Kelly Pannek had two goals and two assists to pad her PWHL-leading points total and help the Minnesota Frost hold off the Vancouver Goldeneyes 6-5 on Saturday, snapping a three-match losing streak and clinching a spot in the postseason for the two-time defending champions.
Pannek scored twice on power plays in the third period to give Minnesota (12-3-4-6) a 6-4 lead. She tops the league with 14 goals and 28 points with five matches left in the regular season. Pannek had seven goals through her first two seasons.
Sarah Nurse redirected a shot by former Frost standout Sophie Jacques just 1:18 into the match to give Vancouver a 1-0 lead. It was the earliest goal this season for the Goldeneyes, who had posted regulation victories the previous five times they scored first.
Pannek used a no-look backward pass to set up Grace Zumwinkle in front of the net for her career-high 12th goal of the season, tying it 1-1 at 9:05. Pannek’s 14 assists this season is a career high.
Minnesota took a 2-1 lead with 2:21 left in the first when Katy Knoll scored her seventh goal — with assists from Lee Stecklein and Pannek.
But Tereza Vanišová beat Frost goaltender Nicole Hensley one on one to tie it and Jacques gave the Goldeneyes a 3-2 lead when she scored on a power play. The two clubs combined for three goals in 40 seconds.
Vancouver took a two-goal lead 3:30 into the second period on Jenn Gardiner’s fourth goal.
