Curl-Salemme plays hero as Frost edge Charge in OT to even PWHL Finals
The Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge faced off in a thrilling battle in the Professional Women’s Hockey League final, with Britta Curl-Salemme stealing the show with her heroics. Curl-Salemme scored both the game-tying goal and the overtime winner to lift the Frost to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Charge.
The game was a tight affair, with goals being hard to come by as both goaltenders put on a stellar performance. Maddie Rooney of the Frost made 37 saves, while Ottawa’s Gwyneth Philips turned away 22 shots to keep her team in the game.
Curl-Salemme’s heroics came in the overtime period, where she dove for a rebound and beat Philips stick side for her second goal of the game at 16:24. This goal sealed the victory for the Frost and evened the best-of-five Walter Cup championship series at 1-1, setting up an exciting Game 3 in Minnesota.
The Charge had opened the scoring late in the third period, but Curl-Salemme ensured that the Frost had a chance to come back by netting the equalizer with just 16 seconds left in regulation. Minnesota took advantage of a power play opportunity to force the game into overtime.
Throughout the game, both teams had their moments of dominance. Ottawa controlled play for much of the second period, while Minnesota’s forecheck proved to be a challenge for the Charge in the first period. However, it was ultimately Curl-Salemme’s clutch performance that made the difference for the Frost.
With the series now tied, both teams will be looking to gain the upper hand in Game 3. The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the championship series, as the Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge continue to battle it out for the title of PWHL champions.
