The Frost were done in once again Sunday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center by an inability to finish, and it might have ended their chances of repeating as PWHL champions.

Despite outshooting the New York Sirens 33-21 and controlling play for most of the game, the Frost were unable to solve Sirens goaltender Corinne Schroeder in a 2-0 loss that left them four points behind the Ottawa Charge for the fourth and final playoff spot with two games to play.

The Frost will have to beat the Charge on Wednesday and third-place Boston on Saturday — both on the road — and get some help to make it into the postseason.

The Sirens broke a scoreless tie at 11:07 of the second period. Frost defender Maggie Flaherty was unable to control a pass back to the point at the New York blue line, allowing Taylor Girard to beat Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney on a breakaway.

Minnesota’s Brooke McQuiggee sends a shot at New York goaltender Corinne Schroeder during the Sirens’ 2-0 victory on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at Xcel Energy Center. Schroeder made 33 saves in the shutout. (The PWHL)

The Sirens added an empty-net goal at 19:52 of the third period to seal the victory.

“At the end of the day, you have to score to win, and we didn’t,” Frost center Taylor Heise said.

It was a frustrating afternoon for a team that failed to win a crucial game on home ice against the PWHL’s last-place team.

“Regardless of a win or loss today, we knew we’re going to have to go into Ottawa and play well and win,” Frost coach Ken Klee said. “And we know we have to go into Boston and do the same thing. The mindset doesn’t change.

“It takes it out of our hands a little bit. We need a little help now, where we didn’t need that before this game. But we’ve got to go in and win games.”

In their first game back from the PWHL’s three-week break that allowed its players to participate in the IIHF world championship in Czechia, the Frost got off to a fast start, outshooting the Sirens 17-6 in the first period.

“We had a great first period,” Klee said. “We probably had 30 shot attempts; it was outrageous how many good looks we had. We just have to find a way to bank one in, put one in, hit one off someone’s shin pad.

“We practiced hard the last few days and we looked sharp. We were scoring goals like crazy in practice. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a tough league.”

The Frost had a great opportunity to take the lead early in the second period when they went on a five-minute power play. But they weren’t able to put any sustained pressure on Schroeder.

“Good on them to kill it off,” said Frost defender Lee Stecklein, “but I think we just kept going. I didn’t feel like that deflated us. But we definitely didn’t keep that great energy we had in the first. I think that was good to see us come out that way; we need to find a way to keep that going through all three.”

Klee felt the power play could have done more to make things difficult for the Sirens.

The Frost entered the third period knowing their season likely was on the line but did not have the look of a team playing with desperation.

“I thought we played desperate, I just thought we played a little dumb,” Klee said. “We don’t often pinch and give up odd-man rushes. It wasn’t that they weren’t trying to do the right things; I just think we were trying a little too hard and we were pressing.”

As for ways to kickstart the offense, Stecklein said now is not the time for a new approach. “Obviously it didn’t work tonight,” she said, “but we just have to believe it’s going in. Sometimes that’s half the battle.”

Now, battling for their playoff lives, the Frost have left themselves no room for error.

“We lost; it is what it is,” Heise said. “We have to come out and play two hard games. Whether or not you make the playoffs, these are some really big games for us. If we win both and we still don’t make it, that potentially puts you up for the (first overall) pick (in the draft).

“We’re going to continue to work hard. Ottawa is the next game and we just have to settle it down and work our way to the net and figure it out.”

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Joe Ryan started strong Sunday afternoon and never let up.

The Twins right-hander cruised the first time through the Los Angeles batting order with five strikeouts, three foul outs and a flyout.

And the day’s tone was set.

Ryan’s bounce back performance came at the end of what could be termed a bounce back week for the Twins that culminated with a 5-0 win over the Angels at Target Field.

“We trusted that we were all around a really good team. But when we were losing as much as we were, it starts to get to the point where it’s hard to still believe in that,” said catcher Ryan Jeffers. “… We’re a really good team, and we can show, and we’ve started to show, that we are that team that everybody thinks we can be.”

Minnesota (12-16) won five of six games on its homestand: sweeping the Angels after taking two of three from the White Sox. The Twins have won three games in a row for the first time since Aug. 15-17, 2024. They start a seven-game road trip Monday in Cleveland.

“It’s one thing to go get ‘em for a day, it’s another thing to go get ‘em for an entire homestand,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “I was really pleased. We saw a lot today and it started with Joe Ryan.”

