Elaine Chuli’s 29 saves propelled the Toronto Sceptres to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Victoire in Professional Women’s Hockey League action at the Bell Centre on Saturday afternoon. Chuli, who previously served as the Victoire’s backup goaltender for two seasons, secured her third win of the season.
Jesse Compher and Daryl Watts found the back of the net for Toronto (4-0-0-2), while Abby Roque scored the lone goal for Montreal (3-1-0-3) as they suffered their second consecutive loss following a four-game winning streak. Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves for Montreal.
Compher opened the scoring for Toronto late in the first period, while Roque tied the game in the second period. Watts then gave Toronto the lead with a goal late in the second period. The victory propelled the Sceptres to second place in the PWHL standings.
Toronto played without key defenders Renata Fast and Allie Munroe due to injuries. Despite this setback, the Sceptres managed to secure a crucial win against Montreal.
Montreal’s power play continued to struggle, failing to convert in four consecutive games. The key moment of the match came when Laura Stacey’s shot hit the post but was cleared off the line by Kali Flanagan, preventing Montreal from equalizing.
This game marked the fifth PWHL contest at the Bell Centre and the second matchup between Montreal and Toronto at the venue, with Toronto emerging victorious in both encounters.
In the upcoming fixtures, Montreal will face the New York Sirens, while the Sceptres will host the Minnesota Frost.
