Jincy Roese scores late goal to lift Ottawa Charge past Toronto Sceptres 2-1
Ottawa Charge goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer, front right, makes a save against Toronto Sceptres' Sarah Nurse (20) during second-period PWHL hockey game action in Toronto, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Credit: AP/Christopher Katsarov
TORONTO — An unassisted goal from Jincy Roese with 70 seconds remaining lifted the Ottawa Charge to a 2-1 victory against the Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday night.
Roese’s long-range wrist shot was going wide but hit the end of the right pad of Toronto goalie Raygan Kirk to change direction and slide in.
Ottawa goalie Emerance Maschmeyer made 37 saves as Toronto outshot the Charge 38-13.
The 30-year-old netminder was six minutes away from the Professional Women's Hockey League's first shutout this season, but Hannah Miller scored on the power play after Ottawa’s Tereza Vanisova was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding.
The game was played less than 24 hours after the Ontario teams made a four-player trade. Toronto acquired defender Savannah Harmon and forward Hayley Scamurra from Ottawa for Victoria Bach and defender Jocelyne Larocque.
Bach rushed the puck into Toronto’s end on a play that led to the winner.
A loose puck squirted back to Ronja Savolainen, and she rifled in the second period’s only goal from the high slot 7:12 into the second period.
Ottawa Charge goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer, right, makes a save against Toronto Sceptres' Sarah Nurse, left, during second-period PWHL hockey game action in Toronto, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Credit: AP/Christopher Katsarov
Takeaways
Sceptres: International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif presented injured Toronto forward Natalie Spooner with the 2024 IIHF female Player of the Year award during a first-period timeout.
Charge: Even though Ottawa didn’t register its first shot on goal until the 13:10 mark of the opening period, the visitors scored the game’s first goal for the fifth time in seven outings.
Key moment
Danielle Serdachny had a good opportunity to put Ottawa ahead 2-0, but she shot high on her breakaway with 58 seconds remaining in the second period.
Key stat
Maschmeyer, the PWHL’s first star last week, entered the game with a league-leading .929 save percentage.
Toronto Sceptres' Sarah Nurse, bottom, falls while defended by Ottawa Charge's Aneta Tejralova, top, during second-period PWHL hockey game action in Toronto, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Credit: AP/Christopher Katsarov
Up next
Ottawa visits the New York Sirens on Jan. 7.
Toronto hosts the Montreal Victoire on Jan. 8.
