Spooner's 2 goals help PWHL Toronto secure first place in win over ...

Abdulhamid Ibrahim · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 01, 2024 10:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Natalie Spooner scored twice in leading Toronto to clinching first place in the Professional Women's Hockey League with a 4-1 win over Minnesota on Wednesday.

Toronto (12-4-0-7) moved ahead of Montreal (10-3-5-5) in the standings with 44 points, while holding the tiebreaker in case of a tie by regular season's end. Both teams have one game remaining before the post-season begins next week.

Earning first place means Toronto is able to choose between the third- or fourth-place team as their first playoff opponent.

Spooner's two goals extended her lead atop the league for points (25) and goals (18). Maltais also dished out two assists to take top spot in the PWHL with 15 on the season.

Michela Cava scored for Minnesota (8-4-3-8), which entered the game needing just one point to clinch a playoff spot and third place in the standings. Maddie Rooney stopped 19 shots.

WATCH | Nurse's hat trick vs. New York elevates Toronto back to top seed:

Toronto defeats Minnesota 4-1 and clinches first place in the PWHL standings. Natalie Spooner scores twice including an amazing goal while on a breakaway for her PWHL-leading 18th goal of the season.

It was the last of four regular-season matchups between the two sides, with Toronto taking the season series 2-1-0-1.

Cava opened the scoring 4:14 into the first period. Taylor Heise found Maggie Flaherty from behind the net, and Cava tipped in Flaherty's point shot past Campbell.

Miller tied it on the power play at 10:16. Maltais, from the right faceoff circle, sent the puck to Sarah Nurse, who was near the back of the net and whizzed a pass into the slot for Miller who finished off the tick-tack-toe play.

Toronto picked things up in the second period.

Spooner put Toronto ahead 11:10 into the second period on the power play. Renata Fast sent in a point shot that Spooner got her stick on.

Spooner added to her goal total and Toronto's lead 7:24 into the third period. She blocked Lee Stecklein's point shot and immediately went on a breakaway, where she got Rooney to bite on a deke well enough to almost the leave the entire net open and scored.

Maltais scored into an empty net with 2:05 remaining while almost falling with two defenders on her heels.

WATCH | Nurse's hat trick vs. New York elevates Toronto back to top seed:

Sarah Nurse scored her first-career PWHL hat trick as Toronto thumped New York 6-2.