Minnesota is busy celebrating its first national title by a professional sports team since 2017.
In the inaugural season, the yet-to-be-named Minnesota Professional Women’s Hockey League team captured the Walter Cup, blanking Boston 3-0 in the final game of a best-of-five series on Wednesday. On Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center, fans have the opportunity to cheer on victorious athletes and a new chapter in women’s sports. Minnesota’s last national title was won by the Lynx.
Two-time Olympian Nicole Hensley and her quick goaltending skills (she had an excellent .945 save percentage in the postseason) helped lead Minnesota to victory.
“We had some struggles getting to the playoffs, but I think we stuck together and knew our group could do it,” Hensley told MPR News on Friday’s Morning Edition. “So to be the first to lift the trophy… is something nice, very special. “No one can take away the fact that we did it first.”
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After the league’s international break in April, Minnesota fell into a slump. Ken head coach Ken Klee said last Friday that the team “just tried to take it one game at a time.” That strategy and intense teamwork paid off.
A loyal and growing fan base has supported the league since day one. Minnesota’s home opener set an attendance record of 13,316 in a matchup against Montreal. That record was later surpassed by a Montréal-Toronto match with 21,105 fans in the stands. The Minnesota Wild, founded in 1997, average 18,000 fans per game in St. Paul.
Whether it’s a t-shirt, sticker, hand-drawn sign, or social media post, every fan support counts.
“It’s been great to see all the girls with signs at the games; We read them all. So don’t make any mistakes: we’ll see you there,” Hensley said. “It has been great. And again, very excited to celebrate with everyone tonight.”
A new league has its growing pains. Body control is allowed, making the game more physical. There are only six teams. The playoffs are a five-game series, not seven. It is the first year to get sponsorships. Finding a stadium that meets fan demand is not always easy; For example, the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, sold out the finals, but only has 6,500 seats for the hockey games.
“It was a learning process for the league, us players, referees and coaches, being the first year, but I think everyone did a great job adjusting and adapting,” Hensley said, wishing he had more clarity on what’s happening. allowed under the league. rules. “But overall, I think it was a really strong start. And it can only go up from here.”
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