It is officially playoff season for the PHF, and boy did it start with a bang. The AdventHealth Center Ice arena in Tampa, FL, proudly welcomed these fantastic athletes, and the atmosphere was electric. The PHF Playoffs are a single-elimination tournament. Win and you move on, lose and your hope to win the Isobel Cup is over.
First up, the Buffalo Beauts faced the Boston Pride, and the Pride took no prisoners. With a final score of 6-0, it was a bitter end to the Beauts season and a triumphant victory for the two-time Isobel Cup Champion Pride. Then, the Riveters took on the Whitecaps. With a final score of 4-1, the Riveters season ended, and the Whitecaps advanced to the next round. Let’s look at what went down on the first day of the single-elimination playoff tournament.
Buffalo Beauts vs. Boston Pride – A Quiet First Period, But Not The Rest Of The Game
At the end of the first 20 minutes, it seemed like this would be a low-scoring, low-penalty game. There was only one penalty through the first period and very few stoppages. Both teams set a fast pace and focused on putting the first goal on the board. The Pride would do just that at the 8:19 mark of the second period. Taylor Wenczkowski would put one in from a weird angle that went just past Carly Jackson.
Taylor Wenczkowski breaks the ice in Tampa! The Pride lead 1-0!#Isobel2022 pic.twitter.com/n5c9ELdZ7B
— PHF (@PHF) March 25, 2022
Six minutes later, the Pride would score again. This time, it was an absolute BOMB from the point from Kali Flanagan went on its side and entered the net top shelf on the power play. The Beauts penalty kill unit continued to struggle in the postseason, just as it did in the regular season.
FLANAGAN BOMB FROM THE POINT DEFLECTED BY FRIESEN! The Pride convert on the powerplay!#Isobel2022 pic.twitter.com/BJ3AZIyz1j
— PHF (@PHF) March 25, 2022
The Pride second period scoring did not end there as they put another one in just 32 seconds later. This time, a spin-o-rama goal from Pride captain Jillian Dempsey. It was just an absolute beauty of a goal, and I could watch it on repeat because it was just a perfect setup from her teammates. Carly Jackson had Dempsey’s back to her, then Dempsey put the puck in the net.
DEMPSEY! The Pride take a 3-0 lead just like that!#Isobel2022 pic.twitter.com/R0LDrOAsPL
— PHF (@PHF) March 25, 2022
The second period would come to a close with the Pride up 3-0 on the Beauts.
Unfortunately for the Beauts, the third period saw another three goals from the Pride, which would spell the end of their playoff hopes. The Pride took the first game of the postseason with an impressive 6-0 win and advanced to the semi-finals to face the Toronto Six. Hockey hugs and the traditional handshake line ended the afternoon tilt.
Minnesota Whitecaps vs. Metropolitan Riveters – A Spicy Affair
The second game of the day was between the Whitecaps and the Rivs. This was a fast-paced game from the first puck drop until the final buzzer scored. The Whitecaps were first on the scoreboard after Taylor Turnquist found herself alone in front of the net and received a beautiful cross-ice pass from Audra Morrison.
Turnquist finds herself all alone in front and buries it!#Isobel2022 pic.twitter.com/UC8rvyQO3J
— PHF (@PHF) March 25, 2022
The second period saw two goals from Minnesota, the first being reviewed after it was called a goal on the ice. However, the goal of the period was an absolute heater from Kelly Babstock from the circle that hit the back of the net. This goal is where a lot of the spice in this game began as Emily Janiga was shoved into falling goaltender Amanda Leveille by Emma Stauber after the puck was in the net.
BABSTOCK BLAST! ☄️#Isobel2022 pic.twitter.com/qW3LxEZIdm
— PHF (@PHF) March 26, 2022
In the third period, the penalty box was a busy, busy place, with 12 of the game’s 18 penalty minutes being issued in the final frame. We even saw matching roughing minor penalties in the final 20 minutes for the Rivs Madison Packer and the Caps Patti Marshall. Finally, the Whitecaps would secure their win with an empty-net goal from Allie Thunstrom to advance to the semifinals with a matchup against the Connecticut Whale. More hockey hugs and handshake lines put an end to the first day of the PHF playoffs.
What’s Next?
The remaining teams will continue their quest for the Isobel Cup on Sunday, March 27, at the AdventHealth Center Ice Arena in Tampa, FL. First, at 1 pm, we will see the Connecticut Whale face-off against the Minnesota Whitecaps. Then, at 4:30 pm, we will see the Toronto Six face-off against the Boston Pride. Both games will be available to watch on ESPN+ in the US, TSN Direct in Canada, and ESPN+ affiliates internationally. I, personally, cannot wait to watch more WoHo in Tampa.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of the PHF and women’s sports. You can find me on Twitter and be sure to check out my podcast Let’s Talk WoHawkey. The first episode is out now on all podcasting platforms.
