TORONTO (AP) — Blayre Turnbull and Jess Kondas scored their first goals of the season to lift the Toronto Sceptres to a 4-2 win over the Boston Fleet on Friday night.
Rookie goalie Raygan Kirk stopped 26 shots for her first Professional Women’s Hockey League victory as the Sceptres snapped a four-game losing streak.
Emma Woods restored Toronto’s two-goal cushion off the rush with 5:40 remaining, and Kali Flanagan scored an empty-netter.
Loren Gabel replied late in the second period for the Fleet, who had won two in a row. Hannah Bilka scored with 65 seconds remaining.
Toronto outshot Boston 30-28. Aerin Frankel stopped 26 shots for Boston.
Toronto built a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal from Turnbull in the first period and Kondras in the second.
Kondas made her PWHL debut. The Sceptres defender signed a 10-day contract from Toronto’s reserve player list after Rylind MacKinnon’s one-game suspension for an illegal check to the head.
Gabel snuck a shot over the right pad of Kirk on the power play to give Boston life at 2-1, 3:24 before the second intermission.
Takeaways
Sceptres: Toronto was without star Natalie Spooner for the sixth straight game as she continues to recover from knee surgery last spring.
Fleet: Boston’s two goals were on the power play to give them a league-leading 4 for 10 in five games.
Key moment
With the outcome still in doubt, Kirk made an excellent stop in close on Theresa Schafzahl with 11:58 remaining in the third period to keep Toronto in front 2-1.
Key stat
Toronto defender Renata Fast has an assist in her first six games this season.
Up next
Boston: Visits the Montreal Victoire on Tuesday night.
Toronto: Hosts the Ottawa Charge on Tuesday night.
___
AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
The Associated Press
