Watts has three goals to lead Ottawa past Toronto 5-3 in PWHL contest

March 23, 2024 Canuck

Daryl Watts scored three goals to lead Ottawa past Toronto 5-3 in a Professional Women’s Hockey League game Saturday.

The loss snapped Toronto’s 11-game win streak.

Gabbie Hughes and Brianne Jenner also scored for Ottawa (7-0-6-6) while Emerance Maschmeyer made 15 saves.

Natalie Spooner, with two, and Sarah Nurse had the goals for Toronto (10-3-0-6). Kristen Campbell stopped 19 shots.

Ottawa scored three straight goals in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit.

Ottawa tied the game 38 seconds into the third when Hughes fired a loose puck past Campbell. The home team took its first lead at 8:24 with Katerina Mrazova and Brianne Jenner breaking in on a 2-on-1.

Mrazova made a perfect pass to Jenner, who scored to send the 8,448 fans at TD Place into a frenzy. Watts gave Ottawa a two-goal lead at 14:58.

Nurse cut Toronto’s deficit in half at 16:21 after Maschmeyer mishandled a shot. But Watts scored into the empty net for her first PWHL hat trick.

A turnover at Ottawa’s blue line led to Toronto’s first goal at 8:56 of the second. Spooner came in and beat Maschmeyer to the glove side to open the scoring. Less than four minutes later Spooner, the league’s goal and points leader, recorded her second of the game on a great feed from Kali Flanagan on a 2-on-1.

With 4.5 seconds left on the clock Brianne Jenner found Watts alone in the slot. After pausing briefly, Watts hired a wrist a shot over Campbell.

Both teams had power-play chances in the first but couldn’t capitalize. Ottawa’s Becca Gilmore left the game late in the third after taking a hit from Blayre Turnbull.

Ottawa leads the season series 9-3 in points over Toronto. Ottawa is also the only league team to beat first-place Toronto three times this year.

This contest was the last for both teams before the league pauses for an international break until April 18.

NOTES

Ottawa forward Tereza VaniÅ¡ova was fined $250 for a hit from behind in Ottawa’s game against New York earlier this week. Toronto defender Jocelyne Larocque has been suspended for one game for delivering a cross-check to the head.

UP NEXT

Ottawa hosts Minnesota on April 20.

Toronto heads to Boston on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2024.

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