Toronto Takes Down Ottawa to Earn First Home Win of the Season
PWHL Toronto Sceptres

Toronto Takes Down Ottawa to Earn First Home Win of the Season

Published on December 4, 2025 under Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)
Toronto Sceptres News Release


TORONTO - Daryl Watts recorded a goal and an assist and Natalie Spooner scored the game-winner to help lead the Toronto Sceptres to a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Charge in front of 7,715 fans at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Thursday night. The Sceptres outshot Ottawa 37-17 - including an 18-4 advantage in the first period - to secure their first home win of the 2025-26 season. Ottawa struck first just 1:45 into the contest on the team's opening shot, as Fanuza Kadirova notched her first PWHL goal. Toronto responded in the second period with a power play goal from Watts, her first tally of the season, to tie the game. Spooner followed with her first goal of the campaign - a redirected shot at the top of the crease off a feed from Watts - just over 10 minutes later to give the Sceptres a 2-1 lead. Captain Blayre Turnbull added an empty-net goal with 40 seconds remaining in the game to seal the win for Toronto. Elaine Chuli made 16 saves in her first start of the season for Toronto, while Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips turned aside 34 shots.

QUOTES

Toronto forward Natalie Spooner on improving scoring chances: "We worked on it in practice, getting in those lanes and getting better chances. Still looking at it, I think we could have had another deke, an extra fake and would have had more goals. We had a lot of shots but I think those are things that kind of come as the season goes along too. You figure out your timing and see that you have a second to get a fake on the goalie or not. We could have more grade A chances still - that would be nice - and finding more chances to get on the inside for sure, create more type A chances."

Sceptres Head Coach Troy Ryan on moving Claire Dalton up the lineup: "I think she's really smart. We had her on the fourth line, we moved her up into the third line. We thought our second line could use a little bit of what Claire brings to the game. She's just so smart positionally, she makes smart little plays with the puck, willing to block shots, willing to play with structure - just a good player, a good well-rounded player. I think you saw as soon as she went up with that line the offensive chances they had and really not giving up anything defensively."

Charge Head Coach Carla MacLeod on being back behind the bench after her first breast cancer treatment: "It was a quick trip home, but I enjoy the game more on the bench than on my parents' couch. I missed the group, but it was an important part of my journey to be able to go home. I'm glad to be back. It's a great team and it's so early in the season. It's fun just to be building together."

Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips on her save of the year candidate: "I saved it and did not know where the puck was. I lay there and thought I had done enough. I looked in awe looking for it, but I saved it again. It was just luck, honestly! It's fun to do those, but when you make a save like that, it usually means you have done something wrong to start."

NOTABLES

Toronto's 20-shot advantage was the largest of any game this season. Over the past two games, the team has outshot its opponents 62-29.

Elaine Chuli earned a win in her first start as a member of the Sceptres, giving her three consecutive campaigns with a regulation victory in opening starts. The goaltender spent the previous two seasons in Montréal.

Gwyneth Philips has faced a league-high 128 shots in Ottawa's first four games, all of which she's started. The 2025 Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP has posted a .922 save percentage to start the 2025-26 campaign.

Daryl Watts recorded her first two points in her second game of the season, returning to action after missing Toronto's previous contest with an upper-body injury. The forward finished third in PWHL scoring in 2024-25 with 27 points (12G, 15A) in 30 games and now ranks second all-time in career points with 46 (23G, 23A) in 56 games.

Watts' tally was the Sceptres' first power play goal of the season, coming on their tenth opportunity. Toronto, which led the league last year with a 25.8% power play success rate, is now 1-for-12 through its first three games of the 2025-26 campaign.

Natalie Spooner's goal was the 24th of her career, which ranks second on the PWHL's all-time list. She also moves into a tie with Susanna Tapani (BOS) for second in game-winning goals with seven, just one behind the all-time leader, Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL), all in 41 career games - 18 fewer than Tapani and 12 fewer than Poulin.

Fanuza Kadirova (1G) and Anna Shokhina (1A) became the first players from Russia to record points in the PWHL. Shokhina was selected by Ottawa in the second round of the 2025 PWHL Draft, while Kadirova was chosen in the sixth round.

Sam Isbell picked up a primary assist to earn her first career PWHL point in her 16th game between Ottawa and Boston. The Charge defender also logged a career-high 14:09 time on ice.

Blayre Turnbull scored in back-to-back games for the second time in her career (Jan. 14 and Jan. 22, 2025). The Toronto captain's goal also marked the first empty-net tally of her PWHL career and came on her fifth shot of the game, which tied Spooner for the team lead.

Emma Maltais recorded her second assist, tying her for the early season team lead. During the 2024-25 campaign, it took the Sceptres forward eight games to reach two points and 14 games to reach two assists.

Allie Munroe notched her first assist of the season for the Sceptres, matching her total from 2024-25 in 30 games played. The helper was also the defender's first career power play point.

Anna Kjellbin recorded her first point of the season, assisting on Watts' power play goal. All four of the defender's career points have been assists, with tonight's being her first on the advantage.

Claire Dalton hit the scoresheet for the first time this season with an assist - her first point with her hometown team. The Toronto native signed with the Sceptres in the offseason after spending the previous two seasons with Montréal.

Brooke Hobson had two hits on the Charge blue line to take the PWHL lead with 10 in four games. The Saskatchewan native is in her first season with Ottawa after playing her first two seasons with New York. Rookie Rory Guilday had a team high and career-high five hits in this game.

The game was Ottawa's first on the road this season and the start of a five-game road trip that will continue after the International Break. The team started 1-0-0-2 at home to start the campaign.

THREE STARS

1. Daryl Watts (TOR) 1G, 1A

2. Natalie Spooner (TOR)1G

3. Gwyneth Philips (OTT) 34/36 SV

UPCOMING SCHEDULES

Toronto: Sunday, Dec. 7 at Montréal at 12 p.m. ET

Ottawa: Tuesday, Dec. 16 at Vancouver at 10 p.m. ET

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Professional Women's Hockey League Stories from December 4, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central