combined 33 assists this season, while no non-Minnesota teammate trio has 28 or more assists.
Michela Cava has a career-high four-game point streak (2G, 4A) and is tied for third in the PWHL with seven goals.
Kelly Pannek is tied for the PWHL lead in faceoff wins this season with 175 while having a faceoff win percentage of 59.3%. Last season, Pannek finished fourth in faceoff wins with 230 but her win percentage was 53.4%.
Britta Curl-Salemme used the Frost's off day to connect with her sister Brenna and her University of Maine teammates, surprising the Black Bears in their locker room prior to Maine's game against Merrimack in Andover, MA.
Today’s game is Boston’s only home game in February. The Fleet have won four straight games at the Tsongas Center and carry a 3-1-0-1 record at their primary venue. The only loss was against Minnesota on Dec. 4. Boston’s .722 win percentage in home games, which includes a shootout victory over Montréal in Seattle, is second in the PWHL behind the Victoire (.792).
Megan Keller is riding a three-game point streak and has scored goals in consecutive PWHL games, tallying in road games against both New York and Toronto. Prior to her current streak, six of her seven career goals came at home (lone road goal was Jan. 17, 2024 at Toronto).
Hilary Knight has attempted 54 shots on goal this season, which is second in the league (Daryl Watts – 58) and 22 more than any other Fleet player. Knight is the only team leader with a double-digit SOG lead over all her teammates this season.
Both team captains lead the season series in head-to-head scoring with Knight (3G, 3A) producing in all four games including her only two multi-point performances in 2024-25. Coyne Schofield (1G, 4A) recorded her first career three-point game with a goal and three helpers in the Frost’s 5-2 win over the Fleet on Jan. 26.
The Fleet will travel to New York immediately following today’s matchup and will play their first back-to-back in team history tomorrow afternoon against the Sirens at 4 p.m. ET. The Frost will bus to Montréal to wrap up their four-game road swing against the Victoire on Tuesday.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“It’s a long season and we’re going to have good days and bad days. The best teams have the ability to bounce back and we’ve proven we can do that. We need get back to our game and make it hard on Boston to get looks and shots. Every game is competitive with them, and we need to rise to the challenge.” - Frost Head Coach Ken Klee.
“After Toronto, we’ve refocused and are ready to get back to our game. Tonight is about playing a full 60 minutes, capitalizing more on scoring chances, and getting back on track in front of our fans.” - Fleet Head Coach Courtney Kessel.
SUNDAY’S GAME: It’s Boston’s Black History Month Unity Game, highlighting the impact and legacy of our Black athletes and communities on and off the ice. Briana Mastel, a Harvard graduate and two-year member of the PHF’s Boston Pride will perform the ceremonial puck drop. Michelle Brooks-Thompson, a Grammy-nominated recording artist and worship leader will sing the Star-Spangled Banner and perform “Stand Up For Love” at intermission. Community organizations in attendance include Black Youth Sports Ministry – an initiative supporting Black athletes, coaches, and staff by providing culturally relevant spiritual care, mentorship, and educational resources, and Afro-American Community Collaboration - a Boston-based organization dedicated to uplifting and empowering the local Black community through advocacy, education, and cultural enrichment.