Montreal Victoire edge Toronto Sceptres 4-2 in first PWHL game in Vancouver

Marie-Philip Poulin delivered an impressive performance, scoring twice as the Montreal Victoire defeated the Toronto Sceptres 4-2 on Wednesday in the first Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) game held in Vancouver.

Mikyla Grant-Mentis contributed a goal and an assist for the Victoire (4-1-2-1), while Claire Dalton also found the back of the net. For the Sceptres (2-5-0-1), Jesse Compher scored a goal and registered an assist, Darryl Watts added a goal, and Renata Fast provided two assists.

Montreal’s goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens turned away 29 of 31 shots, while Kristen Campbell made 21 saves for Toronto.

Highlights of the Game

The sold-out match was part of the PWHL's "Takeover Tour," a nine-city initiative aimed at expanding the league’s audience and exploring potential markets for growth. Other upcoming stops include Quebec City, Edmonton, Denver, and more across North America.

Key moments:

• Poulin’s second goal, a dazzling play 7:48 into the second period, gave Montreal a 3-0 lead. After a rebound from Erin Ambrose’s shot, Poulin, on her knees, snapped the puck into the top right corner of the net.
• Despite Toronto’s comeback efforts, including Watts' power-play goal and a strong third period where they outshot Montreal 13-11, they couldn't overcome the deficit. Poulin sealed the game with an empty-net goal with 51 seconds left.

Crowd record:
An impressive crowd of 19,038 attended the game, surpassing the Vancouver Canucks' season-high attendance of 18,940.

Areas for Improvement

Montreal Victoire: The power play remains a weak spot, with the team going 0-for-2 on the night. Their power-play efficiency is the league's lowest at 10.71%.

What’s Next

• Toronto Sceptres: They will face the New York Sirens on Sunday.
• Montreal Victoire: They are set to play the Minnesota Frost in Denver on Sunday.