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lukesvangelista · 6 months

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𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒, 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘

in which luke witnesses your shot at the national championship.

warnings; none that i can think of (may upset some wisconsin fans, sorry if this is too soon)

If you could tell the hockey gods to go to hell at this moment, you would not hesitate.

March 24, 2024. Whittemore Center Arena, University of New Hampshire. The University of Wisconsin vs. The Ohio State University. 2 vs. 1. A little over eight minutes left in the game. The score? 0-0.

Despite outshooting Wisconsin throughout the entire game, you had not scored a single goal. You had had a few close chances, sliding in past Wisconsin’s defensemen a few times, but just couldn’t convert. At this point, you were thanking Raygan for her outstanding performance in goal. But most definitely not the hockey gods.

The voice of Coach Muzerall fluttered through your ears as she told you all to give it everything you got. You were sure Mark Johnson was giving the same speech to his girls at the opposing bench, but honestly, you were too nervous to care. Your eyes wandered around the arena in hopes of finding the only person who could offer any comfort at the moment — Luke.

Unfortunately, Luke had missed the past few games of the NCAA tournament — even your earlier Frozen Four game against Clarkson — because of his schedule with the Preds. Luckily for you, the team was rewarded with a complete off day after their win over Detroit last night. So Luke did the only he could think of. He bought a plane ticket to Durham as soon as he landed in Nashville, and ubered to the arena in order to see you play. You woke up to a text saying that he’d be there, and were beyond excited (and relieved).

As you skated onto the ice in preparation to resume the game, you were able to locate him about halfway up in the stands. He was on his feet, decked up in his scarlet and gray apparel, with a buckeye necklace hanging around his neck. In his hands was a sign that read ‘BUCKEYES > BUCKY’. A small smile crept its way onto your face, wondering where he would have even gotten the materials to make it, but you didn’t care. His support meant everything.

After moving your eyes off of Luke, you focused on Cayla Barnes, who was stationed off to the right of you. She gave you a quick nod, and you knew she meant business. Just as you focused your attention back on the ice, the puck had dropped, with the Badgers winning the draw.

You quickly moved into your own zone, parking yourself in front of the nearest Wisconsin player, which happened to be Britta Curl. The puck passed back and forth between a few of the players before Laila Edwards ended up taking a shot. Raygan managed to kick save it out of your zone as most of your teammates went to make a line change.

They weren’t quick enough, however. Wisconsin had managed to quickly pass the puck out of their zone to center ice, where Curl was waiting patiently with her stick. The puck fell into line perfectly as she entered your zone. You rushed back as fast as you could as you saw Raygan prepare for a wrist shot, and somehow managed to poke the puck away as you tangled up with her. This time, the puck landed right on Cayla’s stick.

Cayla quickly rushed up ice as you let out a small breath. You followed suit, backing her up in case a Wisconsin player managed to steal the puck back. It didn’t take long, however, for Cayla to find Hannah Bilka at center ice, with Joy Dunne on her tail.

You held your breath as the puck landed on Joy Dunne’s stick. If there was one person who wasn’t going to fail you, it was her. She was your team’s leading point scorer with 38 points on the year (23 of which were goals), the WCHA Rookie of the Year, and the NCAA Rookie of the Year. Almost immediately, she sent the puck flying right past McNaughton’s glove and into the goal.

Cheers erupted from the ice, bench, and stands as you were swallowed up into a team huddle by the glass. Joy excitedly made an “O-H” with her hands before embracing you all and making her way to the bench. You smiled softly and looked up at the clock — 7:13 left in the third. You skated off the ice and Stephanie Markowski took your place by center ice.

Locating Luke again, a bright smile was plastered wide across his face as he watched the replay. He had met Joy, who you embraced as a little sister, when he had come to campus to visit you earlier during the all star break. Needless to say, he was proud of her, as anyone should be. What you didn’t know, however, is just how proud he was of you. Your defensive poke-check set the scoring play into motion and here you were just over seven minutes away from winning the national championship.

Time couldn’t have passed more slowly for you as the clock wound down. Wisconsin had created many more scoring opportunities, but just couldn’t convert (you had to thank Raygan once again). You were back on the ice with two minutes to go, scrambling back into the defensive zone as the Badgers pulled McNaughton in order to gain an extra attacker. Your heart raced as you saw Casey O’Brien rush onto the ice, skating swiftly towards your goal.

You knew nothing good was going to happen if you couldn’t calm down. So, as the puck was passed to Ava Murphy, you took a deep breath and raced in front of her as she wound up for a slap shot. As she let go of the puck, you dove in front of it, the puck redirecting off of your ankle and into neutral territory.

