Curl-Salemme, Cava lead Minnesota Frost to 6-3 win over Toronto Sceptres in PWHL

Minnesota Frost's Michela Cava (86) shoots on Toronto Sceptres goaltender Kristen Campbell (50) during first period PWHL hockey action on Saturday, December 7, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Britta Curl-Salemme scored twice, including the game-winner, for the Minnesota Frost in a 6-3 win over the host Toronto Sceptres in the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Saturday.

The forward on the United States women’s team drifted a shot from the sideboards that beat Toronto goalie Kristen Cambell on the far side at 6:39 of the third period.

Curl-Salemme also scored the tying goal for the Frost at 18:41 of the second period in front of 7,584 at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Michaela Cava also notched two goals, including an empty-netter, and Claire Butorac and Dominique Petrie also scored for Minnesota (2-0-1).

Daryl Watts, Victoria Bach and Jesse Compher countered for the Sceptres (1-2-0).

Minnesota goalie Maddy Rooney stopped 21 of 24 shots for the win. Her Toronto counterpart Campbell made 30 saves.

Minnesota beat Toronto in a fourth straight game dating back to last season’s playoffs.

The Sceptres led a best-of-five semifinal series 2-0 when the Frost rattled off three wins in a row to eliminate Toronto.

Minnesota outshot Toronto 36-24 on Saturday. Cava’s first of the game gave the visitors a two-goal advantage with just over five minutes remaining before she added the empty-net goal.

Minnesota grabbed a 1-0 lead when a loose puck in squirted to Butorac at the side of Sceptres' goal at 2:50 of the first period.

Compher evened the score at 8:23 when she knocked in a rebound from Rylind MacKinnon’s point shot.

Petrie pounced on a loose puck in front for a second-period power-play goal at 5:35. Sceptres forward Victoria Bach drew the hosts even again at 12:05 when she tipped a Renata Fast by Rooney.

Watts gave Toronto its first lead of the game at 17:41. The left-handed shot made a spectacular deke to her forehand to score after a giveaway by Frost defender Sophie Jacques.

But Toronto’s lead lasted only a minute because Curl-Salemme scored the first of her two goals.

Takeaways

Sceptres: MacKinnon, one of only two Canadian university players in the PWHL (New York Emmy Fecteau from Concordia is the other), has impressed in her first three games. The University of British Columbia defender has two assists for Toronto.

Frost: Defender Maggie Flaherty serving the first of a two-game suspension for a headshot on Boston’s Alina Mueller opened the door for Mae Batherson to make her PWHL debut. The younger sister of Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson grew up in Nova Scotia, but was born in Germany where her father Norm finished his pro career.

Key moment

With the game tied 1-1 and the Sceptres pressing, Rooney stopped Watts and Bach’s rebound attempt off a two-on-one break with 7:07 remaining in the first period.

Key stat

Toronto has scored two or more goals at home in 12 straight games dating back to last season.

Up next

Toronto visits the New York Sirens on Wednesday. The Frost host the Ottawa Charge on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2024.