Published Mar 01, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Under less than ideal conditions, the Toronto Sceptres did exactly what they needed to do.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Down their top scorer in Daryl Watts who was sidelined by illness, and with most of the rest of its core running on fumes after a return from the Olympics in Italy turned immediately into a trip to the west coast, the Sceptres put all that behind them and got six of a possible six points in games in Seattle and Vancouver.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The 2-1 win over the Goldeneyes on Sunday was pure grit as the Sceptres got an early 2-0 lead and then held on with the hosts getting stronger as the game went on.<\/p>\n Full marks to goaltender Raygan Kirk who turned aside 25 of 26 shots for her second win in a row.<\/p>\n To a player, the Sceptres were aware of the predicament a less-than-stellar first half to the season put them in and they have responded.<\/p>\n Both goals Sunday came from unlikely sources with Sara Hjalmarsson ripping home a puck off a nice feed from Claire Dalton.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n It was Hjalmarsson\u2019s second goal of the season and second in as many games, although this one was a little more special given it wasn\u2019t an empty-netter.<\/p>\n Dalton created Toronto\u2019s second goal as well finding Lauren Messier, who has spent the bulk of the season on Toronto\u2019s reserve list before being activated for this road trip with Emma Gentry nursing an injury.<\/p>\n Messier went low and short-side beating Emerance Maschmeyer for her first PWHL goal. Dalton didn\u2019t just set the goal up, she retrieved the puck as a keepsake for her young Burlington teammate.<\/p>\n Following are our takeaways from the afternoon win in Vancouver:<\/p>\n PLAYING WITH DESPERATION<\/p>\n As good as Kirk was in the Toronto net, the defence in front of her (both defenders and forwards) deserve some credit too.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Sceptres blocked 13 shots, none bigger than the one by Kiara Zanon in the last couple of minutes with the Goldeneyes buzzing around the Toronto zone. Zanon, a rookie snapped her stick on the play and immediately headed for the bench as the play went the other way, allowing Toronto to get some fresh legs out to fight off Vancouver\u2019s final push.<\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t just Zanon sacrificing. Emma Woods, Dalton and Maggie Connors probably took as many hits as they have all season to keep the Goldeneyes from getting the puck.<\/p>\n It was a team effort from front to back and the Sceptres needed all of it to get out of B.C. with three points.<\/p>\n HAS KIRK WON THE NET?<\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret that Troy Ryan has been waiting for one of his two goaltenders to become the starter. Both Kirk and Elaine Chuli have had moments when they have excelled but until these past two games that Kirk put together, neither have had what one would consider defining games in consecutive starts.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Putting a wrinkle in this theory is the fact that Toronto\u2019s next game, Tuesday against Montreal, is probably the team that Chuli has played her best hockey against. It wouldn\u2019t be a surprise to see Chuli get this game after ON THE SAME PAGE<\/p>\n Throughout that disappointing first half, there were a handful of occasions when Ryan and sometimes the Sceptres players themselves would talk after a loss and speak about not having the full buy-in from everyone in the room.<\/p>\n Through these two games on the west coast, this team appears to have full buy-in again. Pucks are being dumped in and retrieved in the offensive end for scoring opportunities. In their own end, the Sceptres are playing a structured five-person defence that is keeping opponents on the periphery forcing them to score from distance. It all feels less reactive and more sustainable.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Of course the results they got out west would tend to push the narrative in that direction, but there just feels like there is more of an overall sense of calm.<\/p>\n Montreal will certainly test this on Tuesday, but if this is actually the case and the Sceptres have found a rhythm, it could just lead to the extended run of wins that they require to get all the way back into playoff contention.<\/p>\n QUICK HITS<\/p>\n Nice to see Kali Flanagan using the offensive side of her game as much as she is right now. Flanagan is a dynamic puck-carrier who can enter the offensive zone with speed to set up her teammates. She seemed to be doing more of that in these past two games \u2026 Seeing Julia Gosling thriving in Seattle and Izzy Daniel leading the Goldeneyes in scoring just underscores what the Sceptres lost in last year\u2019s expansion draft. Throw in Megan Carter who has helped solidify its Seattle back end and you see just how good that 2024 draft was for Toronto. All three were picks in that draft and all three are now playing leading roles for teams that are realizing the benefits of the development they had over that first year in Toronto \u2026 With the three points, Toronto is now just one back of New York for the fourth and final playoff spot. Between Toronto and New York is Ottawa, also at 23 point, but like New York, has a game in hand on Toronto.<\/p>\n mganter@postmedia.com<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links SportsHockeyPWHL Get the latest from Mike Ganter straight to your inbox Sign Up Published Mar…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":508683,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194298],"tags":[49,48,55],"class_list":["post-508682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-vancouver","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-vancouver"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508682\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/508683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"sceptres](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CP175903720-e1772416610334.jpg\")
Toronto Sceptres’ goaltender Raygan Kirk stops Goldeneyes’ Sarah Nurse in close as Renata Fast (14) and Ella Shelton (17) watch during the third period in Vancouver, on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Photo by Ethan Cairns \/THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.6.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Kirk played both out west. But if Ryan does want to establish a No. 1 in the pecking order he can do so by going back to Kirk.<\/p>\n