TORONTO — Laura Stacey authored the ending of an emotional Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League sport for each the Montreal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres on Saturday.
TORONTO — Laura Stacey authored the ending of an emotional Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League sport for each the Montreal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres on Saturday.
Stacey’s breakaway aim 15 seconds into time beyond regulation gave the Victoire a 4-3 win over the Sceptres on a day when the 2 groups got here collectively to honour former Toronto goaltender Erica Howe.
Howe, 32, introduced her retirement after final season after which went public together with her battle with breast most cancers.
Stacey has recognized Howe because the two ladies had been faculty foes. Howe stopped pucks for Clarkson College, whereas Stacey starred at Dartmouth.
The 2 turned teammates within the defunct Canadian Ladies’s Hockey League with the Markham and Brampton Thunder, and skilled collectively within the low season.
Stacey noticed Howe on Saturday for the primary time because the latter’s prognosis.
“I’ve talked to her a ton of instances, however to see her in that weak state, it is fairly powerful to see, so it is emotional,” Stacey stated.
“Being that younger and preventing one thing like that’s one thing you by no means need to see. However she has a tremendous help group behind her.”
Howe obtained a standing ovation from the introduced 8,251 at Coca-Cola Coliseum when she was proven on the scoreboard waving to the group within the first interval.
After the sport, the retired Mississauga firefighter joined the 2 groups on the ice, took a microphone and thanked the group for his or her help.
“I do know that Toronto and their complete crew, and actually, the entire group and the fan base is behind her and so are each single one in all us who’re a bit additional away,” Stacey stated.
“I do know she’s received this.”
Sceptres veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque stated it was laborious to concentrate on the sport after the constructing’s response to Howe within the first interval.
“It introduced chills. It was all I used to be enthusiastic about,” Larocque stated. “It was nice seeing her and Erica is somebody who’s an incredible teammate and an incredible individual.
“The energy she is displaying is inspiring. We care a lot about her.”
The Victoire (1-2-0-1) wore Howe shirts as they exited their crew bus and entered the world for the sport.
“It was a no brainer for everyone on our crew to leap on board, put on it in and help her,” Stacey stated. “There’s larger issues than hockey.”
Toronto (1-0-1-3) led 2-0 and 3-2 at interval breaks, however dropped its fourth in a row to waste a 35-save efficiency by Raygan Kirk in her first profession PWHL begin.
Lina Ljungblom scored in a goal-mouth scramble at 12:51 of the third interval for Montreal.
Abby Boreen had a aim and an help and Maureen Murphy additionally scored for the Victoire. Goaltender Elaine Chuli made 19 saves for the win.
Jesse Compher and Sarah Nurse scored 42 seconds aside within the first interval and Izzy Daniel additionally scored for Toronto.
Kirk, 23, received her first PWHL sport motion Wednesday within the third interval of Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the New York Sirens.
Toronto’s seventh-round decide, who gained a pair of NCAA titles with Ohio State, stopped all 9 photographs she confronted in that sport.
Montreal outshot Toronto 39-22, together with a 14-5 margin late within the first interval.
The Sceptres defeated Montreal in all 5 conferences final 12 months, profitable the primary sport in a shootout and the ultimate outing in time beyond regulation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Dec. 21, 2024.
Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press
