Minnesota sneaks into PWHL finals to face Boston

The first-ever Professional Women's Hockey League championship series is set, as Minnesota completed a semifinal comeback to earn a place opposite Boston in the finals.

Taylor Heise scored twice as visiting Minnesota downed Toronto 4-1 on Friday to take the decisive Game 5 in a semifinal series, erasing a 3-0 series deficit.

Boston advanced on Tuesday when it completed a three-game sweep of Montreal, prevailing 3-2 when Susanna Tapani scored in overtime.

Minnesota, after dropping the first two games at Toronto, began the comeback with a 2-0 win on Monday thanks to an 18-save shutout from Maddie Rooney.

Game 4 on Wednesday was scoreless until Claire Butorac came through with the winner at 4:27 of the second overtime. Rooney stopped 19 shots while Toronto goalie Kristen Campbell turned away 28 shots.

The Friday game was even 1-1 after two periods before Heise found the net at 8:30 of the final period. Goals in the last two minutes from Sophia Kunin and Heise sealed the victory. Rooney and Campbell each wound up with 27 saves.

Third-seeded Boston and fourth-seeded Minnesota both pulled off semifinal upsets after each finished with eight regulation wins, four overtime wins, three overtime losses and nine regulation losses in the regular season.

Boston's Amanda Pelkey and Tapani as well as Minnesota's Denisa Krizova and Heise are tied for the league's postseason lead with two goals apiece. Pelkey and Minnesota's Sophie Jaques, Liz Schepers and Lee Stecklein each share the PWHL lead with three playoff points.

Rooney owns a stellar 0.45 goals-against average in the postseason, while Boston's Aerin Franklin has a 0.97 playoff GAA.

The finals will open with Games 1 and 2 on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, in Lowell, Mass.

Game 3 and, if necessary, Game 4, will be played in Saint Paul, Minn. If the series goes to a Game 5, it would be held back in Lowell.

--Field Level Media