NEW YORK AND TORONTO – Minnesota Frost defender Claire Thompson, Montréal Victoire forward Abby Boreen and Frost forward Kendall Coyne Schofield have been named the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) ‘3 Stars of the Week’ presented by SharkNinja Canada following games from Dec. 15-22.
FIRST STAR – CLAIRE THOMPSON, D, MINNESOTA FROST
Thompson, Minnesota’s #1 pick at the 2024 Draft, contributed a goal and four assists to a two-victory week that kept the Frost atop the PWHL standings. In Thursday’s 5-2 victory over Ottawa at Xcel Energy Center, the 26-year-old Toronto native collected her first PWHL goal, entering the play as a trailer, accepting Taylor Heise’s pass from the right side and sending a wrist shot from the high slot inside the post to the left of Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips. Thompson added three assists in the contest to tie the league record for points in one game; Montréal’s Erin Ambrose had four assists against Minnesota on April 18. In Sunday’s 4-3 shootout victory over the New York Sirens, Thompson set up Heise’s first goal of the season to extend her point streak to three straight games. With 1-6—7 for the season, Thompson leads the league in assists and shares the lead in points with two Sirens standouts, Alex Carpenter (4-3—7) and Thompson’s former Princeton teammate, Sarah Fillier (2-5—7).
SECOND STAR – ABBY BOREEN, F, MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE
In Montréal’s only game of the week, a 4-3 overtime triumph over the Sceptres in Toronto, the 24-year-old used an exceptional expression of quick thought, quick hands and solid balance to score her second goal of the season. The Somerset, Wis. native snared a pass from Catherine Dubois on her forehand just inside the Toronto blue line, then shifted it quickly to her backhand against defender Renata Fast before returning to her forehand and whipping a 12-foot shot inside the post behind the right arm of Sceptres goalie Raygan Kirk before tumbling to the ice. Boreen’s magical moves, at 3:52 of the second period, got Montréal on the scoreboard, shaved Toronto’s lead to 2-1 and helped propel the Victoire to their first victory ever over the Sceptres after an 0-0-2-3 record against them in the teams’ first five meetings. With 2-2—4 for the season, Boreen leads Montréal in goals, assists and points and is within one point of matching her output (4-1—5) in nine games with Minnesota last season.
THIRD STAR – KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD, F, MINNESOTA FROST
In Sunday’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Sirens Minnesota’s captain scored on her team’s first shot of the contest, at 5:09 of the first period, and added her third goal of the season just over 10 minutes later. The first multi-goal game of her PWHL career helped Coyne Schofield join Michela Cava, Grace Zumwinkle and Dominique Petrie in a tie for the team goal lead. The output lengthened her current point streak to three games and placed her in a tie with Taylor Heise for the Frost scoring lead. Coyne Schofield also contributed to a perfect week by Minnesota’s penalty killers, who survived two Ottawa power plays in Thursday’s victory over the Charge and went 2-for-2 during personnel disadvantages Sunday against the Sirens. Also against Ottawa, Coyne Schofield contributed the primary assist on Kelly Panek’s second goal of the game.
The ‘3 Stars of the Week’ are announced each Monday throughout the regular season and playoffs encompassing games from the previous Monday through Sunday. Points will be awarded to each selection and will help determine rankings at the end of the year.
First Star = 30 Points
Second Star = 20 Points
Third Star = 10 Points
PWHL ‘3 Stars of the Week’ Standings:
1. Alex Carpenter (NY) = 40 Points
2. Claire Thompson (MIN) = 30 points
3. Sarah Fillier (NY) = 30 Points
4. Abby Boreen (MTL) = 20
5. Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) = 20 Points
6. Michela Cava (MIN) = 20 points
7. Kendall Coyne Schofield (MIN) = 20 points
8. Abby Boreen (MTL) = 10 Points
