Rookie Gosling stars in Sceptres 3-2 Game 1 win over Frost in PWHL playoffs

Toronto Sceptres players celebrate a goal against the Minnesota Frost during second period PWHL playoff hockey action in Toronto, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO — Julia Gosling saved her first PWHL even-strength goal for the post-season.

The rookie scored twice in her playoff debut as the Toronto Sceptres defeated the Minnesota Frost 3-2 on Wednesday in Game 1 of their best-of-five semifinal series. All four of Gosling's regular-season goals came on the power play.

"It was really exciting and it's my first 5-on-5 goal," Gosling said with a smile. "Just the way we were playing and the way our lines were changing, I think it just put me in a great spot to get that opportunity and then just use my shot.

"So it was just super fun to get it done at home."

Captain Blayre Turnbull also scored for Toronto. Kristen Campbell made 24 saves.

"I think the biggest takeaway for us is if you play the right way, chances are you'll get rewarded," Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan said. "I thought we played responsible defensively, responsible physically, and some timely offence as well."

Britta Curl-Salemme and Katy Knoll found the back of the net for Minnesota. Nicole Hensley stopped 34 shots.

"We knew they were going to come out with a lot of energy and play hard," Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said. "And obviously, spotting them a 3-0 lead is a tough spot to be.

"But I loved the way our team responded. We didn't quit, big power-play goal. And then it was just a tight hockey game. We had two or three breakaways and chances, and it's going to be a tight game. But we expected a tough series."

The two teams met in last season's semifinal, with Minnesota coming out on top in five games en route to winning the Walter Cup. The Frost won the 2024-25 regular-season series 2-2-1-1, with three of the contests going to overtime or a shootout.

Turnbull opened the scoring at 11:59 of the first period Wednesday. She got the puck from Jesse Compher by the side boards, drove in front and made a move to get around Hensley and tuck it in.

"I think tonight we just showed up and we were ready to play," Turnbull said. "We played a really good game in the first period. I thought we really set the tone. Each line felt like they were clicking and rolling, and I thought defensively we played really well too.

"So I think it was probably the best first period we had all season."

Gosling padded the Sceptres' lead 7:47 into the second. She intercepted Mellissa Channell-Watkins' pass at the blue line and had her initial shot blocked before firing a wrister from the slot past Hensley on the rebound.

On the power play, Gosling poked the puck away from Grace Zumwinkle inside Minnesota's zone for Hannah Miller to collect. Miller then turned around and found Gosling for a wrister from just above the left faceoff circle at 9:42.

Curl-Salemme got Minnesota on the board at 13:56 on the power play. The rookie netted a rebound from a Claire Thompson point shot.

Knoll trimmed Toronto's advantage to a single goal 2:33 into the third period. She put a rebound from a Klára Hymlárová shot in past Campbell to silence the crowd.

In the final 90 seconds of the game, the Frost pressed after spending a lot of time trying to hold off Toronto's aggressive offensive push. The Sceptres blocked most of the shots Campbell would have otherwise faced, along with a key clear out in the final seconds.

Ryan said he liked the way his team handled the game's momentum swings.

"Instead of everybody feeling it and getting tense because they're feeling it individually, we just talk about it," the coach said. "So on the bench, we just will bring it up and we'll talk about it. We can't let one goal or one bad penalty … anything like that, it can't you let you sink."

With 5:23 left on the clock, Curl-Salemme received a game misconduct for hitting Toronto's star defender Renata Fast in the head. Fast, who was also on the wrong end of a boarding call against Zumwinkle in the opening frame, did not exit the game and got up under her own power.

"I thought it was a pretty ugly hit and I think the refs made the right call," Turnbull said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press