Whale erase 3-goal deficit and prevail in shootout to win eighth straight

New York’s Meghan Fardelmann plays defense on Connecticut’s Alyssa Wohlfeiler (88) in a game earlier this year in Stamford.

Shiann Darkangelo had 2 goals Sunday against New York.

NEW YORK, Dec. 13 – The Connecticut Whale’s magical season continues thanks to plenty of hard work and persistence from the Whale. Connecticut erased a three-goal deficit Sunday against the New York Riveters and received two goals from Shiann Darkangelo in the final 1:44 of regulation to force overtime.

After a scoreless five-minute OT session, the Whale improved to 8-0 with a 4-3 shootout victory over New York in National Women’s Hockey League action. Kelli Stack scored the only goal in the shootout to lift Connecticut, which won for the third time in the last four games by shootout.

Nearing the midway point of the initial 18-game NWHL season, Connecticut leads second place Boston (5-3) by three games. The Whale host Boston in their next game at the Chelesa Pier rink in Stamford two days after Christmas on Dec. 27 at 4:30 p.m.

New York (2-5-1) led 3-0 after two periods with two goals from Brey Kitchum and a power play goal from Morgan Fitz-Ward.

But Connecticut refused to yield, outshooting the Riveters, 16-7 in the final period. The first goal of the year by Yekaterina Smolentseva from Danielle Ward with 4:56 gone in the third period put the Whale on the board.

Darkangelo scored from the left point off a pass from the Whale’s leading scorer Kaleigh Fratkin with just 1:44 left in the game to pull within one goal.

The Whale continued to press and got a power play with 1:01 remaining when New York’s Madison Packer was sent to the penalty box for cross checking in front of the net. The Whale pulled goalie Jamie Leonoff to create a 6-on-4 situation.

New York nearly killed it off. The puck was cleared the length of the ice and Fratkin hustled back to chase it down. She raced behind the net and fired a pass to Kelly Babstock near center ice. Babstock drove down the right side of the rink. On the left side, Darkangelo drove hard to the net.

Babstock made a sharp pass across the crease that Darkangelo tipped in with nine seconds remaining to tie the game at 3-3.

A week ago, Connecticut scored with 1:07 left in regulation to send its game with Buffalo in overtime with the Whale eventually winning in a shootout.

Connecticut goalie Jamie Leonoff won her fifth game of the season by making 28 saves including all three New York shots in the shootout. Jenny Scrivens made 44 saves in net for the Riveters.

New York heads to Tokoyo this week for four games in five days against top Japanese teams and New York’s All-Star goalie Nana Fujimoto is expected to play.

Connecticut 4, New York 3, shootout
At New York
Connecticut (8-0)               0  0  3  0 — 4
New York (2-5-1)               2  1  0  0 – 3
First period – 1, New York, Bray Ketchum 2 (Janine Weber), 10:50; 2, New York, Morgan Fritz-Ward (Weber), 19:38 (pp); Penalties – Kira Dosdal, New York, (check from behind), 11:29; Alyssa Wohlfeiler, Connecticut (interference), 15:01; Lyudmila Belyakova, New York (interference), 17:04; Wohlfeiler, Connecticut (check from behind), 19:34
Second period – 3, New York, Ketchum 3 (Brooke Ammerman), 5:03; Penalties – Madison Packer, New York (slashing), 9:57; Kelly Babstock, Connecticut (cross checking), 13:57
Third period – 1, Connecticut, Yekaterina Smolentseva (Danielle Ward), 4:56; 2, Connecticut, Shiann Darkangelo (Kaleigh Fratkin), 18:16; 3, Connecticut, Darkangelo (Babstock), 19:51; Penalties – Elena Orlando, New York (roughing), 13:29; Packer, New York (cross checking), 18:59
Overtime – no scoring; Penalties – Johnson, New York (high sticking), 4:44
Shootout
Connecticut 1 (Kelly Babstock, NG, Sam Faber NG, Kelli Stack G); New York 0 (Madison Packer NG, Bray Ketchum NG, Lyudmila Belyakova NG)
Shots on goal – Connecticut 46 (9-17-16-4); New York 31 (9-12-7-3)
Power plays – Connecticut 0-7, New York 1-3
Goalies – Connecticut, Jamie Leonoff (31 shots, 28 saves); New York, Jenny Scrivens (46 shots, 43 saves)

https://youtu.be/SLTtllLjZrA

Minnesota Whitecaps 5, Boston Pride 4
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 13 – In the second game of a two-day exhibition series, the Minnesota Whitecaps received goals from five different players to beat the NWHL’s Boston Pride, 5-4 on Sunday. Zoe Hickel scored a pair for Boston in the loss and Jillian Dempsey extended her goal streak to four games with a third period tally that cut the deficit to one.

Boston Pride 5, Minnesota Whitecaps 1
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 12 — The Pride received five goals from five different goal-scorers in the first-ever professional women’s hockey game in the state of Minnesota. Hilary Knight, Brianna Decker, Rachel Llanes, Amanda Pelkey and Jillian Dempsey scored for Boston, which outshot the Whitecaps 38-23, with Brittany Ott making 22 saves.

NWHL standings
                            W-L-T     OL    Pts,
Connecticut          8-0-0     0       16
Boston                  5-3-0     0       10
New York              2-5-1     1       5
Buffalo                  1-5-2     2       4
Saturday’s game
Boston 5, Minnesota Whitecaps 1, exhibition
Sunday’s results
Connecticut 4, New York 3 (SO)
Minnesota Whitecaps 5, Boston 4, exhibition
Sunday, Dec. 20
Buffalo at Boston, 3
Sunday, Dec. 27
New York at Buffalo, 3:30 p.m.
Boston at Connecticut, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 3
Buffalo at Boston, 3 p.m.
Connecticut at New York, 7 p.m.

POINTS                               G   A   Pts
Hilary Knight, Bost              7    7    14
Kaleigh Fratkin, Conn         5    7    12
Brianna Decker, Bost          5    7    12
Devon Skeats, Buff             6    3    9
Shiann Darkangelo, Conn.  6    2    8
Emily Pfalker, Buff               1    7    8
Meghan Duggan, Buff         3    5    8
Kelley Steadman, Buff         6    1    7
Kourtney Kunichika, Buff     5    2    7
Kelly Babstock, Conn.         4    3    7
Kacey Bellamy, Bost           2    5    7
Hailey Browne, Buff            2    5    7

GOALS                               G   A   Pts
Hilary Knight, Bost               7    7    14
Devon Skeats, Buff              6    3    9
Kelley Steadman, Buff         6    1    7
Shiann Darkangelo, Conn.  6    2    8
Kaleigh Fratkin, Conn         5    7    12
Brianna Decker, Bost          5    7    12
Kourtney Kunichika, Buff     5    2    7
Amanda Pelkey, Boston      5    1    6
Kelly Babstock, Conn.         4    3    7

ASSISTS                             G   A   Pts
Hilary Knight, Bost               7    7    14
Brianna Decker, Bost          5    7    12
Kaleigh Fratkin, Conn         5    7    12
Emily Pfalker, Buff               1    7    8
Meghan Duggan, Buff         3    5    8
Hailey Browne, Buff             2    5    7
Jordan Brickner, Conn.       0    5    5
Kacey Bellamy, Bost           2    5    7