Minnesota rookie Natalie Snodgrass, who leads the Whitecaps in points, had a goal and two assists in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Connecticut in Simsbury.
Four different players, led by former UConn star Natalie Snodgrass, scored as the Minnesota Whitecaps salvaged a split of a two-game weekend series with the Connecticut Whale with a 4-3 Premier Hockey Federation win at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury on Saturday afternoon.
The Whitecaps (3-3-2) scored three unanswered goals to take command of the game, led by Snodgrass, the rookie who is Minnesota’s leading scorer after eight games with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists).
“We did a lot of things right but we didn’t finish with pucks and didn’t establish our forecheck very well and string together a couple of good plays,” Connecticut’s Mallory Souliotis said.
Snodgrass, the Eagin, Minnesota native, who had 70 goals and 69 assists in five seasons with the UConn women’s hockey team, had a goal and two assists Saturday against Connecticut.
Connecticut had a 2-1 lead after two periods but the Whitecaps tied the game just 26 seconds into the third period. Brittyn Fleming took the puck along the end boards and sent a pass to Denisa Křížová in the slot. Křížová flipped the puck at a surprised goalie Meeri Räisänen, who let it slip past her to make it 2-2.
The Whitecaps scored the go-ahead goal on their first power play of the evening. Snodgrass carried the puck into the zone before sending a drop pass to Olivia Knowles, who beat Räisänen with a shot through her pads to pick up her first career PHF goa and give Minnesota a 3-2 lead.
Snodgrass added to Minnesota’s lead late in the third period. With Leveille out of the net and an extra skater on because of a delayed penalty call, Minnesota kept hold of the puck and cycled it around. Amanda Boulier took the puck near the blue line and passed it over to Snodgrass, who skated it in before ripping a shot that sailed past Räisänen to make it 4-2.
The Whale did cut the lead to one, 4-3, on a goal from Katerina Mrazova with 25 seconds remaining but that was as close as Connecticut would get.
Justine Reyes got the Whale on the board first with her first PHF goal , picking up a slick pass from behind the goal line. All alone in front, Reyes got the puck to her backhand and snuck it past Minnesota goalie Amanda Leveille for a 1-0 lead.
The Whitecaps responded almost immediately. Just over two minutes later, Leveille made a pair of big stops that kick-started an odd-skater rush for Minnesota. Sidney Morin dished the puck up to Jonna Albers and skated with her on a 2-on-1 opportunity. Albers took the shot herself and tied the game up 1-1.
The Whale got a power play goal from Taylor Girard late in the first period for a 2-1 lead after one period.
Räisänen made 18 saves in her first home start for Connecticut. Leveille stopped 25 saves on 28 shots to earn the win for the Whitecaps.
Connecticut returns to action with another pair of games in Simsbury next weekend. The Whale host the Metropolitan Riveters on Saturday and the defending Isobel Cup champion Boston Pride on Sunday.
Minnesota 4, Connecticut 3
At Simsbury
Minnesota (3-3-2) 1 0 3 — 4
Connecticut (2-2-1) 2 0 1 — 3
First period
Connecticut 1, Justine Reyes (Lenka Serdar), 5:11; Minnesota 1, Jonna Albers (Sidney Morin, 7:32; Connecticut 2, Taylor Girard (Katerina Mrazova), 14:53 (pp); Penalties: Sydney Brodt (M), boarding, 13:37
Second period
No scoring. Penalties: Sydney Baldwin (M), hooking, 10:05; Sidney Morin (M), hooking, 17:04
Third period
Minnesota 2, Denisa Krizova (Brittyn Fleming, Natalie Snodgrass), 0:26; Minnesota 3, Olivia Knowles (Snodgrass), 11:56 (pp); Minnesota 4, Natalie Snodgrass (Amanda Boulier, Patti Marshall), 19:08; Connecticut 3, Katerina Mrazova (Allie Munroe, Taylor Girard), 19:35; Penalties: Taylor Girard (CT) hooking, 11:28
Goalies: Connecticut — Merri Raisanen (L), 22 shots, 18 saves; Minnesota – Amanda Leveille (W), 28 shots, 25 saves; Shots – Minnesota 22 (7-7-8), Connecticut 28 (14-7-7); Power plays: Minnesota 1-1, Connecticut 1-3
Premier Hockey Federation standings, Dec. 10, 2022
| Team | W-L-OTL | Pts | RW | OTW | SOW | |
| Boston | 5-1 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |
| Toronto | 4-1-2 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| Minnesota | 3-3-2 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Montreal | 3-2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Connecticut | 2-2-1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Metropolitan | 3-4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Buffalo | 1-0-1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Points: Three points for a win in regulation, two points for an OT or shootout win; one point for loss in OT or shootout | ||||||
| Friday, Dec. 9 Connecticut 2, Minnesota 0 Saturday, Dec. 10 Minnesota 4, Connecticut 3 Metropolitan 3, Toronto 2 (SO) Boston at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11 Boston at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Metropolitan at Toronto, 2 p.m. |
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| Friday, Dec. 16 Toronto at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 Metropolitan at Connecticut (Simsbury), 2 p.m. Montreal at Minnesota, 7 p.m. Toronto at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18 Boston at Connecticut (Simsbury), 2 p.m. Montreal at Minnesota, 2 p.m. Holiday break. Play resumes January 6 |
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