Sport Photos
PWHL Toronto Sceptres Edge Vancouver Goldeneyes 2-1 in Emotional Olympic Return at Pacific Coliseum
The first game back after the 2026 Winter Olympics carried extra weight at Pacific Coliseum, where fans welcomed their Olympians home before settling in for a crucial PWHL matchup. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalists were honoured at centre ice in a pre-game ceremony that recognized the league’s international stars, including members of Team Canada, who returned with Silver after falling to Team USA in the Gold medal game. It was a proud moment that gave way to a focused, playoff-style contest between the Toronto Sceptres and Vancouver Goldeneyes.
When the puck dropped, Toronto wasted little time setting the tone. The Sceptres scored twice in a 57-second stretch midway through the first period, creating the separation they would rely on the rest of the afternoon. Sara Hjalmarsson opened the scoring at 7:10, continuing her strong form after an impressive Olympic showing with Sweden. Less than a minute later, rookie Lauren Messier found the back of the net for her first career PWHL goal, finishing a clean setup from Claire Dalton. Dalton, who assisted on both goals, recorded her first multi-point performance with Toronto and was a steady presence throughout the game.
Those two quick strikes proved decisive in what quickly became a goaltending showcase.
Toronto netminder Raygan Kirk delivered one of her most composed performances of the season, turning aside 25 of 26 shots and controlling the pace whenever Vancouver tried to build momentum. Her rebound management stood out, particularly during extended stretches of pressure in the third period. The only puck that slipped past her came midway through the final frame, when Vancouver’s Izzy Daniel buried a centering pass from Hannah Miller to cut the deficit to 2-1. Daniel continues to lead the Goldeneyes offensively, and her goal injected life into the building.
From that point forward, the Goldeneyes pressed hard for an equalizer. Vancouver sustained pressure in the offensive zone and pulled goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer for the extra attacker in the final minutes, creating several tense scrambles around the Toronto crease. Kirk remained calm through traffic and sealed the win with a series of controlled saves, finishing with a .962 save percentage and earning first-star honours.
Maschmeyer was strong at the other end despite taking the loss. The Canadian Olympic Silver medalist stopped 22 shots and was sharp after the early first-period flurry, giving Vancouver every chance to claw back into the game. Her workload was lighter than usual, but she delivered when tested.
The victory marks Toronto’s first consecutive wins of the season and continues a curious trend: the Sceptres have been far stronger on the road than at home. With 15 road points, they now sit tied for fifth place in the standings with 23 points overall. Both wins on this West Coast swing have come in tight, disciplined efforts, a notable shift from their January visit to Vancouver that ended in a lopsided defeat.
For the Goldeneyes, the challenge remains generating consistent offence. They have now been held to one goal or fewer nine times this season, the most in the league, and despite outshooting Toronto during stretches of today’s game, they struggled to convert sustained pressure into goals. There were encouraging signs, including a six-shot performance from Sarah Nurse and Daniel’s continued scoring touch, but Vancouver will look for more finish in their upcoming homestand.
Today’s matchup felt like a transition point for both teams. The Olympic spotlight has faded, the medal ceremonies are complete, and the playoff race is tightening. In a game defined by early execution and late composure, Toronto found just enough offence and leaned on elite goaltending to secure two valuable points, leaving Vancouver to regroup as the stretch drive begins.
Upcoming schedule:
Toronto: Tuesday, Mar. 3 vs. Montréal at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Vancouver: Tuesday, Mar. 10 vs. Boston at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET
Check out our favourite photos of the game below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
VANCOUVER GOLDENEYES v TORONTO SCEPTRES – MARCH 1, 2026
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Sport Photos
PWHL Boston Fleet falls short to Ottawa Charge in Game Two of the Walter Cup Playoffs
The PWHL playoffs are in full swing with all four teams battling it out to win the coveted Walter Cup. Boston and Ottawa are in for a tough battle this series as both teams have battled well all season. All of their season matches have ended in either a shootout or overtime, with Ottawa taking the season series over the Fleet. But playoffs are a whole different story.
Game one went to the Fleet, 2-1 in a hard fought battle. Both teams are well balanced and feature the goalie battle of fellow Northeastern goalies Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips. So this series is going to be a fun one for sure.
