Sceptres Shut Out Fleet 2-0, Snapping Boston's Home Winning Streak

In their first home game back from the Olympic break, the Boston Fleet suffered their first home loss of the season, falling 2-0 to the Toronto Sceptres in a St. Patrick's Day matchup at Agganis Arena. Before puck drop, a video honoring the league's Olympians was shown, drawing a raucous ovation from the crowd.

The game began with the Winn brothers performing the ceremonial puck drop. The trio gained attention over the past month while supporting their sister, Fleet rookie defender Haley Winn, during the Olympics.

The Winn siblings during the ceremonial puck drop. Courtesy of pwhl_fleet/Instagram

It also marked Jessie Eldridge's first game with Boston after being acquired from Seattle in exchange for Theresa Schafzahl. Entering the night, Eldridge had tallied seven goals and six assists in 19 games. Wearing the number 18, she slotted onto the second line at right wing alongside Alina Müller and Ella Huber. Müller was one of seven Fleet players to compete in the Olympics and scored the overtime winner to secure bronze for Switzerland.

In net, Aerin Frankel got the start, known not only for her standout play but also for her Instagram account “Pain by Romaine,” where she reviews Caesar salads.

Boston controlled possession early after winning the opening draw, but just under two minutes in, Hadley Hartmetz was called for hooking. The Fleet successfully killed off the early penalty, highlighted by a key save from Frankel on a slot chance from Maggie Connors.

Midway through the period, Boston found themselves short-handed again when Shay Maloney went off for hooking, but an early clear from Liz Schepers helped Boston escape unscathed once again.

The Fleet earned their first power play late in the period when Emma Maltais was called for cross-checking. Boston was unable to convert before the horn, and the period ended with both teams tied at eight shots apiece.

During the first intermission, the Winn brothers returned for an on-ice sled race with fans, with Tommy and his partner Tim taking the win. Speaking with the media afterward, they emphasized their pride in Haley and the growing attention on women's hockey. "It's amazing...it's a Tuesday," they said, impressed by the turnout. The crowd of 6,095 fans marked another sellout for Boston. The brothers also confirmed they would be in attendance for the Fleet's first-ever game at TD Garden.

Boston opened the second period on the power play but was unable to capitalize before Maltais returned to the ice. Shortly after, Allie Munroe was penalized for holding, giving the Fleet another opportunity that again came up empty.

Physicality ramped up midway through the period, with Ella Huber and Ella Shelton exchanging penalties for roughing. Moments later, Boston took another penalty for slashing, with Jamie Lee Rattray heading to the box. Despite some high-danger chances, Frankel kept the game scoreless, earning a loud chant from the crowd.

Scrums continued throughout the period as tensions built, but the game remained tied at 0-0 after two, with shots tied 16-16.

Six minutes into the third, the Sceptres generated one of their best chances of the night, but Aerin Frankel kept the puck out of the net, leading to a hearty rendition of "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" during the ensuing stoppage.

The pressure from Toronto continued, and with 11:01 remaining, Daryl Watts scored her ninth goal of the season, assisted by Kali Flanagan, to give the Sceptres a 1-0 lead.

Courtesy of PWHL_Toronto/X

Boston had a chance to respond just 30 seconds later when Blayre Turnbull went to the box for holding, but the Fleet were unable to capitalize despite sustained offensive pressure.

More scrums followed, including coincidental penalties to Haley Winn and Maggie Connors, leading to additional four-on-four play.

In the final minutes, Boston's Rattray exited down the tunnel. After the game, head coach Kris Sparre said it was an upper-body injury but had no further update.

Boston pulled Frankel for the extra attacker, but with 26.5 seconds remaining, Turnbull sealed the game with an empty-net goal from center ice.

The Sceptres secured a 2-0 victory, finally handing the Fleet their first home loss of the season. It was a shutout performance for Raygan Kirk, who made 26 saves for her second consecutive shutout.

Postgame handshake between the Fleet and Sceptres. Courtesy of Karinna Leonard

Toronto head coach Troy Ryan praised his goaltender, highlighting the confidence the team has in Raygan Kirk, saying, "We're just really happy for her honestly. She's a great person, a great goalie, great teammate, and I think she's just gaining confidence right now, and sometimes that's all you need to have success."

Daryl Watts echoed that sentiment: "We're just so pumped for her to get back-to-back shutouts. That's so hard to do in this league, and we're just going to try to keep rolling with her. She's hot, so we're going to try to heat up too."

Watts, who scored the game-winner, also spoke about the challenge of beating Aerin Frankel, adding, "She's such an incredible goalie, it's so hard to beat her. Feel like you've got to try to make her move a little bit...I was just coming across and tried to get her off balance, make her move a little bit...She's a phenomenal goalie, so I'll take a goal however I can get one against her."

Fleet head coach Kris Sparre pointed to both the effort and the toll of a demanding schedule: "I thought it was a good hockey game...this marks the end of a pretty long stretch for us, six games in 15 days with a lot of travel. Our players have battled."

He also addressed the heavy workload placed on defenders Megan Keller and Haley Winn. When asked how much is too much time on ice for them, Sparre admitted, "Tonight was too much. It's a lot. It's a unique situation for me in this league where a lot of the teams their power play players play on the penalty kill too, so they're on both sides of the special teams...We can do a better job of managing their ice time for sure, but they're two elite players that just, they want it, they want the ice time, they want to be out there in the big moments."

Winn embraced that responsibility, saying, "I don't think there is too much [ice time], I have young legs so just trying to keep up with Meg honestly. Obviously, grateful for the opportunities and anything we can do to help the team win... no matter whatever ice time that means."

After her first game with Boston—now her fourth team in the PWHL—Jessie Eldridge offered a veteran perspective on the league’s rapid growth: "The year before we had a league, we were playing at local rinks at 9 a.m. in front of not many people, if any...Visibility was the biggest thing we were fighting for the whole time and I think the product's there so it's just getting people to believe in that, getting people to come to the games and experience the environment, its pretty addicting and just hope they keep coming back."

That growth was evident once again Tuesday night in Boston, where another sellout crowd and a playoff-like, physical intensity underscored the league's momentum. While the Fleet will look to regroup after their first home loss of the season, the Sceptres leave with confidence as they head down the stretch, backed by a strong defensive effort and a goaltender finding her rhythm at the right time.

Edited by: Kelly Cassette