In the opening game of the Professional Women’s Hockey League season, the Toronto Sceptres secured a 2-1 victory over the two-time defending champions, the Minnesota Frost. Rookie Kiara Zanon proved pivotal with a third-period go-ahead goal.
Minnesota’s captain, Kendall Coyne Schofield, kickstarted the game by scoring four minutes in, assisted by Kelly Pannek and Britta Curl-Salemme. Ella Shelton later equalized for the Sceptres towards the end of the first period, with assists from Natalie Spooner and Savannah Harmon.
The game remained deadlocked until Zanon’s decisive goal 5:14 into the final period, supported by Spooner and Emma Maltais. Toronto goalie Raygan Kirk made crucial saves in the last 32 seconds against Dominique Petrie and Sidney Morin to secure the win, finishing with 19 saves. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Maddie Rooney made a total of 31 saves.
Minnesota faced the challenge of starting their third season without key defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, who now play for the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The league’s expansion teams, including the Seattle Torrent, are set to compete in the eight-team league.
Looking ahead, the Frost will face the Torrent in their next game, while the Sceptres will host the Boston Fleet on November 29, with live coverage on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Additionally, fans can watch the PWHL streaming schedule on CBC Sports’ website.