g | Ottawa Citizen

Article content

EDMONTON — Daryl Watts scored 51 seconds into overtime, propelling the Toronto Sceptres to a 3-2 Professional Women’s Hockey League victory over the Ottawa Charge on Sunday at Rogers Place.

It was Watts’ second goal of the game — part of the PWHL’s Takeover Tour — following a second-period power-play marker. Julia Gosling also scored for Toronto (6-2-4-6) with the man advantage.

Article content

Watts led the Charge in goal scoring last season before signing with Toronto, her hometown team, in the off-season.

Gosling’s marker found its way through the pads of Charge goalie Emerance Maschmeyer with 23.4 seconds left in the second period.

A power-play marker from Gabbie Hughes on the first shot of the game had staked Ottawa (6-0-3-8) to an early lead. Hughes took a crisp pass from Jincy Roese, then rotated from her backhand to her forehand before sweeping the puck past Toronto netminder Raygan Kirk.

Ottawa tied the game at 4:10 of the third, as the Charge’s Tereza Vanisova walked into a shot from the slot. It was the Czech’s team-leading eighth goal of the season.

The Edmonton game was the fifth of nine PWHL “Takeover Tour” neutral-site games that are on the league’s schedule for 2024-25. The full house of 17,518 was treated to a goaltending duel between Maschmeyer, who stopped 31 of 34 shots, and Kirk, who made 33 saves.

Toronto scratched reigning league MVP Natalie Spooner, who made her return from injury in a win over Minnesota on Wednesday. With this being the team’s third game in five days, Spooner was given the afternoon off for “load management.”

Article content

TAKEAWAYS

Sceptres: Kirk gave up a goal on Ottawa’s first shot of the game; she then held the Sceptres in the game through a first period where the rink was tilted in the Charge’s favour. The Sceptres came out of the period down only 1-0, despite being outshot by a whopping 17-2 margin.

Charge: After totally dominating the first period, the Charge came out flat in the second and were outshot 19-5. It was as if the two teams had switched jerseys during the intermission.

KEY MOMENT

During the three-on-three overtime, Watts streaked down the wing, then behind the Charge net, then stuffed in the wraparound goal to seal the win for Toronto.

KEY STAT

Toronto is now on a four-game win streak. After Ottawa’s 8-3 win over Minnesota on Thursday, it’s the second point-earning game in a row for the Charge.

— With files from Postmedia

Share this article in your social network