In the season opener of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, the Toronto Sceptres secured a 2-1 victory over the two-time defending champions, the Minnesota Frost, with rookie Kiara Zanon netting the decisive goal in the third period.
Minnesota’s captain, Kendall Coyne Schofield, kickstarted the match in St. Paul by scoring just four minutes in with assists from Kelly Pannek and Britta Curl-Salemme. Ella Shelton equalized for the Sceptres late in the first period, assisted by Natalie Spooner and Savannah Harmon.
The game remained deadlocked until Zanon’s goal 5:14 into the final period, with assists from Spooner and Emma Maltais. Toronto goalie Raygan Kirk made crucial saves in the last 32 seconds, denying shots from Dominique Petrie and Sidney Morin to secure the win with a total of 19 saves.
On the opposing side, Minnesota’s Maddie Rooney put up a strong performance with 31 saves throughout the game. Notably, the Frost began the league’s third season without key defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, who now play for the Vancouver Goldeneyes.
In the upcoming games, the Frost will face the Seattle Torrent, while the Sceptres will host the Boston Fleet on November 29, with live coverage on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. The league’s expansion teams, Vancouver and Seattle, will also compete, concluding the opening night of the season at a sold-out Pacific Coliseum.
For more insights into the expansion teams and the PWHL’s third season, viewers can watch exclusive coverage on CBC Sports.