By: Alexis Caines | Follow me on Twitter / X @alexiscaines_
The Boston Fleet officially clinched their berth in the 2026 Walter Cup Playoffs. In their game against the Minnesota Frost, all they needed was one point, and they came up huge with a 4-2 win, earning a full three points. This was the quickest playoff clinch in PWHL history, as the Fleet still have six games remaining.
Huge Win in Minnesota
The Fleet marched into Minnesota and earned a gritty 4-2 win. The story of the game was rookie goaltender Amanda Thiele, who made her PWHL debut in the historic win. She made 21 saves for a .913 SV% in her debut.
It was Haley Winn who found the back of the net first. Winn and Abby Newhook broke away for a two-on-three and it was the defender who fired the puck home for her fourth of the season.
Late in the first period, it was Sophie Shirley who gave the Fleet a 2-0 lead. Her second of the season came in back-to-back scoring games. The Fleet outshot the Frost 15-5 after 20 minutes.
The Frost stormed back in the second period, with veteran defender Lee Stecklein scoring her first of the season with a power-play tally. It was then Taylor Heise who notched the equalizer. Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield made her return to the Minnesota lineup after suffering an injury in the Gold Medal Game and she recorded an assist on each of the goals.
Liz Schepers took the lead right back for Boston, scoring an unassisted goal against her former team. According to the broadcast, she was set to receive her 2025 Walter Cup championship ring after the game.
Shirley scored her second of the night for the insurance goal early in the final frame. This marked her first career multi-goal game. Haley Winn’s primary assist on the goal was her 12th of the season and ties the lead for rookie points.
Thiele was clutch for the Fleet, and her win between the pipes slid them into the playoffs comfortably. They now have 51 points in 24 games. Of those, 27 road points, which is a new PWHL record.
Trade Deadline Buzz
The PWHL trade deadline is set for March 30th at 5pm ET.
It’s been a pretty subdued deadline with a few teams adding to their reserve spots. The Fleet added Jessie Eldridge to their roster via trade with the Seattle Torrent on March 16th.
Matt Porter of the Boston Globe reported that the Fleet signed Noemi Neubauerová to their reserve list. She’s coming off the season with Ev Zug in Switzerland, where she played forward. She represented Czechia in the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she was on the top defensive pair with current Fleet defender Daniela PejÅ¡ová. Her flexibility in positions would be a huge asset for the Fleet heading into the playoffs. The team has not yet confirmed this roster move.
Looking Ahead at Playoffs
While the Fleet did clinch a playoff berth today, it is still not confirmed who will finish in the top spot. Unique to the PWHL, the top seed in the playoffs gets to choose their opponent from the third and fourth finishing teams.
Currently, the Montréal Victoire sit in second with 46 points and the Frost in third with 42. Fourth place is similar to the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League, with seemingly most teams eligible to sneak into the playoffs.
The Fleet have a week filled with rest and recovery ahead. They don’t play until April 7th. They’ll face the Vancouver Goldeneyes in Edmonton for their final stop of the Takeover Tour. They’ll then return home for their first-ever game at TD Garden on April 11th.
With the final stretch of the season upon us, every game, no matter the opponent, will be huge in determining potential playoff matchups.
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