Laura Stacey authored the ending of an emotional Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League recreation for each the Montreal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres on Saturday.
Stacey’s breakaway objective 15 seconds into extra time 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 identified Howe for the reason that two ladies had been faculty foes. Howe stopped pucks for Clarkson College, whereas Stacey starred at Dartmouth.
The 2 grew to become teammates within the defunct Canadian Ladies’s Hockey League with the Markham and Brampton Thunder, and skilled collectively within the low season.
WATCH | Stacey sinks Toronto:
Victoire’s Laura Stacey scores in extra time to offer Montreal a 4-3 win extending the Toronto Sceptres’ shedding skid to 4 video games.
Stacey noticed Howe on Saturday for the primary time for the reason that latter’s analysis.
“I’ve talked to her a ton of instances, however to see her in that susceptible state, it is fairly powerful to see, so it is emotional,” Stacey stated.
“Being that younger and combating one thing like that’s one thing you by no means need to see. However she has an incredible assist group behind her.”
Howe acquired 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 assist.
“I do know that Toronto and their complete staff, and actually, the entire group and the fan base is behind her and so are each single one in all us who’re slightly additional away,” Stacey stated.
“I do know she’s received this.”
WATCH | Toronto goalie Erica Howe thanks followers for assist:
Victoire, Sceptres collect after Saturday’s recreation to observe Ottawa native tackle Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum crowd.
Sceptres veteran defender Jocelyne Larocque stated it was laborious to deal with the sport after the constructing’s response to Howe within the first interval.
“It introduced chills. It was all I used to be excited about,” Larocque stated. “It was nice seeing her and Erica is somebody who’s an amazing teammate and an amazing individual.
“The power she is displaying is inspiring. We care a lot about her.”
The Victoire (1-2-0-1) wore Howe shirts as they exited their staff bus and entered the world for the sport.
“It was a no brainer for everyone on our staff to leap on board, put on it in and assist 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 objective 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 recreation motion Wednesday within the third interval of Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the New York Sirens.
Toronto’s seventh-round choose, who received a pair of NCAA titles with Ohio State, stopped all 9 pictures she confronted in that recreation.
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, successful the primary recreation in a shootout and the ultimate outing in extra time.
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