"She was tripped, bad call" "Got it right": Fans divided on PWHL Minnesota's championship winning goal getting disallowed for goalie interference

The PWHL Minnesota faced a bitter defeat as their potential championship-clinching goal was overturned due to goaltender interference, leaving fans divided and emotions running high. An exciting game at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday, saturated with drama, saw Sophie Jaques' apparent winner for Minnesota nullified after officials ruled goaltender interference, triggering a cascade of reactions from the crowd.

The tension peaked in double overtime when Alina Müller of PWHL Boston seized the opportunity, delivering the decisive blow at 18 minutes and 36 seconds of the second extra period. The turnaround was swift, coming merely 70 seconds after PWHL Minnesota's disallowed goal. Taylor Heise's pass to Jaques seemed to promise victory until Heise's contact with Boston goalie Aerin Frankel led to the goal's cancellation.

X (formerly Twitter) became a battleground of opinions as fans were divided over the controversial decision to nullify the goal. One of the fans commented:

"She was tripped. Bad call."

While another fan commented that the call was right:

"Got it right"

"She was hooked by the defender, causing her to go into the goalie. Awful call." one fan said

"Not a bad call. But I can argue defender took her balance away." another fan pointed

Fans found themselves divided over the controversial decision and they started giving their views:

"Not sure how people can disagree with this call, maybe just new to hockey?" one fan chimed in

"Correct call." one fan commented

"In what world" one fan showed frustration

"Clearly the slash to her leg has nothing to do with her going down" one fan stated

Despite an electrifying atmosphere with a crowd of 13,104 eagerly anticipating a championship, Boston demonstrated resilience, forcing the series to a decisive Game 5 in their home territory. Minnesota's Nicole Hensley showed remarkable goaltending skills with 32 saves, only to be outshone by Frankel's 33-save shutout.

PWHL Minnesota's missed opportunities on the power play, going 0-for-4, contrasted with their impeccable penalty kill record, extending to 19 consecutive successful kills. The series heads back to Boston for the deciding match on Wednesday.

PWHL Minnesota's Strategic Game 4 Plan

PWHL Minnesota entered Game 4 with a strategic focus on maintaining a solid defensive structure, a tactic that had served them well in previous matchups. With tight team defense limiting Boston's offensive opportunities in Games 2 and 3, Minnesota aimed to continue this trend to stifle their opponents' scoring chances. Coach Ken Klee emphasized the importance of sticking to their game plan, stating:

"We're ready... We just need to play our game by being solid defensively and taking advantage of our scoring opportunities."

Meanwhile, Boston sought to counter Minnesota's speed with physicality, though this approach proved only sporadically effective in Game 1. As the series progressed, Boston registered fewer hits, indicating a shift in strategy.

The game remained deadlocked after an evenly contested first period, with both teams generating chances but unable to beat the goaltenders. Minnesota came closest to scoring in the second period, hitting a goal post and earning two power-play opportunities, but Boston's defense held firm. The third period mirrored the first two, with great goaltending from both sides.

As the game went into overtime, PWHL Minnesota initially found themselves on the defensive, but they rallied, creating several scoring opportunities. Despite their efforts, neither team could break the deadlock, leading to a second overtime period.