Man, did that hurt like a motherfucker. The crowd simultaneously grimaced and cheered for you as you recollected yourself off of the ice. You swear you could hear Luke’s voice yelling your name out of the entire crowd, telling you to get up and kick ass.

The puck was quickly regathered by Caroline Harvey as she circled through neutral ice, waiting for her teammates to reenter the zone. Once completed, the puck was passed to Lacey Eden as Emma Peschel tried to poke it away, but in vain. Caroline passed it to Charla Edwards, who lined up to take a shot from the blue line. None of your teammates were guarding her, so you did what you had to do. You once again skated up and prepared your body to be hit with a hard piece of vulcanized rubber. When it did, you fell to the ground, but got right back up as cheers erupted once again.

“Let’s go, Y/N!” Quinn Kuntz yelled from the bench, and you struggled to skate, but the puck had bounced right back to Edwards. Instead of trying to move around you, she wound up for another slap shot, but that one didn’t get past you either. The puck once again hit your body as you blocked the shot, falling to the ice once again. Finally, Emma was able to clear the zone as the puck raced towards the other end of the ice.

At that moment, you used your stick to propel you towards the bench. You knew you weren’t seriously injured — you’d just have a few bad bruises here and there — but your body hurt like a bitch from taking all of those shots. You were greeted with pats on the back from all your teammates on the bench as Hannah jumped back on in your place. You smiled softly as a response, focusing on the jumbotron to see the time left in the game.

One minute. If you could hold off Wisconsin for one minute, you would be a national champion. You watched anxiously as your teammates tried to clear the zone towards the now empty net of Wisconsin, but to no avail. Finally, Joy had managed to send it down the length of the ice, which forced a quick line change. You hopped on the ice with around 30 seconds left and made your way into the defensive zone yet again.

Since McNaughton was pulled, the Badgers had an extra attacker, which made it harder to defend your goal than usual. You weren’t going to give up that easily, however. The puck was passed back in forth between the six Badgers on the ice, each one of them waiting for the perfect shot. The clock wound down as the puck finally landed on Sophie Hegleson’s stick.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. You could hear nothing as you once again forced yourself to skate in front of her, knowing that this goal would change the trajectory of the game. Your teammates were counting on you, so you were going to give it your all. You braced yourself for impact as the puck hit your back, your body sacrificing itself for the win exactly as the buzzer went off.

The game was over. You were officially a national champion. The sounds of your teammates yelling filled your ears as you let your body collapse to the ice, both in pain and in shock. You took your helmet off to gather yourself as a small smile made its way across your face. You had done it.

Emma skated over to you and pulled you up off of the ice, and you both rushed over to join the dog pile of your teammates on top of Raygan. Although you couldn’t see him, Luke was smiling down at you, a look of immense pride present on his face. He fumbled with the buckeye necklace hanging around his neck as he couldn’t contain his excitement, knowing that you were a national champion.

After you all had settled down and received your medals (but not before shaking hands and congratulating Wisconsin on their tremendous effort), you were allowed to bring family members and friends onto the ice to take pictures. As Luke made his way onto the ice, you excitedly skated over to him, and his arms were wide open to catch you. You smiled widely, your eyes shining brightly, “I did it, Luke. I really did it.”

He cupped your face with his hands, nodding his head in agreement, “You did it, my love. I’m so fucking proud of you.”

You smiled brightly up at him again, your eyes swelling with tears. Luke pulled you into another hug, gently kissing the top of your head, “Go celebrate with your teammates. I’ll be right here waiting for you when you’re done.” He reassured, giving you a soft smile as he wiped away some stray tears that had fallen with the pads of his thumbs. You nodded, skating over and joining Joy. When you were finally given the trophy after she did, you hoisted it high up into the air, ready to show it off to the entire world.

