In a game that stretched across daylight and into dusk, rookie forward Katy Knoll delivered a moment of brilliance — and resilience — that etched itself into PWHL history. Her backhanded goal in triple overtime sealed a dramatic 2-1 win for the Minnesota Frost over Ottawa on Saturday evening, delighting a sold-out crowd of 8,098 at the Xcel Energy Center and giving her team a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Walter Cup Finals.
The goal wasn’t flashy. It didn’t require a celly ripped from the highlight reels. In fact, Knoll’s celebration — a modest jump with both skates barely leaving the ice — felt fitting for a game defined more by grit than glamour.
“It wasn’t very high,” Knoll admitted. “I just wanted to celebrate with my teammates.”
Her teammates obliged, mobbing her on the ice after the goal that ended nearly five hours of playoff hockey — the fourth consecutive overtime game for the Frost, who remain unbeaten in Game 3s at home. The Xcel faithful erupted in what has become a trend: every game of the Finals thus far has ended in a 2-1 overtime scoreline.
A Play Born of Toughness and Timing
Knoll’s game-winner came off a deflection — or more accurately, a chest trap. Teammate Klara Hymlarova fired a blistering slapshot from the blue line. Knoll, stationed in front of the net, absorbed the puck in her chest and, as it dropped, managed to flick a falling backhand past Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips — a former Northeastern teammate of Knoll’s.
Philips was stellar in defeat, stopping 45 shots and earning third star honors. Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney was no less heroic, with 36 saves and second-star distinction. The first star, of course, belonged to Knoll — not just for the goal, but for her composure and grit in the game’s most punishing moments.
“I thought it’d hurt more,” she said, referring to the shot to the chest. “Thankfully it fell down and I got a swing at it.”
Endurance on Display — and in the Locker Room
The game nearly spanned the length of two full contests, stretching across three regulation periods and three overtimes. The Frost players turned to a mix of applesauce, Goldfish crackers, and smoothies to keep their energy up. Even mustard packets — a go-to cramp remedy famously used by Ottawa earlier in the playoffs — made an appearance between the bench and the locker room.
“Heck yeah,” Knoll said when asked if she enjoyed the grueling affair. “These are the games you live for.”
That sentiment echoed up and down the roster — and behind the bench.
Frost head coach Ken Klee knows a thing or two about marathon games. As a player in 1996, he skated in a four-overtime playoff clash between Washington and Pittsburgh — the longest NHL game in six decades.
“It was a long game tonight, but what a treat,” Klee said. “For our fans, for our team. We’re certainly pleased with the result.”
The Charge: Battled and Battered, but Not Beaten
For the Ottawa Charge, the loss marked yet another close call in a postseason full of them. All seven of their playoff games this year have been decided by a single goal, including a first-round loss in four overtimes. Saturday’s triple-OT setback was both physically and emotionally draining — but not demoralizing.
“The story is still unwritten,” said Ottawa forward Emily Clark. “Hopefully we make a great story. We have an opportunity to do so.”
Indeed, while Minnesota holds a 2-1 series lead, Ottawa has been anything but outclassed. Each game has come down to a single shot, a single bounce, a single breath. It’s a series built on margins — and the Charge remain just one win away from sending it back home for a decisive Game 5.
Knoll’s Coming of Age
For Knoll, the heroics feel like a breakout moment. The rookie hasn’t just risen to the playoff moment — she’s elevated her game on the biggest stage, scoring perhaps the most crucial goal of her young career against a former teammate and under maximum pressure.
“Our team really dug deep,” she said. “We never wavered. I’m just so proud.”
The Frost now have a chance to close out the Finals at home on Monday night. Should they win, it will mark their second consecutive PWHL championship — a testament to both their talent and their toughness. If they fall, the series will shift back to Ottawa for a winner-take-all Game 5.
But if Knoll’s performance is any indicator, this team is peaking at the perfect time.
“We know the job’s not done,” she said. “We have one goal at a time.”
And after nearly five hours of playoff chaos, they’re still skating toward it — one gritty stride at a time.
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