Marie-Philip Poulin sealed a victory for the Montreal Victoire with an overtime goal, defeating the Minnesota Frost 2-1 in St. Paul, Minnesota on Wednesday night. Maureen Murphy also found the back of the net, and Ann-Renee Desbiens made 20 saves for Montreal (5-3-0-5).
In response to the Frost pulling goaltender Nicole Hensley, Kelly Pannek scored a crucial goal in the final 1:02 of regulation to tie the game at 1-1 for Minnesota (5-2-3-3), who have suffered four losses in their last five games.
Poulin’s game-winning goal in overtime came with just 1:57 remaining on the clock as she skillfully executed a back-hand shot past the goaltender, securing the victory for Montreal.
This win adds to Poulin’s earlier overtime heroics when she scored the game-winning goal against the Frost on January 4. Murphy also contributed, scoring her first goal of the season with 1:31 left in the second period, assisted by Nicole Gosling.
Despite the Frost’s strong offensive record coming into the game, they were held scoreless through two periods for the first time this season. Minnesota has struggled this season when trailing going into the third period, posting a 0-4 record in such situations.
Montreal’s previous three-game winning streak was snapped by a 2-1 loss to New York on Sunday, a streak that started with Poulin’s first overtime winner against Minnesota.
Looking ahead, the Victoire will host Ottawa on Saturday, while the Frost will face the New York Sirens in their next game on Sunday.