The streets around Scotiabank Arena were flooded with blue and yellow on Saturday afternoon. The PWHL hosted its second annual Battle on Bay Street game, and the hometown Toronto Sceptres returned to winning ways, beating the New York Sirens 4-2.
Coming into Saturday’s game, the Sceptres had lost four of their last five games and were in the basement of the PWHL standings, a far cry from last season’s PWHL finals appearance.
Although the Sceptres had only played 11 out of 30 games, the pressure was on for them to win in front of their largest home crowd of the season.
Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan said simplicity was key in the team's preparations to winning the second Battle on Bay Street.
“We tried to actually try to dial it down more from the recommendation of players instead of trying to overdo it because it’s a big game,” he said. “Instead of overwhelming with concepts and systems, just keep it simple with a couple of key points and just have them execute it."
On top of the pressure to get back in the playoff mix, this game at Scotiabank was a sellout crowd, with an attendance of 19,102 fans itching for a win on home ice, the sole home game for the Sceptres in January.
Despite a sellout crowd for the second year in a row, Sceptres star forward Sarah Nurse said this year’s game highlighted a focus on the games being played, compared to last season’s focus on bigger crowds.
“Last year we had a season of firsts, and it was really special every time we stepped on the ice,” Nurse said.
“This year it really has been a lot about the hockey, and I think being able to play in these Takeover games and the big arenas, it just exposes more people to the game and shows how we can put on a show in this incredibly professional atmosphere,” she said.
Sceptres forward Hannah Miller was the star of the show, scoring two goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the New York Sirens.
Miller, who is now tied for the league lead in goals with six and scored in last year’s Battle on Bay Street game, played it cool on her success in big games like Saturday’s contest.
“Any time you get to play in front of a crowd like this it’s extra special, but I don’t think there’s anything to that,” Miller said.
After many missed chances throughout the game, Nurse also found the net for the first time since Dec. 21, with a go-ahead power play marker that sealed the victory for the Sceptres on Saturday.
“It was a long time coming,” said Nurse when asked about breaking her goalless streak, “I had a lot of support from the girls, especially on the bench today so it was huge, a really big powerplay goal, good for momentum with our PP group.”
Despite a loss Tuesday night against the top-ranked Minnesota Frost and a loss against the Boston Fleet on Jan. 22, the Sceptres find themselves within striking distance of a playoff position, just two points back of the Ottawa Charge.
“I specifically didn’t like our game in Boston, but for the last five or six games, this team has been trending in the right direction, and I do believe that we’ll continue to get rewarded,” Ryan said.
The Sceptres look to continue that good fortune from the Battle on Bay Street as they face the Montréal Victoire on the road, before returning home to Coca-Cola Coliseum in a clash with the Ottawa Charge on Saturday.
