In the season opener of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, rookie Kiara Zanon’s go-ahead goal in the third period led the Toronto Sceptres to a 2-1 victory over the two-time defending champions, the Minnesota Frost. The match, held in St. Paul, Minn., saw Minnesota’s captain, Kendall Coyne Schofield, scoring early 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 tied until Zanon netted a goal 5:14 into the third period, with assists from Spooner and Emma Maltais. Toronto goalie Raygan Kirk made crucial saves in the final 32 seconds against Dominique Petrie and Sidney Morin to secure the win, finishing with 19 saves. On the other end, Maddie Rooney made 31 saves for Minnesota.
Notably, Minnesota started the third season without key defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, who now play for the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The Vancouver team will face the Seattle Torrent in the league’s eighth-team debut at the sold-out Pacific Coliseum.
In upcoming games, the Frost will face the Torrent, while the Sceptres will host the Boston Fleet on Nov. 29, with live coverage on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Viewers can check the CBC Sports’ PWHL streaming schedule for more details.