Sceptres Mount Comeback, Take Down Frost 3-2 in OT

The Minnesota Frost and the Toronto Sceptres faced off for the third time this season on Tuesday evening, Feb. 11. It was the second time the Sceptres played host, and they had a significant boost in their lineup as Natalie Spooner returned to the lineup; she had been out since last postseason with a knee injury. The Frost also had some returns from injury in Grace Zumwinkle and Dominique Petrie. 

Related: Montreal Victoire Defeat New York Sirens 2-1

Despite the returns, neither team was completely healthy, as the Sceptres missed Sarah Nurse, and the Frost were without Natalie Buchbinder. The goaltending matchup was between Maddie Rooney for the Frost and Raygan Kirk for the Sceptres. The game started in the Frost’s control but then switched to the Sceptres in the second, and it went back and forth in the third but needed overtime to determine the win. The Sceptres mounted a comeback and pulled out the 3-2 victory.

Game Recap 

The Frost got things going with a goal by Sophie Jaques in the first two minutes of play. Michela Cava and Kendall Coyne-Schofield assisted her to put their team up 1-0. Despite some chances, that was the first period’s only goal, and the Frost took the lead into the second. 

They added to their lead with a goal by Brooke McQuigge, who took a strong shot from the top of the circles to give her team a two-goal lead. Jaques assisted her. It looked like the Frost had control but the Sceptres stormed back with a goal by Hannah Miller, who Spooner and Daryl Watts assisted to get back within one goal. They built off that momentum with another goal under two minutes later, and Watts scored it on the power play. Julia Gosling and Miller assisted her to tie the game up and carry that tie into the third period. 

There were a lot of close calls but no scoring in the third, so overtime was needed to decide a winner. With just 3.2 seconds left in the overtime, the Sceptres’ Renata Fast got a breakaway, and that was all she needed get past Rooney to win the game for her team. 

The Frost will remain on the road and in Canada as they face the Ottawa Charge on Thursday evening, Feb. 13. The Sceptres will stay at home to host the Boston Fleet on Friday, Feb. 14.