For a minute, Minnesota thought it won the first Walter Cup in the history of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) on Sunday. Until it didn’t.
Minnesota, which entered Game 4 of the PWHL Finals leading Boston 2–1 in the best-of-five series, began its championship celebration when defender Sophie Jaques broke a scoreless tie with what appeared to be the game-winning goal in the second overtime of Game 4.
Minnesota players threw their gloves and sticks on the ice and began piling on one another. The 13,104 fans at Xcel Energy Center thought it was over, too. But officials overturned the goal due to goaltender interference, as Taylor Heise slid into Boston goalie Aerin Frankel after passing the puck to Jaques.
The game went on—but not for much longer. Boston scored the actual game-winner 70 seconds later when forward Alina Müller sent a wrist shot past goaltender Nicole Hensley.
My I present the Oscar Award winning 1:43 minute short film titled, “An Emotional Rollercoaster Of Epic Proportions”#PWHL pic.twitter.com/Q7NlmjW6I2
— Ian Kennedy (@IanKennedyCK) May 27, 2024
There will be a decisive Game 5 of the 2024 PWHL on Wednesday.
“I had no doubt it was goaltender interference,” Müller said after the game [via the Star Tribune]. “It’s tough when you get a goal overturned. The momentum goes to the other team. It was on our side.”
The PWHL was established in August 2023 and opened its inaugural season in January. The league is made up of six teams—Minnesota, Boston, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. Toronto had the best regular-season showing with 47 points in the standings in 24 games, but Minnesota sent them home in the playoff semifinals.