After all, it’s always been Ohio against the world.

liked by lukevangelista, kentjohnson.13, and others

youruser: ohio against the world ❤️🩶

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ohiostatewhky: THAT’S OUR NATIONAL CHAMPION

lukevangelista: BUCK YEAH 🌰

lukevangelista: THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND

maxmccuee: gross

lukevangelista: my girlfriend just won a national championship, what did yours do?

maxmccuee: go fuck yourself evangelista

youruser: hey now let’s stop arguing (and max i’m the only one who gets to do that with my boyfriend ☺️)

luca.fantilli: OH MY GOD

user1: y/n’s iconic lmfao

user2: LUCA 😭😭

quinnkuntz: yeah, we did that

matthewknies: how are your shins

youruser: i’m not sure you wanna know

matthewknies: fair enough have a good day

colemcward: buckeyes > badgers

_alexturcotte: cole that’s not nice

colemcward: truth hurts buddy, but keep your head up! i’m sure it’ll get better soon 😚

joyv_dunne: HELL YEAH

emmapeschel: always been ohio against the world!!!

kentjohnson.13: check the record books

youruser: hey kj you might want to focus on your 24-50 record first!

kentjohnson.13: it’s actually 24-38-12, thank you very much

youruser: so we’re actually the only team bringing honor to cbus rn, but if you keep it up maybe you can too!!

lhughes_06: HOLY SHIT

adamfantilli: unfortunately can’t argue with that so pipe down kj

kentjohnson.13: okay i’m sorry

user3: pls y/n is so funny 💀

user4: SHE’S DATING LUKE?!

youruser: …surprise?

lukevangelista: something about our friendship being firm idrk

user5: i wanna be y/n when i grow up

ncaaicehockey: honestly same

user6: ncaa what are you doing here 💀

_connorbedard: congrats!!!

alex.vlasic: connor’s big social media debut folks! be nice to him he’s a little shy

adamfantilli: CONNOR CAME OUT OF HIDING

_willsmith2: DID SOMEONE SAY CONNOR BEDARD

youruser: okay let’s take bets, if connor sees his shadow (these comments) it’s six more weeks of his social media hiatus, but if he doesn’t then we’re all blessed by his presence

youruser: (thanks connor)

nickmoldenhaur: six more weeks of winter for sure 😔

user7: i didn’t realize how funny y/n actually is she’s hilarious

brandtclarke55: nah i’m hopeful for an early spring

_connorbedard: you guys are mean

brandtclarke55: …soooo does that count as an early spring or no?

a/n; hope you all enjoy!!! i had fun with this one (also not sure why two of my imagines have revolved around ohio state but this was convenient hahaha), thanks so much for reading!!

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strawberryblondebutch · 4 months

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Hmm interesting. Thank you for explaining all that!! So using that logic, then theoretically next year’s draft class is gonna be insane right?

2025 draft class is STACKED! Names to watch (admittedly I'm better versed in the WCHA than other leagues):

Casey O’Brien (I keep bringing her up but she’s SO underrated)

Lacey Eden

Rory Guilday

Katie Kotlowski

Abbey Murphy

Haley Winn

Sarah Wozniewicz

Emily Zumwinkle (yup, that Zumwinkle)

I'm not sure if Izzy Daniel or Makenna Webster have declared their fifth season yet. It's assumed Daniel won't, as the reigning Patty Kaz winner, but the PWHL hasn't released a list of who declared for the draft. Webster I can see going back to OSU.

The league is looking towards expanding for 2025-26, and they better, because the talent coming through is ABSURD.

#answered #pwhl #women's hockey #ncaa women's hockey

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grantmentis · 9 months

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I have no idea who to cheer for in the new league. I loved the Boston Pride but I cannot bring myself to root for the new Boston team right now because of their captain. My NHL team isn't close enough to any of the teams for me to have any geographical reason to follow.

If you had one reason to follow any of the teams, what would it be? Like if someone said "why should I root for this team?" what would you tell them to try to sell them on it?

I might break the one reason thing a little bit my apologies in advance but I’ll keep it brief!

PWHL New York - they’re underdogs and the most blank slate team, not having many nearby college programs. Very fast team with a lot of snipers. Their defense is very fun because it’s all players 26 and younger and then 33 year old SDHL legend Johanna Fällman who made the team out of camp who I think will really be an anchor on a d core with a lot of players who have no/little pro experience. I think this team is also the meanest team (affectionate) if you love some grit. And of course, Corinne Schroeder.

PWHL Minnesota - team for if you like to see prospects turn into stars (or continue to be stars Lol.) As the only Midwest team at the moment I think they’ll have the most foster consistency In the first few years if that is important to you even for players on one year deals. So many players like buchbinder, heise, zumwinkle who’ve been deservedly hyped and performed well in college/internationally making their debut and Minnesota will likely have an advantage getting some of those WCHA players even with the draft. If you’re big into college hockey, this should be your pick.

