Renata Fast scores in OT as Sceptres come back to beat Frost 3-2 in Natalie Spooner's return

TORONTO (AP) — Renata Fast scored late in overtime to give the Toronto Sceptres a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Frost on Tuesday night in reigning MVP Natalie Spooner’s return from knee surgery.

Fast beat Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney on a breakaway with 3.7 seconds left in 3-on-3 OT, ending a game in which Spooner had a point in her season debut. Spooner was playing her first game in nine months as the Professional Women’s Hockey League began the second half of its season.

Sophie Jaques and Brooke McQuigge put Minnesota ahead 2-0. Jaques converted a 3-on-1 rush, 83 seconds into the game. McQuigge scored on a breakaway midway through the second period.

The Sceptres tied the game with goals less than two minutes apart. Hannah Miller knocked in her own rebound, as did Daryl Watts.

Spooner, who was injured on May 13 in a first-round playoff series against Minnesota, assisted on Toronto’s first goal.

Takeaways

Sceptres: Toronto played without Sarah Nurse after she suffered a lower-body injury while playing for Canada in a 2-1 shootout loss against the United States in Halifax on Thursday in the Rivalry Series.

Frost: Defender Jaques, who hails from Toronto, enjoyed a strong game, with a goal and an assist.

Key moment

A nifty penalty kill from Toronto — particularly by forward Emma Maltais — early in the third period kept the game tied 2-2.

Key stat

A first-period assist from Minnesota forward Kendall Coyne Schofield increased her total to 15 points in 16 games to pull her even with league leader Sarah Fillier of the New York Sirens and one shy of Coyne Schofield’s point total in 24 games last season.

Up next

The Frost visit the Ottawa Charge on Thursday. The Sceptres host the Boston Fleet on Friday.

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