Watts scores OT winner to propel surging Sceptres past Charge
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 Sunday at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
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.
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 the Charge’s 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 Wednesday’s win over Minnesota. With this being the team’s third game in five days, Spooner was given the afternoon off for “load management.”
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.
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.
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.
Sceptres: Visit the New York Sirens on Wednesday.
Charge: Host the Boston Fleet on Thursday.
