Minnesota Frost Wins Second Straight Walter Cup with Overtime Victory

ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 26, 2025) – The Minnesota Frost captured their second consecutive Walter Cup title by defeating the Ottawa Charge 2-1 in overtime during Game 4 of the PWHL Finals at Xcel Energy Center.

Liz Schepers scored the championship-clinching goal 12 minutes into overtime, sealing the win for the Frost in a tightly contested best-of-five series. “Hats off to Ottawa. That was a helluva series,” Schepers said. “I could not be more proud of our team. It’s unbelievable.” All four games of the finals were decided by 2-1 scores in overtime.

The Frost took their first lead of the series when Kelly Pannek scored at the 10:10 mark of the second period. Ottawa tied the game with a goal from Tereza Vanišová in the third period, forcing yet another overtime. Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney, who made 33 saves, played a critical role in the postseason, finishing with a 5-0 record.

Katy Knoll assisted on Schepers’ game-winning goal, feeding her a pass from behind the net. After the initial shot was saved, Schepers poked in the rebound. “It was just the start of my shift. I knew Katy and Hymla were working really hard behind the goal line and just tried to get lost,” Schepers said about the play.

This win marked a significant milestone for the Frost as they became the first team to win the Walter Cup at home, celebrating in front of a crowd of 11,024. Defenseman Lee Stecklein noted the special feeling of winning at home, stating, “It’s always fun, but to get to do it at home is extra special.”

With this victory, the Frost solidified their status as a resilient team, coming back from a first-game loss to win three straight. Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield emphasized the belief within the team’s locker room: “It’s hard to put into words… it took every single player stepping up in some way, shape, or form.”

Ottawa, making history as the first Canadian team to reach the finals, saw their goaltender Gwyneth Philips earn the Ilana Kloss Trophy as playoff MVP despite the loss. Philips had a strong playoff performance with a goals-against average of 1.23 and a save percentage of .952.

The Frost’s postseason journey included a decisive 8-1 win over Boston on the final day of the regular season, which enabled them to clinch the fourth playoff spot along with Ottawa and Boston, all tied with 44 points.

This victory comes as both teams prepare for significant changes with a new expansion draft on the horizon as the PWHL is set to add two new teams in Vancouver and Seattle. Charge captain Brianne Jenner reflected on the team’s journey, stating, “That was a special run. And it’s going to sting for a while, for sure. But really, really proud of this group.”