The Minnesota Frost were back in action on Saturday afternoon, Apr. 11, after having a week off between games. Their last game was a hard-fought win at home against the Vancouver Goldeneyes, which saw 11 goals total by the end and clinched their spot in the postseason. In their three years of existence, this is the first time the Frost haven’t had to wait until the final game of the season to see if they made it in or not.
The Frost’s lineup remained the same, but Maddie Rooney was in the net after Nicole Hensley faced the Goldeneyes. The game started out in favor of the Frost, but the Sirens answered right back. It was tied for the majority of the game as both teams battled hard, but the Frost got the go-ahead goal and controlled the game from that point on to take the win 4-1. In this article, we’ll look at a few takeaways, starting with two players continuing to make impressions.
Frost’s Stecklein & Heise Continue to Step Up
Although Lee Stecklein’s main priority is defense, she has found a way onto the scoresheet in the past four games. She did a similar thing last season as she found her scoring stride at the perfect time, right before the postseason started, and it looks like she’s following the same path this season. The Frost have proven they can score, but anytime they can get some points from their defenders, it’s a bonus.
Of course, everyone expects Taylor Heise to score goals or assist on them, and she’s done just that this season. She’s set new career records in goals, assists, and points, and she continues to add to those totals. She’s had points in her last four games, and that includes four straight goals. Both Heise and Stecklein have been on scoring streaks lately, and hopefully, they can keep it up well into the postseason.
“Yeah, momentum’s huge and whether it’s personal or it’s as a group I think you always kind of try to bring it back to the group that we have and been feeling really good out there, obviously battling really hard, our team has taken that momentum and taken it in our favor every single game and people like Abby (Hustler), like you’re never giving up when things aren’t going right for you, like we constantly are on the positive side of things and I think getting these games to work on our craft prior to playoffs is really important for us and I know for me it’s great because you can go out there and play free, not to say that you don’t play free every game but sometimes it’s not the case…,” said Heise in her postgame interview when asked about her scoring lately.
Frost’s Special Teams Success
The Frost could’ve gotten themselves into some penalty trouble against the Sirens, as they took the first two penalties of the game, but their penalty kill stepped up big all game. They went to the penalty box just three times, but they managed to kill off all three penalties despite some strong chances for the Sirens.
While the Frost’s penalty kill stepped up, so did their power play. They had just one power play in the second period and couldn’t convert, but it was the early chance in the third that they capitalized on. The Siren took a slashing penalty, and the Frost were able to set up a tic-tac-toe passing play that Abby Hustler finished to give them the 2-1 lead, and the momentum really swung from that point on.
As the postseason continues to get closer, they’ll need their special teams to continue to heat up, as that’s the time it can make or break a season. Hopefully, they can focus on how strong both the penalty kill and power play were against the Sirens and keep it going.
Frost Have Time to Adjust
In the past, the Frost have squeaked into the postseason, but this season they’ve secured a spot quite early, something they haven’t been used to before. While they want to continue to win games, they are taking the time to work on the small details they’ll need to fix before the postseason begins. They’re playing to win, but they’re also seeing some new issues arise that they’re working to address.
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“Yeah, it’s amazing, obviously we haven’t felt that yet, it’s year three and this week was, I think, great for everyone. You get a little bit of rest but you also get to hone in on the details that are gonna matter most come playoffs so just really honing in on those like I said little details and our group’s just done so great this week to re-coup and find the love of the game again because sometimes when it’s a long season, it’s hard, you get caught up in the rut of everything so I just think this week’s great and to be able to have these next four games to just continue to pile on and I know we have Boston next and that’s going to be a huge matchup for us and we’re really excited to take on that task,” Heise said postgame about how it feels to have their spot clinched early.
The Frost will head on the road for a quick one-game trip out east to face the Boston Fleet on Wednesday, Apr. 15, before they head back home for one game and then finish the regular season on the road. Hopefully, they can continue to work on the details of their game and find ways to fix any issues as they have time before the postseason begins.
