Desbiens, Poulin lead Victoire to 2-1 shootout win over Sceptres in Halifax

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Montreal Victoire players celebrate their shootout win over the Toronto Sceptres in PWHL Takeover Tour game in Halifax, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Riley Smith/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Sceptres' Anna Kjellbin (71) celebrates her goal against the Montreal Victoire with Allie Munroe (12) during the first period of a PWHL Takeover Tour game in Halifax, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Riley Smith/The Canadian Press via AP) — Montreal Victoire players celebrate their shootout win over the Toronto Sceptres in PWHL Takeover Tour game in Halifax, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Riley Smith/The Canadian Press via AP)

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9:43 PM on Wednesday, December 17

The Associated Press

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Ann-Renée Desbiens made 35 saves and Marie-Philip Poulin scored in the shootout to help the Montreal Victoire beat the Toronto Sceptres in the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s first-ever game in Halifax on Wednesday night.

Poulin buried the lone goal in a 10-round shootout, and Desbiens stopped all five Sceptres attempts as a sold-out crowd of 10,438 inside Scotiabank Centre cheered equally for Toronto and Montreal.

Maya Labad scored in regulation for Montreal, and Anna Kjellbin scored for Toronto.

Sceptres goalie Raygan Kirk stopped 30 shots.

It marked the first of 16 neutral-site matchups — and the first of two in Halifax — this season on the PWHL’s Takeover Tour.

The league returns to the home of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Mooseheads on Jan. 11 when the Ottawa Charge face the Boston Fleet.

Kjellbin opened the scoring at 3:26 in the first period to give the Sceptres an early lead. Labad tied it up at 12:16.

Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull almost scored the winner off her own rebound in the final seconds in regulation, but she was unable to put it past Desbiens.

Sceptres forward Emma Maltais appeared to win the game on a breakaway in overtime, but Toronto defender Renata Fast was called for interference on Montreal’s Jessica DiGirolamo moments before her shot crossed the goal line.

Up next

Victoire: Visit Vancouver on Saturday.

Sceptres: Visit New York on Sunday.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey