NY Sirens fall to cellar-dwelling Sceptres

TORONTO — Sarah Nurse checked in with a late game-winner on the power play and Hannah Miller scored twice to lift the Toronto Sceptres to a 4-2 win against the New York Sirens on Saturday.Nurse placed a shot over the glove of New York goalie Corinne Schroeder with 5:54 remaining in the third period to snap a two-game slide for the Sceptres, who rank last in the six-team Professional Women’s Hockey League.Billed as the Battle on Bay Street, the game attracted a crowd of 19,102 at Scotiabank Arena, slightly smaller than the 19,285 at the same venue when Toronto defeated Montreal 3-0 on Feb.16.Toronto defender Kali Flanagan scored into an empty net, and Raygan Kirk stopped 17 shots.Ella Shelton and Abby Roque scored for the Sirens, who were outshot 35-19.

Schroeder made 31 savesSceptres: Megan Carter made her PWHL debut after the 23-year-old missed the Sceptres’ first 11 games with a lower-body ailment.She was in the penalty box for cross checking when New York tied the game 1-1 in the second period.Sirens: Sarah Fillier was playing in her first PWHL game in Toronto.

The Canadian national team forward from nearby Georgetown, Ontario, leads the league with 12 points.Schroeder made a glove-hand stop on Nurse’s one-timer from in close to keep the game tied with 6:40 remaining in the third period.Miller’s team-leading fifth and sixth goals pushed her into the top spot in the PWHL goal-scoring race.The Sceptres visit the Minnesota Frost on Tuesday.New York continues its road trip against the Ottawa Charge on Monday....