WESLEY CHAPEL, FLA. The Minnesota Whitecaps fell short of playing for the Isobel Cup for the fourth season in a row when they lost 4-2 to the Connecticut Whale in the Premier Hockey Federation playoffs Sunday.
All the scoring came in the second period, with Connecticut and Minnesota trading goals before Alyssa Wohlfeiler put the Whale ahead at 15:43, only 14 seconds after Ashleigh Brykaluk tied the score for the Whitecaps. Tori Howran then scored unassisted at 17:10 for Connecticut.
Allie Thunstrom scored the first goal for the Whitecaps, and Amanda Leveille made 31 saves. Kennedy Marchment and Janine Weber also scored for Connecticut, while winning goalie Abbie Ives stopped 22 shots.
The Whitecaps — who finished 7-14-1 including their 1-1 playoff performance in the six-team PHF — won the Isobel Cup in 2019, their first season in what was then called the National Women's Hockey League. They were to play Boston for the 2020 championship on March 13, but that game was postponed and ultimately canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the Whitecaps lost 4-3 to Boston for the title; the Pride will try to repeat as champion when its plays Connecticut on Monday night.