Ryan stymied the Angels to the tune of seven shutout innings. He struck out a season-high 11 — his 10th career game with double-digit strikeouts and one off his career best — and allowed just four hits. Los Angeles swung at and missed 26 pitches, a career best for Ryan.

“I always just assume they’re going to swing and miss when I throw (my fastball),” he said. “It’s hard for me to break that down, I guess, but it’s a good sign. I’m hitting my spots probably and we’re calling the right pitches. That’s all I think of it. I don’t know. It’s just a good pitch.”

Coming off his worst start of the season last Sunday in Atlanta where he gave up six runs in five innings, including three home runs, Ryan was on his game from the outset. Pounding the zone, Ryan (2-2) needed just 10 pitches to get through the first inning, struck out the side in the second and fanned two of three hitters in the third.

“We were working on some stuff this week, just mechanically and with the lower half. We got it rolling and it felt good,” Ryan said.

Carlos Correa had a season-high three hits and was 6 for 11 in the series.

Up 1-0 in the sixth, Correa led off with a single and Trevor Larnach reached on an error. Both scored on a double by Ty France. He scored two batters later via a Jeffers double.

An RBI single by Larnach made it 5-0 in the seventh.

Harrison Bader provided the highlight-reel defensive play to rob Taylor Ward of extra bases in the seventh inning. Playing center field and shaded towards right, Bader raced to his right made a Byron Buxton-like diving catch of a 108-mph liner and slid onto the warning track in front of the bullpens.

“That was insane,” Ryan said.

With the team in the midst of playing 13 straight days, Buxton got the day off.

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The Vancouver Whitecaps did not prioritize its MLS match against Minnesota United on Sunday at Allianz Field. It didn’t matter.

The Whitecaps, focusing on its run in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Inter Miami coming Wednesday, brought eight new players into the starting XI.

The Loons’ first-choice team didn’t take advantage and when Whitecaps key players Sebastian Berhalter and Pedro Vita subbed in, they combined for three second-half goals in a 3-1 win.

Vancouver (7-1-2, 23 points) showed its depth to remain in first place in the Western Conference.

Third-place MNUFC (4-2-4, 16 points) snapped its club-record-tying eight-match unbeaten streak. Minnesota has lost for the first time since 1-0 at LAFC on Feb. 22.

Wil Trapp scored in the 80th minute, which snapped United’s 321-minute scoreless streak since he scored in New York on April 6 and the Loons then weathered two scoreless draws.

The Loons provided the better chances in the first half but they weren’t great opportunities had nothing to show for it. They outshot Vancouver 6-0, with two on target. Neither attempt challenged Yohei Takaoka much.

When Eric Ramsay was linked to Welsh club Swansea City in February, the Minnesota United head coach projected it won’t be the last one.

Well, the next connection to a job in the England materialized Sunday with talkSPORT reporting Ramsay has had an interview for the vacant managerial position at Southampton.

When Ramsay was linked to Swansea, it appeared to be primarily tied to online betting services putting out odds for its next coach.

The Southhampton connection reportedly has more legs to it, but talkSPORT said Ramsay was “not expected to get the job.”

Ramsay, 33, has been very successful across his two seasons at Minnesota, taking the Loons to the Western Conference semifinals last season. He joined MNUFC in March 2024 after serving as an assistant coach at Manchester United.

Ramsay responded directly to the Swansea connection while amid preseason camp in California.

“It’s a job I’ve been linked with before, so I just think it’s been the logical conclusion,” Ramsay said Feb. 20. “I started my career there. I’m a Welsh guy. But now taking my first steps as a head coach, I’m sure every time that comes up, it will be one I’m linked with. Maybe say that for other jobs in Wales for sure.

“It’s certainly, at this stage, one that is — there is a bit of smoke without fire there. It’s certainly nothing I’ve had on my radar, nor anything I’ve spoken to anyone about. It’s the nature of being a young head coach in a relatively good start here, so I’m sure it’s the sort of thing that we will see from time to time. At the moment, it’s cliche, but I’m very much focused on what I’m doing here and I’m excited for the season to start.”

MNUFC (4-1-4, 16 points) currently sit in third place in the Western Conference and are riding a club-tying eight-match unbeaten streak going into Sunday’s match against first-place Vancouver Whitecaps.

Southampton have been relegated from the English Premier League and will play in the second-tier Championship in the 2025-26 season.