Natalie Spooner’s shootout winner lifts Sceptres to 2-1 victory over Sirens

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TORONTO (AP) — Natalie Spooner scored the shootout winner to help the Toronto Sceptres snap a two-game skid with a 2-1 victory over the New York Sirens on Tuesday night.

Daryl Watts scored in regulation for Toronto, which now sits three points ahead of the Boston Fleet for second place in the PWHL with one regular-season game remaining.

Carly Jackson made 25 saves in her first start in the PWHL in two seasons as the Sceptres’ backup.

Toronto entered Tuesday’s game having already clinched a playoff berth thanks to the Sirens’ 2-0 win over the Minnesota Frost on Sunday.

Ella Shelton scored in regulation for New York, which had its three-game winning streak halted. Kayle Osborne stopped 34 shots.

The Sirens were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday due to the Ottawa Charge’s 3-2 win over Montreal. With that, New York also locked up the first overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Sceptres: Sarah Nurse and Watts both missed prime scoring chances in overtime, which was a sore spot for Toronto. The Sceptres missed several scoring opportunities, including on the power play, late in regulation and were unable to avoid extra time.

Sirens: New York showed it can play with second-place Toronto, with Osborne playing a big factor in the Sirens’ defensive effort. New York’s penalty kill was also a strong point on the night.

Spooner beat Osborne for a second time in the shootout to seal Toronto’s win after also scoring on her first attempt.

The Sirens just missed on a chance to better a record they set on Sunday. New York became the first team in PWHL history to record consecutive shutout victories in the regular season, backstopped by Corinne Schroeder in both games.

The Sceptres host the Ottawa Charge on Saturday in the regular-season finale, while the Sirens close the year hosting the league-leading Montreal Victoire.

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AP Women’s Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey