Michela Cava and Taylor Heise each had a goal and an assist to lead Minnesota to a 4-1 victory over Boston on Friday and give their team a 2-1 lead in the Women’s Professional Hockey League final.
The fourth game of this best-of-five series will take place Sunday in Saint Paul. If necessary, the fifth duel will follow on Wednesday in Boston.
Heise only needed 59 seconds to beat Aerin Frankel and open the scoring. The local favorites did not lose their lead after that.
Cava had an assist on Heise’s fifth playoff goal in eight games. Heise totaled four goals and 13 points in the regular season.
Minnesota made it 2-0 with 2:22 left in the first period when Sydney Brodt scored for the first time on the circuit.
Alina Muller reduced the gap to two seconds from the final whistle in the second period with her first of the qualifiers.
Cava gave Minnesota a two-goal lead again at 3:29 of the third, then Grace Zumwinkle scored into an empty net.
Nicole Hensley stopped 18 pucks in the victory. Frankel made 21 saves.
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