{"id":538761,"date":"2026-03-15T21:29:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T21:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/538761\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T21:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T21:29:08","slug":"kirk-backstops-toronto-to-2-0-home-win-against-seattle-pwhl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/538761\/","title":{"rendered":"KIRK BACKSTOPS TORONTO TO 2-0 HOME WIN AGAINST SEATTLE | PWHL"},"content":{"rendered":"

Highlights and Press Conferences available on\u00a0Toronto<\/a>\u202fand\u00a0Seattle<\/a>\u00a0YouTube channels\u202f\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

TORONTO\u00a0(March\u00a015, 2026)\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Raygan Kirk made 32 saves to secure her first career shutout, leading the Toronto\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0to a 2-0 win over the visiting Seattle Torrent in front of 8,270 fans at\u00a0a sold-out\u00a0Coca-Cola Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. The win snapped a five-game losing streak at the venue for the\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0and extended Seattle\u2019s road losing streak to six. Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull got the scoring started early for the\u00a0Sceptres, potting her sixth of the season just four minutes into the opening frame. Torrent goaltender Hannah Murphy was strong\u00a0in the contest, making 24\u00a0saves \u2014 including 12\u00a0in\u00a0the third period \u2014 and preventing Toronto from adding to their lead.\u00a0After a scoreless second frame,\u00a0Seattle pushed for the equalizer, firing 13 shots on net in the third\u00a0period,\u00a0but Kirk stood tall. The game remained 1-0 until the\u00a0final\u00a0seconds,\u00a0when\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0forward Sara Hjalmarsson scored an empty netter with just eight seconds\u00a0remaining\u00a0to ice the game.\u00a0With the regulation win,\u00a0the\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0move into a playoff spot, tied for fourth place in the PWHL standings with Ottawa, who have one game in hand. The team will next hit the ice on Tuesday to take on the first-place Boston Fleet. The Torrent\u00a0remain\u00a0in eighth place and look to bounce back on Thursday at Montr\u00e9al.\u00a0\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n

QUOTES\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Toronto goaltender\u00a0Raygan Kirk\u00a0on her first career shutout: \u201cI woke up this morning and was a little bit mad I\u00a0hadn\u2019t\u00a0won at home yet.\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been feeling that a bit lately, and\u00a0I think we\u00a0owed it to our fans after those past few home games. Taking advantage of being at home is a huge edge, and with this crowd and this energy, being able to sleep in your\u00a0bed..\u00a0that was my mentality coming in, and it worked out.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sceptres\u00a0Head Coach\u00a0Troy Ryan\u00a0on if this game felt closer to a full 60 minutes of good play: \u201cCloser, but still not there\u2026\u00a0maybe 40? There\u2019s part of it that I really liked. I spoke with Gina after the\u00a0game\u00a0and she really liked 50 minutes of that game, or close to it. For me, sometimes coaches can make it worse;\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not always watching for the overall. The focus for me is the\u00a0little details\u00a0that\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0worked on in practice, or with a specific player that I know\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0capable of doing it.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0going to be mistakes\u00a0happening\u00a0and\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0got to be okay with that, but\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0more looking at stacking the\u00a0small things. I still think we can be\u00a0substantially better. I think for teams to have success and to win games you need your goalie to step up and make saves when you have those little lulls, and\u00a0Kirky\u00a0definitely did\u00a0that tonight.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seattle defender\u00a0Megan Carter\u2019s\u00a0reflections\u00a0on returning to Toronto and Coca-Cola Coliseum:\u00a0\u201cToronto is a\u00a0really special\u00a0place for me. I had\u00a0a great time\u00a0here while it lasted, and it was\u00a0really special\u00a0to have some friends and family and see some familiar faces around the rink today.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Torrent\u00a0Head\u00a0Coach\u00a0Steve O\u2019Rourke\u00a0on how the team rallies with\u00a0Hilary\u00a0Knight,\u00a0Hannah\u00a0Bilka and\u00a0Mikyla\u00a0Grant-Mentis out of the lineup: \u201cWe just make sure we stick to the basics: getting pucks to the net and bodies by the net. You just keep trying to generate those opportunities.\u00a0I thought\u00a0[today]\u00a0we carried some really good\u00a0momentum\u00a0and some really good looks\u00a0in\u00a0that second period and late in the third we did some good things.\u00a0Again, it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0matter who is in this lineup. We believe in these players. We have two reserves in there who did\u00a0a great job\u00a0tonight and,\u00a0again, the rest of\u00a0them,\u00a0like Danielle\u00a0[Serdachny], are stepping up and taking on that extra load.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not even a thought for us of who is in and who is\u00a0out\u00a0\u2014\u00a0we just get\u00a0to the job and handle it every night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

