By Michael Heilman

The Minnesota Whitecaps and the Boston Pride met for game two Sunday afternoon at the Tria Rink. Last night, the Whitecaps ended Boston’s nineteen game winning streak 4-3.

Boston struck first five minutes and twenty-three seconds into the first period as Boston forward McKenna Brand skated around a couple of Whitecaps defenders heading into the direction of goalie Amanda Leveille. She went around Leveille to make a wrist shot goal to put Boston up 1-0.

Minnesota had a couple of chances on the power play but couldn’t find a way to tie the game. Boston led 1-0 at the end of the first period. Minnesota outshout Boston twelve to nine.

Eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds into the second period, the Whitecaps tied the game 1-1 as the Whitecaps won the faceoff on the Boston side of the ice. Jonna Curtis made a backhand pass to Allie Thunstrom, who was waiting in front of Pride goalie Lovisa Selander to put the puck in the net for the goal. Curtis, along with Meaghan Pezon assisted Thunstrom’s goal.

Boston regained the lead 2-1 with two minutes and thirty-three minutes left in the second period as Tori Sullivan and Mary Parker were fighting their way to the Whitecaps side of the net. Sullivan passed the puck to Mary Parker, who went upstairs over the shoulder of Leveille for the goal.

Despite Boston leading 2-1 at the end of the second period, they needed to clean up the penalties as Boston committed four penalties in the first two periods keeping Minnesota in the game.

The Whitecaps would commit their first penalty of the game on a holding call against Jonna Curtis four minutes and twenty seconds into the third period sending Boston on the power play. Twenty-eight seconds later, the Whitecaps tied the game 2-2 as Lauren Barnes found Allie Thunstrom, who sprinted to Boston’s side of the ice with the only person left standing in her way goalie Lovisa Selander. Thunstrom made a backhand shot to the left side of the net for the shorthand goal.

Just as the Whitecaps were starting to build momentum after Thunstrom’s goal, the Pride shifted momentum back on their side as Tori Sullivan past the puck with four Whitecaps players caught sleeping to Lexi Bender, who quickly put the puck into the net for the goal and give Boston a 3-2 lead with fourteen minutes and twenty-eight second to play in the third period.

The Whitecaps were looking to pull off another miracle late in the third period as they pulled Amanda Leveille for the extra attacker to tie the game. Unlike last night, the Whitecaps could not stage the comeback as the Pride made sure there would be no comeback this time as Christina Putigna, with an assist from Jillian Dempsey, scored the empty-net goal to seal the game as the Boston Pride defeated the Minnesota Whitecaps 4-2. With the win, the Pride earned the top seed in the Isobel Cup playoffs.

The shots total for the game were thirty-five to twenty-six in favor of the Whitecaps. Boston was one for one on the power play while the Whitecaps went zero for six. Boston Pride goalie Lovisa Selander was thirty-three of thirty-five saves allowing two goals, and Whitecaps goalie Amanda Leveille went twenty-two of twenty-five saves, allowing three goals.

The three stars of the game were Whitecaps forward Allie Thunstrom with two goals, Pride forward Jillian Dempsey with two assists, and Pride forward Lexi Bender with one goal.

Both teams now head to the All-Star break and will resume the regular season on February 15th when Boston hosts the Connecticut Whale from the Warrior Ice at 6:30 pm. The Whitecaps will not resume their season until February 22nd against the Buffalo Beauts.