Frost strike quickly, defeat Sceptres to end three-game losing streak

Frost goaltender Nicole Hensley claims she can feel the “vibe” and “good energy” when she and her teammates will start a game fast.

But never quite like Sunday’s 5-2 victory over Toronto, when they scored the fastest two goals to start a game in PWHL history.

Star forward Taylor Heise and rookie Britta Curl-Salemme scored in the first 1:43 at Xcel Energy Center. The Frost added two more goals in the second period and then deflected Toronto’s counterpunch with Heise’s second goal of the afternoon and her eighth of the season with six minutes left.

The Frost ended their three-game losing streak and moved past Ottawa by two points from fifth place into fourth and the final playoff spot with only three games left after a three-week break for the upcoming world championships in Czechia.

All of it was played out for an noontime audience announced at 9,536 fans, a season high at the X.

The Frost lost five consecutive games late last season and barely made the postseason before they survived two playoff series and won the inaugural Walter Cup in a decisive Game 5.

“We don’t want to put ourselves in a spot like we did last year,” said Heise, who scored 61 seconds into Sunday’s game and again at 14:16 of the third for her team’s final goal.

“Getting a goal right away and then another goal right after that, obviously you do better when you’re up two goals right away. We came out with a lot of speed and up and down the lineup. I was really impressed with the way we continued to hound them.”

BOXSCORE: Frost 5, Toronto 2

PWHL standings

Second-place Toronto, which had won three consecutive games, finished a nine-day road trip Sunday. On Wednesday, the Sceptres scored four goals in the third period to win 4-2 at Boston. This time, they scored twice in the third period’s first 7½ minutes before Heise scored late to decide the matter.

“Our team, if we play that, without a mentality, without an attitude, bad things are going to happen,” Toronto coach Troy Ryan said. “They looked like the better team, the more skilled team, the more physical team, the faster team this afternoon. There won’t be a lot of wins in our future if we play the way we played together.”

The Sceptres’ last gasp was an unsuccessful 6-on-4 power play with goalie Raygan Kirk pulled and three minutes remaining.

“We took some punches from them in the third and then went right back down and showed them what we can do,” Hensley said. “That last goal was huge to make sure we got the job done.”

Hensley started in goal for Maddie Rooney, Frost coach Ken Klee said, because she played so well in an overtime victory at Toronto on March 9. Heise referred to the “57 crazy saves” Hensley made, when it was more like 27.

“I knew she’d be ready to play today,” Klee said.

So was his team, which he said had “a lot of jump, a lot of jam to our game. We were fast. We were first on pucks. When we do those things and we’re simple with the puck, we’re a tough team to handle.”

Heise is bound for Czechia. Klee and his players will take some time off and resume practices next week.

“This win was huge for us,” Heise said. “When you go into a three-week break, my dad tells me all the time, you can either win and not think about it or lose and think about it every single day of the next three weeks. I’m glad we get to not think about it.”