The Minnesota Whitecaps and Connecticut Whale will get to face each other two times this weekend. The first game will be on Saturday January 19th at 630p CST and Sunday January 20th at 2p CST. Both games will be in Minnesota at Tria Rink.
News and Notes
Earlier in the week, there was some roster moves the Whale had made. Erica Ayala broke the news about back up Whale goaltender and Annapolis, MD native Sam Walther no longer being with the team.
More #NWHL news:
Have heard and confirmed through multiple sources that Sam Walther is no longer with the Connecticut Whale.This leaves the Whale with only two goalies on their roster.
— Erica L. Ayala (@elindsay08) January 16, 2019
Also, Mike Murphy, reported that the Whale had released two more forwards, Randi Griffin (a 2018 Olympian for the Unified South Korean team), and Sam Donovan (a 2017 NWHL 1st Round Draft Pick, 5th Overall).
Have confirmed that Sam Donovan and Randi Griffin have both been released from the @CTWhale_NWHL. Donovan was released recently. Griffin didn’t report to the team. So the Whale have a lot of flexibility with their roster if they want to add more players. #NWHL
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) January 16, 2019
Murphy went on to report that the Whale did indeed also sign a goalie to replace Sam Walther, a familiar face, goalie coach and former Whale player Laura Brennan. She even dressed as Räisänen’s backup in the last game on January 13th against the Whitecaps.
Just confirmed that Laura Brennan (@laurayobrennan) has signed with the @CTWhale_NWHL while keeping her title as goaltender coach. With Brennan signed, the Whale once again have three goaltenders on their roster. She dressed as CTW’s backup last Sunday against the Whitecaps.
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) January 15, 2019
Last Game
Last game was rough sledding for the Whale against the Whitecaps; they lost that game 4-1. Goals for the Whitecaps came from Jonna Curtis, Hanna Brandt, former Whale defender Amanda Boulier, and Amy Menke. The Whale were able to convert once against the Whitecaps, the goal coming from Michelle Löwenhielm, it was her second on the season.
➡️@michellelowen!!! Whale have cut the lead to 1 #NWHL pic.twitter.com/zl0YaA45q7
— Women’s Sports Highlights (@WSportHilites) January 13, 2019
Players to Watch
The Whale will look to bounce back this weekend. They have proven that they can skate with the Whitecaps team, but need to find a way to convert the offensive chances they have been getting.
Whitecaps: Amanda Boulier, D – The former Whale defender played really well against her old club tallying a goal and two assists, as she looks to build off that performance with a strong showing over the weekend.
Whale: Michelle Löwenhielm, F – The Whale forward has had a good year this season, as she is tied for third on the team with five points. She currently has two goals in her last three games, and she’s been playing on the top line with Fluke and Mrázová, so she is getting good offensive chances.
Where to Watch
The game on Saturday is in fact, an NWHL Twitter Game of the Week, and it can be viewed here:
The game on Sunday is going to be a little different, and the game can be viewed here:
Tweets from Women’s Sports Highlights and Erica Ayala were used with their permission.
