Victoire Takes Down Canadian Rival Sceptres, 3-1

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LAVAL, QC — The Montréal Victoire made a successful return from an extended break on Sunday afternoon, defeating the rival Toronto Sceptres 3-1 before a crowd of 8,113 at Place Bell. The victory was fueled by a quick start, a vengeful goal, and a stellar performance in net by Ann-Renée Desbiens.

The win gives the Victoire their second straight victory and marks the first of three matchups this month between the Canadian rivals.

Victoire’s Early Control

Despite an 11-day layoff, Montréal started strong, dominating the first period and outshooting Toronto 12-3.

First Goal of the Season: Defender Kati Tabin opened the scoring at the 8:38 mark of the first period with a point shot that found its way through traffic, giving the Victoire their first opening-frame goal of the season.
The Former Sceptre Strikes: In the second period, Hayley Scamurra scored the eventual game-winning goal against her former team. Her centering pass redirected off a Toronto defender and into the net at 8:36, giving the Victoire a 2-0 cushion. Scamurra, who signed with Montréal in the offseason, celebrated her first goal as a Victoire member.

Rookie Goal, Captain’s Response

The Sceptres refused to fold and cut the deficit early in the final frame. Rookie Emma Gentry ripped a shot over Desbiens’ shoulder at 1:36 of the third period for her first career PWHL goal, ending Desbiens’ personal shutout streak at 119 minutes and 45 seconds.

However, the Victoire quickly restored order. After a holding penalty put Montréal on the power play, alternate captain Laura Stacey scored at 5:41, stuffing the puck home off a feed from Marie-Philip Poulin to cap the offense and make the final score 3-1.

Special Teams and Goaltending Test

The third period brought a massive challenge for the Victoire defense. The Sceptres were awarded a lengthy 5-on-3 power play after Montréal took three minor penalties in a short span, but the Victoire penalty kill and Desbiens stood tall, turning away multiple quality scoring chances to preserve the lead.

Goaltending: Ann-Renée Desbiens (Victoire) made 21 saves, including 11 crucial stops in the third period, to earn her second consecutive win. Raygan Kirk (Sceptres) stopped 27 of 30 shots in the loss.
Special Teams: The Victoire finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Sceptres went 0-for-4.

The two teams will meet again on December 17 in Halifax as part of the PWHL Takeover Tour.