TORONTO — In an exciting contest, Sarah Nurse netted a crucial game-winning goal on the power play while Hannah Miller contributed two goals, helping the Toronto Sceptres secure a 4-2 victory over the New York Sirens on Saturday.
Nurse’s decisive shot, which sailed over the glove of Sirens goalie Corinne Schroeder, came with just 5:54 left in the third period, enabling the Sceptres to break a two-game losing streak. Currently, the Sceptres sit at the bottom of the six-team Professional Women’s Hockey League standings.
The game, branded as the Battle on Bay Street, drew an enthusiastic crowd of 19,102 fans at Scotiabank Arena, slightly below the 19,285 attendance recorded on February 16 when Toronto achieved a 3-0 triumph against Montreal.
In addition to Nurse’s goal, Toronto defenseman Kali Flanagan added one into an empty net, while Raygan Kirk, in goal, turned aside 17 shots. For the Sirens, scoring contributions came from Ella Shelton and Abby Roque; however, they faced a significant disadvantage in shots, being outshot 35 to 19. Schroeder had a strong performance, making a total of 31 saves.
Takeaways from the game included the return of Megan Carter, who made her PWHL debut for the Sceptres after missing the first 11 games of the season due to a lower-body injury. Carter was serving a penalty for cross-checking when New York managed to equalize the score at 1-1 in the second period.
On the other side, Sarah Fillier made her first PWHL appearance in Toronto. The Georgetown, Ontario native is currently leading the league with 12 points, showcasing her talent as a key player for the Canadian national team.
One of the pivotal moments came when Schroeder executed a fantastic glove-hand stop on Nurse’s close-range one-timer, which preserved the tie with 6:40 left in the final frame.
Notably, Miller’s two goals, her fifth and sixth of the season, placed her at the top of the PWHL’s goal-scoring leaderboard.
Looking ahead, the Sceptres will hit the road to face the Minnesota Frost on Tuesday, while the New York Sirens continue their journey, taking on the Ottawa Charge on Monday.
