Julia Gosling scored twice to lead the Toronto Sceptres to a 3-2 win in their opening game of the 2025 PWHL playoffs. The home crowd was treated to a close game as the Minnesota Frost pulled the game within one, but the Sceptres hung on to take an early series lead.
Nearing the 12 minute mark of the opening period, Toronto’s Blayre Turnbull took a feed and walked across the net front out-waiting Minnesota netminder Nicole Hensley to slide home Toronto’s first goal of the postseason. In the second, Julia Gosling fired a shot into traffic picking up her own rebound off the block to beat Hensely. Minutes later she scored again, this time on the power play to give Toronto a 3-0 lead.
“It was really exciting [to make an impact],” said Gosling. “It’s my first 5-on-5 goal, but definitely just the way we were playing, the way our lines were changing [that] just put me in a great spot to get that opportunity and just use my shot. It was super fun to get that done at home.”
Before the period was out Minnesota’s Britta Curl-Salemme cleaned up a rebound beating an outstretched Kristen Campbell to get Minnesota on the board. Curl-Salemme however, would not make it out of the period taking a five minute major and earning a game misconduct for a hit to the head of Sceptres defender Renata Fast that saw Curl ignore the puck and lunge into Fast extending her arm through Fast’s helmet.
Early in the third, Minnesota’s Katy Knoll pulled the game within one, but Toronto held on to preserve the 3-2 win with Campbell making 24 saves in the win.
Toronto Happy With The Outcome
The Toronto Sceptres, who were bounced from the playoffs last season by Minnesota, were happy to take an early lead in their best-of-five series.
“We’re just happy. I think we’re happy with the win,” said head coach Troy Ryan. “There was a moment in that game as they were pressing at the end where I thought I could live with whatever the results of the game were. Obviously, you always want the win, but I was so happy and proud of the way our team played as a group. I would put it up with our top couple games; got a complete effort from a lot of players and great goaltending, so overall very happy with everyone.”
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
