Anchorage’s Clair DeGeorge lifted her second trophy in three years Wednesday night after she helped Minnesota win the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League Walter Cup with a 3-0 victory over Boston in the decisive Game 5 in Lowell, Mass.
DeGeorge, who turns 25 next week, served as Minnesota’s fourth-line center and fired one shot on goal in 9 minutes, 54 seconds of ice time. She won four of five face-offs.
Minnesota was the fourth seed among the four teams in the playoffs and entered the postseason struggling. It lost its last five regular-season games and fell behind 2-0 to Toronto before rallying for three straight wins. Minnesota thought it had seized the Walter Cup with a goal in double overtime of Game 4 against visiting Boston, but the goal was rescinded for goaltender interference upon video review and Boston soon delivered the dagger for a 1-0 win.
In Game 5, Minnesota rolled, outshooting Boston 44-17.
DeGeorge in 2022 won an NCAA Division I women’s title with Ohio State as a fifth-year senior following four seasons at Bemidji State (Minn.). She scored a goal and added an assist in Ohio State’s 3-2 championship win over Minnesota-Duluth to cap a season in which she racked 16-30—46 totals in 38 games.
Anchorage’s Clair DeGeorge (left) with former Ohio State teammates Sophie Jaques and Liz Schepers.
DeGeorge didn’t score a point in the PWHL postseason, but she played in all 10 games. She had one assist in 23 regular-season games.
DeGeorge is a registered nurse who earned a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Bemidji State (3.97 grade-point average) and a master’s in Bioethics/Medical Ethics from Ohio State (3.83 grade-point average).
Another Anchorage pro skater, Nolan Walker, gets his shot at a championship starting Friday, when his Kansas City Mavericks entertain the juggernaut Florida Everblades in Game 1 of the ECHL’s best-of-7 Kelly Cup.
Walker, 25, owns 5-6—11 totals in 15 playoff games after going 34-34—68 in 63 regular-season games to help the Mavericks earn the Brabham Cup as regular-season champs.
Florida is trying to become the first team in ECHL history, which dates back to 1989, to win three straight Kelly Cups. The Everblades are coached by Brad Ralph, who Alaska Aces fans might recall coached the rival Idaho Steelheads from 2012-2015.
