Minnesota Frost Hang On To Win 4-3 in OT Over Boston Fleet – The Hockey Writers PWHL Latest News, Analysis & More

The Minnesota Frost and Boston Fleet met for the second time this season, and first of 2025, in St. Paul on Thursday evening, Jan. 2. Their first meeting in Boston favored the Frost 2-1 and was just the second game for both teams. In this most recent matchup, the Frost were without Sophie Jaques due to injury, plus Taylor Heise and Maddie Rooney due to illness, and the Fleet didn’t report any injuries. 

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The goaltending matchup was between Nicole Hensley for the Frost and Aerin Frankel for the Fleet. Both sides had solid chances during the first period but no one scored. It took until the second period to get on the board, and while the Frost had control, the Fleet came back to force overtime but the Frost came out on top 4-3.

Game Recap

Despite a physical first period with several chances for both sides, neither could get a puck past either goaltender. The Fleet did have the upper hand with eight shots compared to the Frost’s six. The Frost also lost one of their top scorers towards the end of the first period, Grace Zumwinkle, and she didn’t return due to injury.

In the second period, things started to heat up, but the first goal didn’t make it through until near the halfway point when the Frost’s Claire Butorac crashed the net with her teammates and found a rebound that she pushed past Frankel to make it 1-0. That gave her team the momentum they needed to capitalize just 43 seconds later with a goal by Brooke Bryant to put their team up 2-0 halfway through the second. They controlled most of the play for the rest of the period and held onto the lead. 

The Fleet got the scoring started in the third as Hillary Knight knocked one past Henlsey to take away the shutout and made the score 2-1 with just over 12 minutes left. The Frost found a way to answer back on the power play to make it 3-1 as Brooke McQuigge tallied the goal. The Fleet responded on their power play as former Frost player Susanna Tapani recorded a goal to make it 3-2. She wasn’t done however as she added another goal less than a minute later to tie it and force overtime. 

There were chances for both sides throughout the 3-on-3 overtime, but with less than 30 seconds left, Claire Thompson made a huge diving block to spring her team the other way. Britta Curl-Salemme stepped up to get the goal and get the 4-3 win. 

The Frost are currently in the middle of a homestand and will play host to the New York Sirens on Saturday, Jan. 4. The Fleet will head back home to host the Montréal Victoire on Sunday, Jan. 5.