Defending PWHL champion Minnesota Frost face playoff newcomers Ottawa Charge in best-of-5 finals

Kendall Coyne Schofield delivered a cautionary message when assessing the edge in playoff experience she and the defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost enjoy entering the PWHL Finals against the Ottawa Charge.

“Yeah, it helps, but it’s not everything,” Coyne Schofield said before the best-of-five series begins in Ottawa on Tuesday night. “They just played an incredible four-game series the last week-and-a-half, too, right? And that’s experience they just gained.”

The Frost have the championship experience in returning to the finals after a four-game semifinal series win over Toronto. The Charge, who knocked off regular-season champion Montreal in four games, are playoff newcomers after missing the postseason in the PWHL’s inaugural season last year.

And the real lesson is how the regular season doesn’t count for much as the finals once again feature a showdown between the two lower-seeded teams. The Charge finished third in the six-team standings and the Frost fourth — just as they did last year — with both clinching their respective berths with wins on the final day of the season.

“We have a lot of respect for Minnesota. Obviously, they were here last year and they went all the way,” Charge captain Brianne Jenner said. “We know it’s going to be very hard. But our group has never shied away from hard work. We’re pretty excited to get started.”

Minnesota’s 23-player roster returned 16 from the squad that defeated Boston in five games last year. Ottawa features just four players with previous playoff experience — and they’re all former Toronto players who lost a five-game semifinal series to Minnesota a year ago.

“It’s just showing the parity that we have in our league,” Minnesota coach Ken Klee said, referring to a regular season in which four points separated second-place Toronto and fifth-place Boston, with the Fleet eliminated by a tie-breaker after finishing tied with Ottawa and Minnesota.

The Frost are known for their offense. After scoring a league-leading 85 goals in the regular season, Minnesota outscored Toronto by a combined margin of 18-14. Minnesota features the playoffs’ top six scorers, with Taylor Heise leading the list with seven points (one goal, six assists).

The Charge place an emphasis on a hard-hitting defensive style, and finished the regular season tied for last with 71 goals scored. Ottawa is coming off a semifinal series in which it totaled nine goals, with all four games decided by one-point margins, including 3-2 4OT loss in Game 2. With two goals, Jenner is the only Charge player to have scored more than once in the playoffs.

Propelling Ottawa’s playoff run is rookie goalie Gwyneth Philips, who has taken over the starting duties since Emerance Maschmeyer was sidelined by a lower body injury in mid-March.

The 25-year-old from Ohio closed the season with a 4-1 record in which she allowed six goals. And she’s built on her performance by allowing just six goals on 135 shots in the playoffs, including a 26-save 1-0 shutout in Game 3.

“We have so much confidence in front of her,” Jenner said. “When you try to go on a run like this, it takes depth, it takes players stepping up at crucial moments. And Gwen has done that for us since she entered the net.”

The Frost continue to go with a rotation in net, with the former U.S. national team tandem of Maddie Rooney and Nicole Hensley. Rooney went 2-0 against Toronto, while Hensley 1-1, including a 26-save outing in a 4-3 series-clinching overtime win.

The teams split their season series with three wins apiece, and Minnesota outscoring Ottawa 15-14.

Coyne Schofield sees similarities between this season and last year’s run to the championship in which Minnesota won both series in a deciding Game 5s, and overcame a 2-0 deficit against Toronto. This year, the Frost clinched their playoff berth by winning their final two games, including a 3-0 victory at Ottawa.

“This playoff feel, kind of goes back to those two games,” she said. “We’ve stepped up to the plate and to the challenge, and we’re excited for the next one ahead of us.”

The Charge also had to scrap to get to this point in closing the season 4-1 and clinching their playoff spot with Katerina Mrazova scoring to seal a 2-1 OT win over Toronto.

“Really proud of our group just continue to find our way and recognizing that adversity is part of the experience, and it’s what allows you to grow,” Ottawa coach Carla MacLeod said. “I think we’ve grown from it and we find ourselves in a nice opportunity now.”

AP freelance writer Madie Hricik contributed to this story.

AP Women’s Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Ottawa Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips, right, reacts after losing her helmet during third-period PWHL hockey playoff action against the Montreal Victoire in Ottawa, Ontario, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

CORRECTS TO GOAL BY FROST'S SOPHIE JAQUES NOT KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD - Minnesota Frost forward Kendall Coyne Schofield (26) celebrates after a goal by teammate Sophie Jaques (not shown) against Toronto Sceptres goaltender Kristen Campbell, fourth from left, in the second period of a PWHL hockey playoff game Sunday, May 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Ottawa Charge players celebrate after their win over the Montreal Victoire in PWHL hockey playoff action in Ottawa, Ontario, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Minnesota Frost forward Taylor Heise (27), left, is surrounded by teammates, Minnesota Frost forward Britta Curl (77) and Minnesota Frost forward Grace Zumwinkle (13) after she scored the winning goal in overtime of the PWHL Walter Cup in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Renée Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.

Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.

Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.

James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.

Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.

Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.

Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.

Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.

Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)