Game two, took place at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, MA on May 2, and the energy was high to a sellout crowd of rowdy Fleet faithful. Though the Ottawa Charge flipped the script in Game 2, skating into Boston and taking down the Fleet 3-1 to even the series.
Ottawa wasted no time setting the tone. Defenseman Ronja Savolainen opened the scoring in the first period, firing a shot through traffic that beat Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel and quieted the home crowd early. Though fans did not give up on their team.
Energy was high and the battles were rough. Boston was heavily outshooting Ottawa, but they simply couldn’t solve Philips’ brilliant goaltending. Even with a few powerplay opportunities the Fleet were given throughout the game, they could not capitalize on them. The Charge kept their foot on the gas in the second. Just minutes into the period, Fanuza Kadirova capitalized on sustained pressure, snapping home a shot to extend the lead to 2-0 and put Boston on its heels. But Boston wasn’t going down quietly.
Time was winding down in the second period, but it was captain Megan Keller who delivered a spark to the Fleet, jumping into the rush and burying a clutch goal with seconds left to cut the deficit to 2-1 and breathe life back into the building. Fans were going crazy and the energy was unmatched.
Going into the third there was hope for a tying goal with numerous scoring opportunities and zone time for the Fleet, but they simply couldn’t solve Philips, who made miraculous save after save to give Ottawa the edge. Gabbie Hughes converted an empty-netter goal with 1:30 remaining, deciding the game for Ottawa, who would walk away with a 3-1 win over Boston.
Game three is set for May 8th in Ottawa at 7pm est. It is sure to be another tight battle. Game 4 will be on Sunday May 10th in Ottawa at 3pm, and game 5 if needed will be back in Boston on Tuesday May 12th at 7pm.
You can find more info on the Fleet on their socials // Website // Instagram // Facebook // X //
Check out our favourite photos of the game below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
PWHL Boston Fleet v Ottawa Charge
All Photo Credit: Erin Crowley
Sport Photos
NSL Ottawa Rapid FC Put On A Show For Home Opener Against Calgary Wild FC
The Northern Super League returns to the nation’s capital for the 2026 season as the Ottawa Rapid FC kick off their home opener against the Calgary Wild FC.
Celebrating Pride Night, Rapid FC delivered an outstanding performance for their home fans with a 5-2 victory over Wild FC.
With NSL Co-founder Diana Matheson in attendance for the ceremonial coin toss, Rapid FC didn’t waste any time to open the scoring. With only 35 seconds played, Melanie Forbes would score the first goal of the game off a rebounded shot from Delaney Baie Pridham.
However, Wild FC would go on an offensive push for the next 10 minutes and secure two goals back to back to take the lead. The first goal to tie the game would come from a penalty kick from Meggie Dougherty Howard after a foul by Rapid FC captain Olivia Scott. Just one minute later Howard would then assist Taegan Stewart for Wild FC’s second goal of the game to take a 2-1 lead.
The lead wouldn’t last long. In the 25th minute, Ottawa native and celebrating her 23rd birthday, Keera Melenhorst scored a top corner goal assisted by Florence Belzile to tie the game. Belzile would then get a goal for herself soon after to regain the lead 3-2. Thanks to an unforced error between Wild FC goalie Molly Race and her defenders, Melenhorst was able to secure a brace and extend the Rapid FC lead to 4-2 before the half as fans sang her happy birthday from the stands.
To cap off the night, Choo Hyojoo would make an exclamation and score Rapid FC’s 5th goal of the day off a through ball from Melenhorst.
While Wild FC had a good start to the first half, they were unable to get past Rapid FC goalie Melissa Dagenais in the second half who made save after save. The depth from Rapid FC was on full display with their solid defense lead by captain Scott, fast wingers in Forbes, Belzile and Hyojoo, and dominant midfield with Pridham and Melenhorst.
Ottawa Rapid FC move up the standings to 4th and will face Vancouver on May 6th at TD Place, Ottawa.
Calgary Wild FC will return to Calgary and look to get their first win of the season against the Montreal Roses on May 16th.
Check out our favourite photos of the match below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
NSL OTTAWA RAPID FC v CALGARY WILD FC
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport