The Montreal Victoire are heading to their first Walter Cup ultimate as they defeated the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost 2-1 at Place Bell on Tuesday within the fifth and deciding recreation of their Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League semifinal.
Marie-Philip Poulin scored the game-winning aim at 3:06 of the third interval on the facility play. The win units up a best-of-five ultimate towards the Ottawa Charge, guaranteeing that the league will crown its first Canadian champion. It was Poulin’s second game-winning aim of the tight collection.
It’s the first time the Frost misplaced a recreation going through elimination, shifting to 6-1. They’ve been in all the league’s deciding fifth video games.
Erin Ambrose made a cross-ice cross to Poulin, who beat Maddie Rooney on a pointy angle close to the aim line.
Minnesota pushed onerous after the aim, getting a number of probabilities within the Montreal finish, however Ann-Renee Desbiens was stable within the Victoire internet. Rooney made some massive saves of her personal, protecting the sport at 2-1.
Sam Cogan scored for the Frost, whereas Rooney made 15 saves.
Catherine Dubois additionally scored for the Victoire, whereas Desbiens made 25 saves, together with eight within the third interval.
Get breaking Nationwide information
Get breaking Canada information delivered to your inbox because it occurs so you will not miss a trending story.
Montreal opened the scoring when Dubois’ shot hit off of Elizabeth Giguere’s stick and tricked Rooney. Poulin moved Dubois proper earlier than the faceoff, and received it again to her within the taking pictures place. The aim got here 12:18 into the primary interval, and was scored after Minnesota opened with a 9-2 shot benefit.
Dubois was moved to the highest line for this recreation, and it was her first aim of the playoffs.
Desbiens had an eventful interval of her personal. A Mae Batherson shot deflected in entrance by Kendall Coyne Schofield and trickled by Desbiens, however she was in a position to flip round and use her stick with cease the puck from crossing the road earlier than grabbing it.
Minnesota tied the sport 1-1 with 11:45 left within the second interval when Cogan tipped a Abby Hustler cross within the slot that beat Desbiens.
As much as that time within the second interval, each goaltenders made massive saves with Desbiens making a rolling two-pad stack save on Giguere, and Rooney stopping Laura Stacey and Kaitlin Willoughby on separate probabilities early within the body.
The photographs within the second interval had been 6-5 Montreal, however the Frost had a lot of the possession within the interval, aided partly to the sport’s first energy play.
© 2026 The Canadian Press