Boston, MA
PWHL Boston pours it on late but falls at Toronto, 3-1
PWHL
Boston took 12 of their 23 shots on net in the final 20 minutes of Wednesday night’s loss at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Jess Healey scored her first goal in a Boston uniform, and the visitors poured it on in the third, putting 12 of their 23 shots on net in the final 20 minutes, but host Toronto held on for a 3-1 victory in PWHL action Wednesday night in front of a sellout crowd of 2,479 at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
PWHL leading scorer Natalie Spooner netted her 12th of the season with 2:23 left in the first period, and assisted on Toronto’s first goal by Allie Munroe just 3:25 into the contest.
Maggie Connors’ third tally of the season gave Toronto (7-3-0-5) a 3-0 edge at 16:34 of the second period. She sent in a wrist shot from just inside the point that beat Boston goalie Aerin Frankel glove side for her third of the campaign.
Boston coach Courtney Kessel chose to pull Frankel (15 saves on 18 shots) at the end of two periods, putting in Emma Söderberg for the third. She responded by stopping all 11 shots she faced.
Boston poured on the pressure, and it finally paid off with 5:35 to play when Amanda Pelkey forced a turnover. Healey took a drop pass Taylor Girard and roofed a long shot off the crossbar and in behind Toronto goalie Kristen Campbell (22 saves).
With its second straight loss, Boston fell to 4-2-2-6 on the season, good for fourth place in the six-team league. It next hosts New York on Sunday (3 p.m.) at Tsongas Center in Lowell.