Montreal Victoire Beat Minnesota 2-1, Advance to PWHL Final

Laval, Quebec, hosted a thrilling conclusion to the Professional Women's Hockey League semifinal series as the Montreal Victoire defeated the Minnesota Frost 2-1 on Tuesday night at Place Bell, advancing to their first Walter Cup Final.

The decisive fifth game, tied 2-2 entering the matchup, saw Catherine Dubois open the scoring for Montreal at 12:18 of the first period. Promoted to the top line on captain Marie-Philip Poulin's suggestion, Dubois fired a shot that deflected off Minnesota forward Elizabeth Giguere and past goaltender Maddie Rooney. Minnesota responded in the second period when Sam Cogan tipped an Abby Hustler pass in the slot at 11:45 to even the score at 1-1.

Both teams' goaltenders delivered standout performances in a low-scoring affair. Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped 25 of 26 shots for Montreal, including a rolling windmill save on Giguere early in the second and a stick save on a Kendall Coyne Schofield deflection in the first. Rooney finished with 15 saves, denying Laura Stacey and Kaitlin Willoughby on prime chances.

The game turned early in the third when Poulin scored the winner at 3:06 on the power play, roofing a sharp-angle shot from a cross-ice pass by...