PWHL Minnesota Report Cards 2023-24: Nicole Hensley – Hockey Writers – PWHL

The PWHL offseason officially enters the “dog days of summer,” with many areas feeling the heat during these summer months. Things have been quiet, some players are yet to sign contracts here and there, but overall, we will have to wait a little longer before things start to heat up again.

They plan to announce the names and logos in August, so fans have something to look forward to soon. Until then, we’ll continue to look back at the first season with grade reports for each player in PWHL Minnesota. We started with Maddie Rooney, and now it’s time for her fellow goalkeeper, Nicole Hensley. Hensley was a great starter for PWHL Minnesota, and we’ll start with his regular season performance.

Hensley Leads the Way

Hensley started the season with three straight wins and, like Rooney, hit some bumps along the way, including a loss to start the postseason. He played four more games than Rooney and finished the regular season with a 7-6-1 record with one shutout. He had a save percentage (SV%) of .919 and a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.19.

Hensley has a lot of range and can move from side to side to set up. He also communicates with his colleagues so they know where and when they should be, so they give him every opportunity to save. However, she made sure she didn’t do too much and allowed her teammates like Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, and Michela Cava to control the play when necessary.

When the team was struggling, he was one of the reasons why they were able to bring it back, but when they had a problem, that was it. Goaltenders can make or break a team, and lucky for PWHL Minnesota, they had two top goalies all season. Hensley led most of the season, and when he struggled, Rooney was there to get his back and vice versa. Having a tandem that is also best friends makes for a strong combination. Like his goal-scoring partner Rooney, he earned an A for the regular season.

Hensley Dominates Postseason

Hensley looked solid in the regular season, but found another level in the postseason. It took him a while to find it, but when they put him in the Walter Cup finals, he helped carry the team. He played in five matches, one in the first round and four in the final, including their Walter Cup winning match. Hensley allowed six goals in that span but had an amazing .945 (SV%) and an even better 1.06 (GAA).

Putting up those numbers is difficult during the regular season and even more difficult during the postseason. It was a smaller number of games than the regular postseason, but regardless, it was tough, and Hensley stood out. What was even more impressive was that he managed to shut out PWHL Boston not just once but twice in the postseason, and shutouts are rare in the postseason.

Related: PWHL Minnesota Has Busy Offseason Ahead After Coach Firing

If this grade was based on his first postseason game, it would be very difficult. However, he backtracked in a big way, and there was no way he was getting anything other than A. It’s hard for goaltenders to stay in a good place mentally, and it can be even harder to overcome that after a tough loss, and you’ve done that many times during the season.

Hensley Earns His Grade

Both strikers from PWHL Minnesota faced challenges but prevailed to bring home the Walter Cup. They always raised their heads when things got tough and supported each other. Hensley did well during the regular season, and even in the midst of a loss, he kept trying and never gave up, so he got an A there.

In the postseason, he really shined and showed what it’s like to change his game. He started with a defeat, and he was also taken out of the net, but when he was given another chance after Rooney’s defeat, he stepped up, won, and earned an A.

With an A for the regular season and an A for the postseason, he obviously got an A for his grade overall. Without his play with Rooney, they would not have been able to succeed as they did. The whole team found a way to win, but scoring goals gave them the momentum they needed, and hopefully, Hensley can carry that game into next season.