The Battle of Ontario headed out on the road Wednesday night (April 1) for a game at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. One of the final Takeover Tour games of the season featured the Toronto Sceptres and the Ottawa Charge as they both looked for a huge win with the playoffs looming.
Toronto came in with 31 points and placed fifth in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). The Charge began play with 33 points, just two points ahead of their rivals for fourth place.
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The Sceptres’ goal scorers were Maggie Connors and Claire Dalton. They scored early in the first and third periods, riding another elite performance from Raygan Kirk as well as a pair of assists from captain Blayre Turnbull to victory. They won 2-1.
Connors Ties Career-High in Goals
Connors sold out less than four minutes into the game to tie her career-high in goals. She crashed the net and jammed home a cross-ice pass for her third of the season to open the scoring. The goal matches her best total in the PWHL that she set in her first season in 2024. She was all over the ice in this one as the goal was well-earned.
The goal put Connors up to four points through 25 games this season. She has also set her career-high in blocked shots in 2025-26 and has ramped up her physical play in the second half. Watch out for Connors in the stretch run for this team.
Dalton Scores First as Sceptre
It’s been a long time coming, but Dalton earned her first goal as a Sceptre, and it came at a crucial time. After a Charge turnover, she located a rebound and bashed in her first with Toronto. It happened less than a minute into the third period and would stand as the eventual game-winning goal. She also added an assist in the contest.
Dalton has been going to battle for the Sceptres this season. It may have taken her 25 games to score, but you wouldn’t know it. She has eight assists and shows up in pretty much every other stat category in a positive way. Her ice time has seen a steady increase this season, and she’s playing on a line with Turnbull and Connors. That is a great combination of players that can do multiple things for you in big situations.
Kirk Slams the Door Again
As I said earlier, it was another masterclass put on by Kirk in the Toronto crease. She stopped 28 of the 29 shots she faced, making some key saves late to make it a three-point win for the team. It’s her third win in a row, with her last two being shutouts with a combined 58 saves. She’s playing perfect hockey at just the right time of year.
Kirk has seen a high volume of shots all season. She’s had to battle at least 26 shots or more in the last nine games. The Sceptres’ defence probably doesn’t like to hear that, but it’s a tribute to just how great she’s been over the last stretch of games. Kirk now has a .931 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.00 goals against average (GAA) in 2025-26.
Sceptres Get a Rematch at Home
Toronto gets a bit of a break before another edition of this matchup. They’ll play host to Ottawa on April 11 at Coca-Cola Coliseum with puck drop slated for 12 p.m. MDT.
