Whitecaps feel like underdogs in pursuit of Isobel Cup. That’s a good thing.
Yes, the Minnesota Whitecaps are well aware of the cold streak they were on at the end of the regular season. It’s pretty much the only thing they heard about last week in the lead up to their semifinal matchup with the Boston Pride.
Never mind that the Whitecaps were only a couple of wins away from playing for the Isobel Cup once again. Not many people were giving them a chance as they entered the playoffs on an eight-game losing streak — especially playing against the best team in the Premier Hockey Federation.
“Obviously, it’s kind of been a story that we didn’t have the best lead up to the playoffs,” forward Sydney Brodt said. “We still believed in our team and knew it was a new game in the playoffs.”
That belief propelled the Whitecaps to a major upset as they swept the Pride with a 5-2 win in Game 1 and a 4-1 win in Game 2. That set the stage for a winner-take-all championship between the Whitecaps and the Toronto Six on Sunday night at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Ariz.
“We definitely had our ups and downs,” Whitecaps coach Ronda Engelhardt said. “That resiliency built up, and as a team we decided we were done losing. We got a fresh start where the past didn’t mean anything. It was like, ‘Let’s go out there and show everyone what we can do.’ ”
That’s exactly what the Whitecaps did. They played with a palpable sense of joy in both games, which, as players noted, wasn’t always the case during their struggles down the stretch.
“We have the ability to keep it light and still perform at a high level, and we kind of got away from that a little bit during our eight-game losing streak,” defenseman Amanda Boulier said. “We like to have a ton of fun before we hit the ice. I think that’s what makes us play well. That was a big part of our success last weekend.”
It also helped that the Whitecaps felt like they had nothing to lose. All the pressure was on the Pride.
“We were either going to go in there and get swept, or we were going to go in there and show the league what we’re made of — which is exactly what we did,” defenseman Sidney Morin said. “We had a really good start and it made everyone look around the bench and be like, ‘Oh, wow. We really can do this if this is how we play.’ ”
As if winning the Isobel Cup this weekend isn’t already motivation enough, the Whitecaps are clearly still being fueled by feeling like the underdogs.
“I think there’s still a lot of people doubting us,” forward Natalie Snodgrass said. “I’m not sure anyone thought we were going to make it this far. Why not go win it all?”
ISOBEL CUP
What: Premier Hockey Federation Championship
Who: Minnesota Whitecaps vs. Toronto Six
When: Sunday, 7 p.m.
Where: Tempe, Ariz.
Watch: Streaming on ESPN+
