Back to back: Frost beat Charge in overtime to successfully defend Walter Cup crown
CBC
The Walter Cup is staying in Minnesota and the defending champion Frost once again have Liz Schepers to credit for scoring the championship-clinching goal for a second straight year.
All four games of the series were decided by 2-1 scores, and each of them in overtime, including the Frost's triple-OT victory in Game 3 on Saturday.
Kelly Pannek scored at the 10:09 mark of the second period, giving Minnesota its first lead in regulation of the series, and Maddie Rooney stopped 33 shots.
WATCH | Schepers' goal helps Frost beat Charge, win 2nd straight Walter Cup:
Katy Knoll set up the winner by collecting the puck along the end boards and driving behind the net to feed Schepers in the slot. Goaltender Gwyneth Philips parried the first shot, but Schepers poked home the rebound.
Schepers, who is from Mound, Minn., and played collegiately at Ohio State, was one of 16 Frost players who returned from last year's championship team, and this time got the opportunity to celebrate before their home crowd. Minnesota won the inaugural Walter Cup last year with Schepers scoring the opening goal of a 3-0 win at Boston in Game 5.
And just like last year, the Frost won the title as the fourth-seeded playoff team, and both times advanced to the finals after knocking off Toronto in the semis.
WATCH | Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield lifts the Walter Cup:
Minnesota sneaked into the playoffs this year with an 8-1 win over Boston on the final day of the regular season. The win led to Ottawa, Minnesota and Boston finishing with 44 points each with the Fleet eliminated based on having fewer regulation wins.
The Charge, Canada's first team to reach the finals, forced overtime on Tereza Vanisova's goal with 9:51 left in the third period. It was her first goal of the playoffs and ended an 11-game goal drought.
WATCH | Charge's rookie goalie Philips claims Ilana Kloss Trophy:
Philips finished with 36 saves and was won the Ilana Kloss Trophy as playoff MVP. The rookie finished the playoffs with a 4-4 record, with all four losses coming in overtime. She finished with 148 saves in overtime alone, while allowing just 13 goals on 270 shots for a .952 save percentage and 1.23 goals-against average.
The rookie from Ohio took over the starting duties after Emerance Maschmeyer was sidelined by a lower-body injury in mid-March.
Both teams had their chances in the extra period.