PWHL Ottawa - if you’re a fan of the global game, this is the team for you. Germany, Japan, Hungary, czechia all represented on this team. With all due respect to Jenner who is fantastic, this will probably heavily be a scoring by committee team and I think has the most balanced forward group in terms of most lines will probably be interchangeable which is something I find very fun. Lexie adzija also is very funny on tiktok

PWHL Toronto - if you’re a big team Canada fan, this is the team for you. Besides having the gm and coaches who were in charge of team Canada, all but two players on their team are Canadian and most have spent some time on either the junior or senior national team. If you’re big into puck moving defenders with good stick handling skills, this team has a lot of them between Flanagan / poulin-labelle / larocque / munroe. This may also be the best dressed team between nurse / Jackson / Flanagan / maltais

PWHL Montreal - if you’re a big analytics nerd and love crazy forechecking and two way forwards, this team is for you. This team is full of beloved veterans and I think both them and Ottawa have a lot of former phf players. Dominika lásková on top of being elite is a bundle of joy

PWHL Boston - I know you said you’re unlikely to root for them but I’ll include em anyway. I’ll admit this is the team that I have the hardest time grasping the identity of, despite all the talent on the roster, but they do look like a team that’s posed to be very consistent throughout the year with some of the best goaltending in the league. That said, my reason for watching them is going to deviate from my other teams. Alina Müller Is a reason to watch on her own, imo, she is the most exciting player in the league and every time she touches the ice is much watch tv.

#asks #anonymous

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smurfetteskater · 2 months

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🧞‍♀️🕳️

Left the hole rq, fuck goin on wcha 🖤

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ledenews · 2 months

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Wheeling Nailers Re-Sign Forward Dustin Manz

The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are excited to announce their eighth player signing of the 2024 offseason. Wheeling has re-signed forward Dustin Manz to an ECHL contract. Manz, 24, joined the Nailers this past spring, following the completion of his NCAA playing career. Dustin made his pro debut on March 29th at Toledo, then scored his first two pro goals less than one week later on April 3rd at Indy. The rookie forward recorded at least one shot on goal in all six regular season contests, then tacked on an assist during the playoffs. Prior to turning pro, the Vanderbilt, Michigan native played five seasons of college hockey - three at Lake Superior State University, then two at American International College. Manz enjoyed his best individual success at AIC, as he reached double digits in goals during the 2022-23 campaign, then led the Yellow Jackets in scoring with 31 points in 2023-24. From a team standpoint, Dustin won a WCHA championship with Lake Superior State in 2021, which secured the school's first trip to the NCAA National Tournament in 25 years. His goal opened the scoring in the clinching win over Northern Michigan. Manz also won a BCHL title in 2018-19 as a member of the Prince George Spruce Kings, when he led the squad with 70 points in 58 games. A fun personal fact about Dustin is that his grandfather Jerry played college football at The Ohio State University, where he won a Rose Bowl. Dustin Manz and the Wheeling Nailers will open the 2024-25 season on the road against the Maine Mariners on Friday, October 18th. The team's home opener is Saturday, November 2nd against the Bloomington Bison at 7:10. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley. Read the full article

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mitchbeck · 2 months

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WOLF PACK MAKE POTULNY TEAM'S EIGHTH HEAD COACH

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has named Grant Potulny Head Coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Potulny is the eighth head coach in Wolf Pack history. Potulny, 44, has spent the last seven seasons as the Head Coach of Northern Michigan University. During that time, he guided the Wildcats to a record of 128-113-17 over the course of 258 games. The Wildcats won 20 games in back-to-back seasons, posting a record of 20-16-1 during the 2021-22 campaign and a record of 21-17-0 during the 2022-23 season. The Wildcats concluded the 2022-23 season by advancing to the CCHA Finals for the second time in three seasons. Before joining the Wildcats, Potulny spent eight seasons as an Assistant Coach at the University of Minnesota. During his time with the Golden Gophers, Potulny helped the club capture six regular-season conference titles and qualify for the NCAA Tournament on five occasions. Internationally, Potulny was an Assistant Coach for Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Team USA won the event in both 2013 and 2017. Before joining the coaching ranks, the native of Grand Forks, ND, enjoyed a six-year playing career in the AHL. He appeared in 297 games, scoring 145 points (73 g, 72 a) with the Binghamton Senators, Hershey Bears, Springfield Falcons, San Antonio Rampage, and Norfolk Admirals. Potulny was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round, 157th overall, of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Before turning pro, Potulny played four seasons with the Golden Gophers, scoring 116 points (68 g, 48 a). In 2002, Potulny was named the NCAA Tournament’s MVP, leading the Golden Gophers to an NCAA National Championship. The Golden Gophers repeated as National Champions in 2003, with Potulny earning MVP honors in the WCHA Tournament. The Wolf Pack will open the home portion of their 2024-25 schedule on Friday, October 18th, at the XL Center! Full-season tickets, 20-game plans, 12-game plans, and flex plans for the 2024-25 season are on sale now! Visit hartfordwolfpack.com or call 860-722-9425 for more details! About Oak View Group (OVG): Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues, and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues, either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOWLINGS Read the full article

