Toronto Sceptres coach Troy Ryan used the word “chaotic.”
Frost coach Ken Klee said it was a fan’s dream and a coach’s nightmare.
In other words, anything but a typical, low-scoring playoff hockey game. In the end, it was the Frost who were able to smile through the pain, coming out on top, 7-5, on Sunday at Xcel Energy Center to take a 2 games to 1 lead in the best-of-five series.
The Frost know they have a lot to clean up heading into Game 4 on Wednesday at Xcel, but just as importantly, they know they are one win away from advancing to the PWHA finals. A loss would send the teams back to Toronto for a deciding Game 5.
“It was just one of those crazy games,” Klee said. “There were bounces hitting our players and going in, bounces hitting their players and going in. It was just one of the nights where … I don’t really know how to describe it. I’ve never been a part of a game like that before.”
The Frost had three three-goal leads — 3-0, 5-2 and 7-4 — but couldn’t shake the Sceptres. The last eight minutes of the game were nail-biting time for the Frost after the Sceptres made it a 7-5 game.
“We knew we had to keep scoring because apparently they were going to keep scoring, as well,” Klee said. “I never thought it would be a race to six to get the win, but we know there’s no quit in them.”
The Frost got offensive contributions from throughout their lineup. Brooke McQuigge and Michela Cava each had a pair of goals. Taylor Heise had three assists. Twelve Frost players registered at least one point.
“We know our depth is one of our strengths,” Klee said. “We try to rely on it when we need to.”
The Frost got off to a blistering start, taking a 3-0 lead in the first eight minutes on goals by Liz Schepers, McQuigge and Lee Stecklein. It was all part of a concerted effort to jump on the Sceptres early.
“We came off a long trip so we wanted to make sure we came out and started the right way and got the crowd into it early,” Schepers said. “Little did we know that it was going to start off all these goals.”
McQuigge scored her first goal when she redirected a centering pass from Grace Zumwinkle. Her second came on a second rebound as she crashed the paint on a Frost power play to give the Frost a 4-2 lead.
“She’s been a beast in front of the net for us all year,” Klee said. “Her second-effort goals — she’s had a tremendous year for us. When we drafted her we thought she was going to be a player who could add some sandpaper to our group. And she also has a good scoring touch and shoots the puck well.”
Both of Cava’s goals came in the third period, building the Frost’s lead from 5-4 to 7-4.
“She’s a highly skilled player and she loves the big moments,” Klee said. “She loves to play in the playoffs. She made a couple of great plays.”
As much as the Frost have enjoyed their offensive outburst the past two games (they won 5-3 in Game 2), they know they have to make sure they are meeting their standards in the other phases of the game, too.
Closing out the series on Wednesday likely will call for a better performance than they produced in Game 3.
“We knew going into Toronto that it would be tough to take two games there,” Schepers said. “So, I think we just need to stick with playing our game and not worry about playing an elimination game. Just stick with the plan and try to get the win on Wednesday and not have to travel again.”
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