Elaine Chuli showcased a stellar performance with 29 saves, leading the Toronto Sceptres to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Victoire in a Professional Women’s Hockey League matchup at the Bell Centre on Saturday afternoon.
This marked Chuli’s debut start against Montreal, having previously served as the Victoire’s backup goaltender for two seasons. Jesse Compher and Daryl Watts found the back of the net for Toronto (4-0-0-2), with Chuli improving her record to 3-0-0-0 for the season.
Abby Roque scored the lone goal for Montreal (3-1-0-3), which suffered its second consecutive defeat following a four-game winning streak. Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves for the Victoire.
Compher initiated the scoring for Toronto late in the first period by capitalizing on defensive lapse near the net. Roque leveled the score in the second period before Watts regained the lead for Toronto with a decisive goal off a turnover.
With this triumph, the Sceptres secured the second spot in the PWHL standings. Montreal attempted a late push by pulling their goaltender in a bid for an equalizer.
Toronto faced the absence of Renata Fast, the 2025 PWHL Defender of the Year, for the third consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. Allie Munroe, another key defender, also missed the game with a similar injury.
Noteworthy points from the game include Toronto’s resilient victory despite missing key defenders and Montreal’s struggling power play unit, which has failed to score in four consecutive games.
A pivotal moment occurred in the second period when Laura Stacey’s shot hit the post and was saved off the line by Kali Flanagan, preventing Montreal from tying the game.
This clash at the Bell Centre marked the fifth PWHL game at the venue and the second encounter between Montreal and Toronto in the PWHL, with Toronto emerging victorious in both meetings.
In the upcoming fixtures, Montreal will face the New York Sirens, while the Sceptres are set to host the Minnesota Frost.