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carsonlambos · 2 months

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about to just start watching wcha hockey im being real

#gophers having their best team since their last title and primerano on the team like #FIRST NCAA POLISH PLAYER! at bemidji this year like

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chirpingfromthebox · 4 months

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youtube

Brief interview with Kendall Coyne Schofield and Maggie Flaherty before Game 5 of the playoffs with Toronto.

Full transcript under the cut.

Reporter: What’s the mood in the room? I mean, you did it. You came back and forced game 5. What’s the mood?

KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD: Yeah, everyone’s excited, ready to go. We didn’t come here just to play in a game 5. We’re here to win a game 5. And I think that’s the mindset. You know, looking at the last four games, what we’ve done well, areas we could improve on, and making sure we do all those things tonight.

R: Does anything change in this one game elimination as opposed to, I mean the past game was elimination for you as well, are the stakes even higher? Does anything change in the gameplan?

KCS: I don’t think anything necessarily changes. I think we’re focused on us, we’re focused on what we need to do well to get the outcome that we need. But no, I don’t think anything changes.

R: So there have been four shutouts in a row and it seems like it’s been getting tighter and more open. Is there any thought strategically about opening it up to try and not make it, you know, 0-0, biting your nails right up until the end?

KCS: [Laughing] I think that’s all of our goals. You know, to put pucks in the back of the net, obviously. Yeah, the goaltenders have been the key of this series for sure. They both have played- All the goalies have played unbelievable this entire season. So, I mean, this is no surprise that we’re seeing what we’re seeing. But, yeah, I think it’s just finding ways to get pucks to the net, taking away Campbell’s eyes. If she sees it she’s gonna save it. We know that. It’s hard work to get inside the perimeter. And so it’s just being committed to that work and getting to the inside.

R: So single elimination is something you’re not unfamiliar with from International play. But some of the players in the room maybe not be as familiar. Do you have words of wisdom for them as the captain?

KCS: Everyone’s, you know, if this is your first year pro or not, everyone’s here for a reason. Everyone has an abundance of experience. Whether that’s in college hockey playing in hockey final or WCHA final or a National championship. There’s a lot of winners in that room. So whether this is our first series in pro or not, I think everyone in that room knows how to win. They’ve won at whatever level they’ve been at, whether they’re first year pro or not. So, I don’t think there’s much that needs to be said. It’s go time. And it’s due.

R: Excitement?

KCS: [Laughs] Yeah, everyone’s excited. For sure.

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cut to interview with Maggie Flaherty

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Reporter: I asked Kendall about the mood in the room, she said it’s good, excited. I know you guys got into it a little bit late, is there anything physically different about this game than the past two?

MAGGIE FLAHERTY: Uh, no. We’re expecting a hard-hitting game. I mean, it’s game 5 of the series, things are gonna be intense. So I would expect nothing differently.

R: And how proud of this team that you’ve battled back the way you have.

MF: Oh, so proud. Coming off what we had going before the series and then coming in and putting in some goals, and then just keeping the momentum our way. It’s always good.

R: Could you say a couple words about Maddie Rooney? You know, she’s been amazing, but what are your words?

MF: [Laughs] Yeah, she’s unbelievable. We all know that she can stand on her head. And she’s been doing that. These kind of games you expect a one goal game and she’s been doing her job so we can do our job in front of her, and get her another win.

R: I asked Kendall about that, it seems it’s getting tighter and tighter. Shut out after shut out. You broke the ice for your team with that first goal. I’m sure you’ve already spoken, but what did that feel like? And how do you carry that forward?

MF: Oh, it’s always great. To get that first goal and to see the team rolling after that? Yeah. [Laughs] It’s really special.

R: Hoping to get another win tonight?

MF: [Laughing] Hopefully!

R: And defensively in this group, it’s been super tight on both sides. But as a D-core what are you talking about on the bench? What are you seeing?

MF: We’ve just been talking about keeping it physical and just keep doing what we’re doing. Like, that’s our job: to keep the puck out of the net. So I think we’ve been doing that well. And then defense creates offense. So if we break it out quick and give it to our forwards, they can go do their thing.

#pwhl minnesota #kendall coyne schofield #maggie flaherty #Youtube

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