In the season opener of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, rookie Kiara Zanon scored the decisive goal in the third period, leading the Toronto Sceptres to a 2-1 victory over the two-time defending champions, the Minnesota Frost. The game started with Minnesota’s captain, Kendall Coyne Schofield, scoring early in the match 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 deadlocked until Zanon netted the winning goal 5:14 into the third period, with Spooner and Emma Maltais providing the assists. Toronto goalie Raygan Kirk made crucial saves against Dominique Petrie and Sidney Morin in the final moments to secure the win, finishing with 19 saves. On the other side, Maddie Rooney made 31 saves for Minnesota.
Minnesota entered the league’s third season missing key defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, who now play for the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The league’s first night concluded with the Goldeneyes hosting the Seattle Torrent at a sold-out Pacific Coliseum.
Next up, the Frost will face the Torrent, while the Sceptres will host the Boston Fleet on November 29, with live coverage on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. CBC Sports’ PWHL streaming schedule is available for viewers.