PWHL

PWHL Boston sweeps Montreal to earn a place in the Walter Cup final

Boston forward Susanna Tapani nets a game-winning goal in overtime to send her team to the finals with a 3-2 win.

By Kat Cornetta, The Boston Globe

May 15, 2024

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LOWELL — It takes experience to win in the clutch. On Tuesday night, PWHL Boston forward Susanna Tapani was a perfect example.

The three-time Finnish Olympian and veteran of a multitude of women’s pro leagues found herself on the ice for 34 minutes. Some of those minutes were frustrating: three shots but no goals on a frustrating second-period power play. Some were worrying: needing to be helped off the ice after a hard hit into the boards at the opening of the third period.

And then there was the first minute of overtime.

Tapani helped herself to the rebound off an Alina Müller shot and sent it flying past PWHL Montreal goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens 1:02 into overtime to score the game-winning goal to give PWHL Boston a 3-2 victory and a semifinal series sweep. Boston will play the winner of the Toronto-Minnesota semifinal for the Walter Cup.

Managing the ups and downs of the game was Tapani’s edge.

“My mental strength when I was younger, I couldn’t manage [a game’s ups and downs] that well,” the 31-year-old said. “But at this point, you know it happens. You have to forget whatever has happened before.”

The game was in Montreal’s hands early after a slower start by Boston. The visitors to Tsongas Center dominated possession in the first period, outshooting Boston, 18-4. Given the pressure, it wasn’t a surprise when Montreal got on the scoreboard first — and it was thanks to two players who played their college hockey nearby.

Mikyla Grant-Mentis, a Merrimack product, had the puck behind the Boston net and passed it perfectly to Marie-Philip Poulin at the point One of Boston University’s all-time greats, the Canada captain shoveled it past Aerin Frankel and into the net 15:39 into the period.

At the midpoint of the second, Boston had its first power play of the game, as Montreal’s Kristin O’Neill was sent to the box for hooking. Tapani recorded three shots on the player advantage, but Boston had a fruitless power play.

Montreal’s second goal of the game kept a similar theme to the first. Northeastern grad Maureen Murphy, who played alongside Frankel in college, smartly sent a diagonal shot past her and into the net for a power-play goal.

Early in the third period, Tapani took an elbow into the stomach and went down by the boards. Medical staff needed to assist her to the bench.

Boston’s Jamie Lee Rattray, in her first game back after being injured during the regular-season finale against Montreal, appeared to score four minutes into the third period, but her shot was saved by the stick of Montreal’s Jillian Dempsey, a Winthrop native and former captain of the Premier Hockey Federation’s Boston Pride.

“I tapped her four times and said, ‘What a save, what a moment,’ ” said Montreal coach Kori Cheverie.

Sophie Shirley scored 7:06 into the third to finally get Boston on the board.

Down a player with 4:25 remaining in regulation, Boston’s rambunctious penalty kill, which had been key to its triple-overtime victory Saturday, struck again. Amanda Pelkey, who assisted on Shirley’s goal, took advantage of an inattentive Montreal defender to spring toward their zone and score the game-tying goal, sending the game into overtime.

“I got lucky on the timing,” said Pelkey.

Boston came out of the gate in overtime with energy, and Tapani and her teammates were eager to take as many quality shots as possible. It just didn’t take as long to convert then they expected.

”We had a good breakout right away,” said Tapani. “Alina took a really nice shot. We’ve wanted to take more shots like that. I just tried to put it in as fast as I could.”