PWHL Players of the Week: Coyne Schofield, Keopple and Hensley end 2024 on high note

We over at Daily Faceoff hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a celebratory Kwanzaa, or if you just needed a few days to unwind, we hear you.

There were only a few games for us to look at this week, but let’s highlight the three players who stood out as we close out the 2024 portion of the PWHL schedule.

Kendall Coyne Schofield (F, Minnesota Frost)

The Frost captain looked dynamite this past week, scoring the game’s first two goals when Minnesota defeated the New York Sirens 4-3 in a shootout on Dec. 22, then followed up with a strong two-way performance during the team’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Victoire on Saturday – the Frost’s first loss in regulation this season.

Coyne Schofield had just one goal and no assists through her first six games of the league’s inaugural season, but so far in 2024-25, she has three goals and three assists, averaging a point per game through the team’s first six contests. Her ice time also spiked in the last few games, recording 22:35 and 21:44, more than the 16 minutes per game averaged through the first four.

Mariah Keopple (D, Montreal Victoire)

Anytime a player scores their first goal in the PWHL, it’s a reason to celebrate. It’s especially true when that player is already in their second season in the league, as Mariah Keopple fired a point shot past Frost netminder Maddie Rooney to earn her first career PWHL goal.

The Princeton alumnus averaged under 11 minutes per game through her last three contests, but recorded 15:37 of ice time during the Victoire’s 3-2 win over Minnesota on Saturday. While the likes of Erin Ambrose, Cayla Barnes and Kati Tabin lead the way in minutes, Montreal having depth pieces like Keopple will go a long way.

Nicole Hensley (G, Minnesota Frost)

The Frost were lucky to have two of the game’s best netminders in their crease through the league’s inaugural season, and that hasn’t changed in 2024-25. Maddie Rooney has a 3-1-0 record through four appearances, giving up just nine goals and posting a .903 save percentage in that span.

With Minnesota being outshot 36 to 25 against the Sirens, Rooney’s 33 saves – including two killed penalties and three saves in the shootout – helped the Frost steal a win from New York and keep them at the top of the PWHL standings.

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