PWHL Boston’s ‘Best Team Game’ Snapped Four-Game Skid

LOWELL — PWHL Boston snapped its four-game losing streak by defeating PWHL Ottawa, 3-1, on Wednesday night to wrap up its six-game homestand.

“A wait off everyone’s chest,” Boston’s head coach Courtney Kessel told reporters after the win. “I think it was nice to finally start at the drop of the puck. We’ve been waiting for that.”

Even though Ottawa outshot Boston 30-23, Kessel thought the 60-minute effort was there for her team.

“That by far was our best team game,” Kessel said. “We played with way more urgency, but most importantly, we played for each other, and we stood up for each other out there, and that’s what we needed.”

Boston ended the homestand with a 2-2-2 record, with the two wins bookending the four-game losing streak.

“I’m just really proud of how this team stuck together,” Boston defender Megan Keller told reporters. “It’s not easy to go through something like that where you’re losing a lot in a row.

“None of us like losing but it’s easy to turn on one another and not once did that waver and this is just a great team to be a part of. So, to win like that and have everyone going is pretty special.”

Loren Gabel scored Boston’s first goal of the game and noted how well the team responds when they are playing with more physicality.

I think just winning pucks and loose puck battles definitely comes into play when we’re being more physical,” Gabel explained. “I think using our physicality as a team obviously helps us get there.”

Boston will look to build on the win when they face PWHL Minnesota at Xcel Energy Center on Sunday.