NOTABLES\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Toronto wins the four-game regular-season series against Seattle 7-5 in\u00a0points,\u00a0outscoring the\u00a0Torrent\u00a013-11. The Torrent outshot the\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0in three of the four games, including today.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s win was Toronto\u2019s first at Coca-Cola Coliseum since Dec. 4, 2025, snapping a five-game losing streak at the team\u2019s primary home venue.\u00a0The team\u2019s last home victory came on Jan. 17 at Scotiabank Arena, a 2-1 overtime win against Vancouver.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0have points in all five games since the Olympics\u00a0(3-0-2-0), a season high\u00a0stretch\u00a0for the team after losing\u00a0three straight games in regulation before the break.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seven of Toronto\u2019s 16\u00a0first-period\u00a0goals this season have been scored in the first five minutes, surpassing the Frost for most in the first quarter of the opening frame. Seattle has now allowed the most goals (7) among all PWHL teams in the first five minutes of a contest after entering the game tied with Vancouver in the category.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0have scored first in 12 of 21 games, tied for third in the PWHL with Minnesota in the category. With today\u2019s result, they\u00a0improve\u00a0to\u00a05-1-1-3 when notching the game\u2019s first goal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Torrent\u00a0have\u00a0now lost six straight road games\u00a0since beating the\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0in a shootout in Hamilton on Jan. 3\u00a0and have the most road losses among all PWHL teams. With today\u2019s loss, they now have eight total losses by multiple goals, also the most in the league, surpassing Toronto and Vancouver.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Raygan Kirk\u00a0recorded the first shutout of her career in her 26th appearance. The sophomore goaltender has made 30-plus saves in each of her last three starts and has reached the mark seven times this season in 16 appearances.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kirk\u00a0made her sixth straight start for Toronto and has earned points in five consecutive games, including three regulation wins \u2014 two against Seattle. The goaltender has posted a save percentage above .900 in each of those starts, with today\u2019s perfect mark ranking as her best during the stretch. Kirk has faced 31 or more shots in all four games against\u00a0the Torrent\u00a0this season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Blayre Turnbull\u2019s goal was her sixth of the season, setting a new career high in the category, surpassing the five she scored in the 2024-25 season. The tally also marked her first game-winning goal of the season and second of her career while extending her point streak to a season-high three games (2G, 1A), halfway to the career mark she set in the 2024 season when she had a six-game point streak (1G, 5A) from Feb. 23 to Mar. 17, 2024. Turnbull is now one goal away from 15 on her career, a mark reached by 25 players in league history.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Claire Dalton\u00a0recorded her seventh assist of the season, setting a new career high and surpassing the six she posted during the 2024\u201325 campaign with Montr\u00e9al. The\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0forward is now two points shy of matching her point total from each of the PWHL\u2019s first two seasons and is still searching for her first goal as a\u00a0Sceptre\u00a0after entering the campaign with eight goals in 50 career games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Renata Fast\u00a0notched\u00a0an assist,\u00a0extending her point streak to a season-high three games\u00a0(3A). The 2025 PWHL Defender of the Year now has points in four of her last five games\u00a0(1G, 4A)\u00a0since returning from the Olympics, most among PWHL defenders since the break.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hannah Murphy\u00a0stopped 24 of 25 shots in the game, posting a .960 save percentage. The mark ties for her second-best this season and is her highest since Dec. 23, when she set a career-high .970 save percentage against Montr\u00e9al. With just one goal\u00a0against in\u00a0today\u2019s game, it marks the fourth time the rookie goaltender has allowed just one goal, all of which came in her first three PWHL starts from Dec. 3 to Dec. 23, 2025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sara Hjalmarsson\u2019s goal was her third of the season and her second empty-netter against Seattle. All three of her goals have come in her last five games since returning from the Olympics, after she went pointless through her first 16 games with the\u00a0Sceptres.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jesse Compher\u00a0recorded the primary assist on\u00a0Hjalmarsson\u2019s goal to reach double-digit points for the second straight season (6G, 4A). The\u00a0third-year\u00a0forward set a career high with 18 points (9G, 9A) in 2024\u201325 and has four points (2G, 2A) in her last five games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Emma Gentry\u00a0recorded her second career point and first career assist in the game, snapping a 13-game pointless streak\u00a0since scoring her first career goal\u00a0on\u00a0Dec. 7.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alex Carpenter\u00a0played a season high 24:41, leading all players in the category.\u00a0The Torrent alternate captain\u00a0also took a game-high 22 faceoffs, finishing the contest with a 54.2% winning percentage, the 16th\u00a0time in 19 games she has posted a\u00a0mark\u00a0of 50% or better this season.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Danielle\u00a0Serdachny\u00a0led\u00a0all\u00a0players\u00a0with seven shots on goal\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a new career high\u00a0\u2014\u00a0surpassing her\u00a0previous\u00a0best\u00a0of five, set two games ago against Boston on Mar.\u00a011. The\u00a0second-year\u00a0forward also\u00a0tied a\u00a0career high with five hits in the game,\u00a0matching the number from Mar.\u00a04 against her former team, Ottawa.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jada Habisch\u00a0made her PWHL debut on the Torrent\u2019s fourth line\u00a0after being signed to a Standard Player Agreement on Thursday with forward\u00a0Hannah Bilka\u00a0on LTIR. The fourth-round pick from the University of\u00a0Connecticut logged a\u00a0time on ice\u00a0of 5:35.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Daryl Watts\u00a0was scratched from the\u00a0Sceptres\u00a0lineup\u00a0today\u00a0due to illness, missing her third game of the season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mikyla\u00a0Grant-Mentis\u00a0missed her first game of the season for the Torrent and is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

