SAINT PAUL, MN – Minnesota continued their hot streak Thursday night in chilly Saint Paul, beating Ottawa 5-2 for their third consecutive win. Claire Thompson (1G, 3A), Kelly Pannek (2G) and Grace Zumwinkle (2G) paced the Frost, who moved into sole possession of first place in the PWHL with the victory. The Charge had goals from Anna Meixner and Tereza Vanišová, but suffered a third straight defeat. Maddie Rooney stopped 22 shots in the win opposite Gwyneth Philips who made 35 saves in her PWHL debut. 
QUOTES
Minnesota forward Kelly Pannek on scoring her first two goals of the season: “I think it’s easy to look at numbers and goals. I can’t focus too much on the end result. I try to put myself in good positions, being more willing to put the puck on net is something I try to be better at. I tend to look for the pass first, but I’ve just been trying to get myself in good spots and be in front of the net.”
Minnesota Head Coach Ken Klee on his team’s surge in goal scoring: “We’re playing the right way, generating chances and just not finishing, so that’s something we’ve been emphasizing in practice. We figured out ways to score more goals; it’s just playing with confidence. I think the confidence of some of our players is rising, which is great. Confident players score goals— that’s what happens.”
Ottawa Head Coach Carla MacLeod her team’s inability to get back on the win column: “Our best players must be our best players. It’s simple. We’ve got to figure out how to get that group going and that we are matching what other teams are doing. Obviously, there is always small components that you are trying to correct and fix as coaches, but right now, that’s probably the most glaring piece that we must figure out.”
Charge forward and Minnesota native Gabbie Hughes on her mental health Unity Game involving Sophie’s Squad: “I am so proud and happy to see first-hand how people are buying into it. You can tell people want to know more about it. It’s hard to take this loss tonight, but I’m very proud about what our group is doing to promote mental health awareness. I’m excited to go out there and see all the outreach we did today.”
NOTABLES
Claire Thompson (1G, 3A) became just the second player in PWHL history to record a four-point game following Montréal defender Erin Ambrose (4A) on April 18 in a 4-3 victory against Minnesota. Thompson’s first career multi-point performance included her first career PWHL goal. The Frost’s 2024 third overall draft pick leads all PWHL defenders in scoring and is tied for second overall with six points (1G, 5A).
Minnesota had two multi-goal scorers for the second straight game. Kelly Pannek scored twice for the first time in her PWHL career, including her first-ever power play goal. Grace Zumwinkle recorded her second career multi-goal game, including her third career power play goal. The Frost are the only team in PWHL history to have two multi-goal scorers in a single game.
Frost forward Taylor Heise (2A) recorded her second straight multi-assist game and extended her point streak to three straight games. She is tied for the league-lead with five assists.
Gwyneth Philips made her PWHL debut between-the-pipes for Ottawa and became the first rookie to start a game this season. The 2024 third-round draft pick stopped 35 shots to set a PWHL record for most saves in a first career game.
Ottawa sixth round draft pick Anna Meixner scored her first career PWHL goal on her sixth shot of the season.
Ottawa’s Tereza Vanišová (1G, 1A) recorded her second multi-point game of the season. The forward has five points (3G, 2A) in five games and is tied for fourth overall in league scoring.
Ottawa’s Jincy Roese (2A) recorded her first career multi-point game. The defender has four points (1G, 3A) in five games and is one point shy of her inaugural season total.
Charge second overall pick Danielle Serdachny recorded her third assist in two games and moved into second in PWHL rookie scoring with four points (1G, 3A) in five games.
Frost defender Natalie Buchbinder recorded her first point of the season with a secondary assist on Pannek’s first goal.
Minnesota has won three straight games in regulation for the first time since the first three games of the inaugural season. This was their first win of the season on home ice.
Ottawa has lost three straight games in regulation for the first time since the last three games of the inaugural season.
Minnesota outperformed Ottawa 38-19 in the face-off circle.
Minnesota has outshot their opponent in all four games this season. Their 40 shots were a season high.
Minnesota surrendered the first goal for the first time in four games this season.
The Frost scored two power play goals for the first time in team history and improved their power play efficiency to 30%, which ranks third overall in the PWHL.
At 10:18 of the third period, a penalty was assessed to Ottawa’s Mannon McMahon. The call on the ice was a major penalty for kneeing but was downgraded to a minor penalty for an illegal body check (Rule 52.2) following video review with the PWHL Central Situation Room. 
THREE STARS
1. Claire Thompson (MIN) 1G, 3A
2. Kelly Pannek (MIN) 2G
3. Tereza Vanišová (OTT) 1G, 1A