NEW YORK AND TORONTO (May 26, 2025) – Minnesota Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney, Ottawa Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips and Charge forward Emily Clark have been named the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) 3 Stars of the Week presented by Shark Beauty Canada following games from May 19-May 25.
FIRST STAR - MADDIE ROONEY, G, MINNESOTA FROST
After Nicole Hensley absorbed a 2-1 overtime loss to the Charge in the PWHL Finals opener last Tuesday, Rooney took over in goal for Game 2, making a career-high 37 saves in Minnesota’s 2-1 victory at Ottawa Thursday and adding 35 saves in the Frost’s 2-1 triple-overtime home triumph Saturday. Rooney has won all four of her postseason starts, surpassing her win total from last year’s playoffs, and has recorded 30+ saves in consecutive games for the first time in her PWHL career. It is a testimony to Minnesota’s goaltenders, and their overall defensive play, that the Frost have not led for a single second of playing time in the first three games of the PWHL championship round, yet they lead the series 2-1 entering Game 4 today and are in position to win their second consecutive Walter Cup. Ottawa has scored first in all three of the contests, and has led for an aggregate 27:39 of playing time, but Rooney emerged victorious in Games 2 and 3 and has carried the team within a triumph of a championship repeat.
SECOND STAR - GWYNETH PHILIPS, G, OTTAWA CHARGE
Through the 248 minutes, eight seconds of playing time over the first three games of the PWHL Finals, Philips and the Charge have allowed just five goals on 97 shots to a Minnesota team that led the PWHL with 85 goals in 30 regular-season contests. All three games in the championship round have been one-goal decisions and all seven of Ottawa’s games in these playoffs have been decided by that margin. Ottawa, which tied New York for the fewest regular-season goals with 71, has needed top-level goaltending and Philips, the 24-year-old rookie from Athens, Ohio, has supplied it. She made 25 saves in the Charge’s opening-game triumph over the Frost, added 22 in Game 2 and provided 45 saves in Game 3. Philips has allowed two goals or fewer in her past five starts and has yet to lose a playoff game in regulation. Her 1.17 goals-against average leads all playoff goaltenders, as does her .953 save percentage and her aggregate of 221 saves since the postseason began. Philips also leads in playoff minutes played (563:35) and is tied with Rooney for the PWHL lead in 2025 playoff victories with four. With 90 points, the 2025 PWHL Goaltender of the Year finalist has taken over second place in the 3 Stars of the Week presented by Shark Beauty Canada standings – 10 points behind Marie-Philip Poulin of the Montréal Victoire.
THIRD STAR - EMILY CLARK, F, OTTAWA CHARGE
In Tuesday’s series opener, Clark scored her second goal of the postseason and became the first player in PWHL history to record back-to-back playoff game-winning goals. With her unassisted goal at 2:47 of overtime, Clark joined Taylor Heise and Michela Cava of Minnesota and Susanna Tapani of Boston as the only players with multiple game-winning goals in PWHL postseason history. Clark, who also had the winner in the opening-round game that eliminated Montréal, is the only player with multiple winners in these playoffs. The two winners in the playoffs match Clark’s regular-season total of winning goals. In Game 2 Thursday, Clark led all shooters with a playoff-career-high six shots but was held off the scoreboard by Rooney. But Clark opened the scoring in Game 3, capitalizing on her team’s first shot of the game at 11:38 of the contest; the tally was the first first-period goal of the closely-contested series. She also led all Ottawa forwards with 36:30 of ice time in the contest, which lasted 109:57. Clark has five postseason points (3G, 2A) and owns sole possession of the team lead in playoff scoring. Her three goals is one shy of the PWHL leader, Minnesota’s Lee Stecklein.
The ‘3 Stars of the Week’ are announced each Monday throughout the regular season and playoffs, encompassing games from the previous Monday through Sunday. Points will be awarded to each selection and will help determine rankings at the end of the year.
First Star = 30 Points Second Star = 20 Points Third Star = 10 Points
PWHL ‘3 Stars of the Week’ Standings
Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) = 100 Points
Gwyneth Philips (OTT) = 90 Points
Laura Stacey (MTL) = 80 Points
Hilary Knight (BOS) = 70 Points
Gabbie Hughes (OTT) = 60 Points
Corinne Schroeder (NY) = 60 Points
Abby Boreen (MTL) = 50 Points
Hannah Miller (TOR) = 50 Points
Lee Stecklein (MIN) = 50 Points
Tereza Vanišová (OTT) = 50 Points
Kristen Campbell (TOR) = 40 Points
Alex Carpenter (NY) = 40 Points
Emily Clark (OTT) = 40 Points
Maddie Rooney (MIN) = 40 Points
Susanna Tapani (BOS) = 40 Points
Erin Ambrose (MTL) = 30 Points
Ashton Bell (OTT) = 30 Points
Shiann Darkangelo (OTT) = 30 Points
Sarah Fillier (NY) = 30 Points
Taylor Heise (MIN) = 30 Points
Nicole Hensley (MIN) = 30 Points
Emerance Maschmeyer (OTT) = 30 Points
Alina Müller (BOS) = 30 Points
Claire Thompson (MIN) = 30 Points
Michela Cava (MIN) = 20 Points
Kendall Coyne Schofield (MIN) = 20 Points
Ann-Renée Desbiens (MTL) = 20 Points
Renata Fast (TOR) = 20 Points
Megan Keller (BOS) = 20 Points
Kateřina Mrázová (OTT) = 20 Points
Abby Roque (NY) = 20 Points
Sophie Jaques (MIN) = 10 Points
Sidney Morin (BOS) = 10 Points
Klára Peslarová (BOS) = 10 Points
Kati Tabin (MTL) = 10 Points
Daryl Watts (TOR) = 10 Points
About the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that features the best women’s players in the world. It is comprised of eight teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver. Launched on Jan. 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game. In 2024, the PWHL was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year and received the top position in the first-ever Canadian edition of the Harris Poll, which ranks companies’ reputations. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter to receive the latest league updates. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial.
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