THREE STARS\u00a0\u202f<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Raygan Kirk (TOR) 32\/32 SV\u202f\u00a0\u00a0
2.\u202fBlayre Turnbull (TOR) GWG\u00a0
3.\u202fHannah Murphy (SEA) 24\/25 SV\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

STANDINGS\u202f\u00a0
Toronto:\u202f28\u202fPTS (7-1-5-8) \u2013\u202f4th\u202fPlace\u00a0(Tied)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seattle:\u202f19\u202fPTS (5-1-2-11) \u2013\u202f8th\u202fPlace\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

UPCOMING SCHEDULES\u202f\u00a0
Toronto:\u00a0Tuesday,\u00a0Mar.\u00a017\u00a0at\u00a0Boston\u00a0at\u00a07\u00a0p.m.\u00a0ET\u00a0
Seattle: Thursday, Mar. 19 at Montr\u00e9al at 7 p.m.\u00a0ET \/\u00a04\u00a0p.m.\u00a0PT\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE FOR STATS<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Highlights and Press Conferences available on\u00a0Toronto\u202fand\u00a0Seattle\u00a0YouTube channels\u202f\u202f\u00a0\u00a0 TORONTO\u00a0(March\u00a015, 2026)\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Raygan Kirk made 32 saves to secure her first career…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":538762,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194291],"tags":[49,48,3302],"class_list":["post-538761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-toronto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538761","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=538761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/538762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=538761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=538761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=538761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}