TORONTO, ON – Toronto shed any opening sport jitters and skated away with their first win of the 2024-25 Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League (PWHL) season with a 3-1 conquer the Boston Fleet at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Hannah Miller broke a 1-1 tie with lower than two minutes remaining within the sport, placing the puck behind Aerin Frankel who got here up large at many key moments through the contest. The sport featured the PWHL’s two largest rule improvements contributing to each groups’ opening targets as Hilary Knight scored on the ability play that includes the No Escape Rule for the primary time, then Sarah Nurse scored the primary Jailbreak objective of the season to deliver Toronto even.
QUOTES
Toronto Sceptres ahead Daryl Watts on enjoying in her first sport with this group and enjoying on the highest line: “It was tremendous enjoyable. It felt actually good to get the primary sport beneath our belt as a group and get the primary win. I feel it’s large to begin constructing momentum immediately – we’ve one other sport on Tuesday so, this one undoubtedly feels good.”
Toronto Head Coach Troy Ryan on the physicality of the sport stepping up: “I really would favor to see slightly extra, however many of the refined physicality. I assumed immediately there have been some larger hits that had been part of the sport. Within the first interval we had been perhaps watching slightly bit extra as an alternative of getting engaged in a number of the bodily play, however it picked up as the sport went on. I like the place we completed the sport bodily.”
Boston Fleet head coach Courtney Kessel on Aerin Frankel: “We noticed that within the playoff push as nicely, she is the most effective goalie on the earth. Recreation after sport, we’ve seen that and hopefully we generally is a bit higher round her.”
Boston Fleet defender Megan Keller on enjoying with Hannah Bilka: “I’ve had the prospect to play with Hannah [Bilka] on the worldwide stage. She’s enjoyable to observe. She has a lot pace, a lot ability and he or she’s not afraid to be bodily. You don’t see that too usually when your ability gamers are prepared to present hits and take hits. I all the time like watching her play and joyful to be on her group.” 
NOTABLES
Hilary Knight scored on Boston’s first energy play alternative. The Fleet solely scored 4 PPG final season, together with one of their season opener, and had the league’s lowest effectivity at 7.5%.
The primary penalty of the season, assessed to Maggie Connors, put the league’s new revolutionary No Escape rule into impact. Boston capitalized simply 25 seconds into the benefit and, as a result of rule, Toronto was unable to make a line change to start the penalty kill.
The No Escape Rule additionally utilized to Toronto’s game-winning objective by Hannah Miller who scored 26 seconds into the ability play earlier than Boston was capable of make a change.
Sarah Nurse scored the primary shorthanded Jailbreak objective of the season –– and her first within the PWHL –– which freed teammate Izzy Daniel from the field with 1:49 remaining in her penalty. Toronto scored three SHG final season–– two by Emma Maltais and one by Natalie Spooner –– and Boston allowed only one towards.
Daryl Watts (TOR through OTT) picked up her first two factors as a member of the Sceptres, each major assists, after signing with the group within the offseason. It was additionally the primary video games for fellow free agent signees Emma Woods (TOR through NY) and Emma Greco (BOS through MIN).
Toronto’s high line of Daryl Watts (5), Sarah Nurse (5), and Izzy Daniel (1) mixed for 11 photographs on objective.
Boston draft picks Hannah Bilka, Sydney Bard and Shay Maloney all made their official PWHL debuts. Toronto draft picks Julia Gosling, Izzy Daniel, Lauren Bernard, Noemi Neubauerová and camp invite Rylind MacKinnon performed of their first video games.
Hannah Bilka (BOS) and Rylind MacKinnon (TOR) recorded their first profession PWHL factors with secondary assists on their group’s first targets.
Sydney Bard led Boston in time on ice (24:04) in her first professional sport enjoying on the group’s high defensive pairing with Megan Keller.
Aerin Frankel confronted 40+ photographs for the second time in a daily season PWHL sport, making 38 saves. She stopped 16 photographs within the second and 15 within the third, ending with a .950 save share.
Kristen Campbell celebrated her twenty seventh birthday immediately with an 18-save victory.
Toronto turns into simply the second group in PWHL historical past to win a house opener. Final season, PWHL groups had been 1-5 in residence openers, with Minnesota selecting up the one victory.
Not one of the sport’s 4 targets had been scored 5-on-5. The sport featured two energy play targets, one shorthanded tally and a 6-on-5 empty-net objective.
