In Toronto, Lee Stecklein delivered a stellar performance, scoring twice and securing an assist, leading the Minnesota Frost to a 5-3 victory against the Toronto Sceptres on Friday night in the second game of their playoff series. Sophie Jacques, a Toronto native, broke a 3-3 deadlock by netting a goal against Sceptres goalie Kristin Campbell with just over six minutes left in the match. Mellissa Channell-Watkins further extended the lead with a power-play goal in the closing moments.
The Frost staged an impressive comeback following a 3-2 loss in Game 1 earlier in the week. The third game of the five-game series is set to take place in Minnesota on Sunday night. The team’s defending champions were bolstered by Michela Cava who also found the back of the net, while goalie Maddie Rooney contributed significantly by saving 27 shots.
For the Sceptres, goals came courtesy of Hayley Scamurra, Savanah Harmon, and Allie Munroe. Goalie Kristin Campbell managed to stop 20 attempts from the Frost. Toronto initially took the lead when Scamurra’s shot from the boards deflected off Channell-Watkins during the opening period.
However, Minnesota responded strongly in the second period, netting three goals, with one by Stecklein during a power play. The Sceptres managed to tie the game thanks to Harmon and Munroe, who both scored late in the second period.
The PWHL enforced a one-game suspension on Minnesota’s Britta Curl-Salemme for a hit on Sceptres defender Renata Fast. On the other side, Toronto’s coach, Troy Ryan, made a strategic change by adding rookie defender Rylind MacKinnon in place of forward Laura Kluge.
A highlight of the night was the presence of tennis legend Billie Jean King, part of the 7,659-strong crowd at Coca-Cola Coliseum. King, who played a crucial role in launching the PWHL, received a heartfelt standing ovation during a timeout in the second period.
As the series stands tied, the action continues with Game 3 in Minnesota, where both teams will be eager to gain the upper hand in this fiercely contested series.