NEWARK, N.J. — In a thrilling match, Marie Poulin, the league’s top goal scorer, led the Montreal Victoire to a 3-2 victory over the New York Sirens on Saturday. This win secured Montreal as the first seed in the PWHL playoffs. Poulin’s outstanding performance included two goals — one remarkably just 11 seconds into the game.
The Victoire (11-8-7-3) found some added fortune in Ottawa’s earlier victory over Toronto, which ended in a 2-1 overtime result. For the Toronto Sceptres to claim the top playoff seed, they needed to overcome Ottawa while relying on a New York win.
With their first-place finish, Montreal will now make their choice between facing the No. 3 seed Ottawa or the defending champions, No. 4 seed Minnesota, in their first-round playoff matchup. Meanwhile, the second-seeded Toronto will go up against whichever team Montreal does not select.
Right after Poulin executed her immediate and impactful goal, Catherine Dubois furthered Montreal’s lead by scoring at 4:04 in the first period, giving them a comfortable two-goal cushion. Poulin completed Montreal’s tally with her second goal at 11:21 in the second period, bringing her total for the season to 19 goals.
New York sought to close the gap with an effort from Sarah Fillier, who scored at 2:39 in the third period. As the game neared its end, Alex Carpenter scored with just 17 seconds remaining, shrinking Montreal’s lead to a single goal.
In a tense finish, New York pulled their goalie to intensify the attack with an extra player on the ice. Montreal faced immense pressure as New York kept the puck in their offensive zone, but Montreal’s defense held firm. The game concluded with the puck caught up in a crowded skirmish behind the Montreal goal.