TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Natalie Spooner scored twice in Toronto鈥檚 5-2 win over Ottawa in the league's regular-season finale on Sunday night.
Ottawa鈥檚 playoff hopes in the PWHL鈥檚 inaugural season were crushed by the loss as the club needed a regulation win to reach the postseason.
鈥淕oing into this game, understanding that we had a playoff spot and knowing from here on out we have to end a team鈥檚 season every time we play them,鈥� Toronto forward Sarah Nurse said. 鈥淎nd so, today was the first opportunity.
鈥淕oing into this game, we knew that if we won, Ottawa was done and that鈥檚 what we wanted to do and ultimately send a message to the league too that we鈥檙e not taking our foot off the gas.鈥�
Toronto had already secured first place and has a choice of semifinal opponent between third-place Boston and fourth-place Minnesota.
Toronto opens its first-round series Wednesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Montreal finished second and starts playoffs Thursday at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec.
Spooner scored a go-ahead goal for Toronto with 5:43 left in the third period.
She finished the regular season atop the PWHL leaderboard in points (27) and goals (20).
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty special,鈥� Spooner said. 鈥淚 guess it鈥檚 not really something I thought about before but to be able to do that, I think it鈥檚 such a historic year for women鈥檚 hockey 鈥� it鈥檚 pretty special.鈥�
Nurse also scored for Toronto and Victoria Bach and Samantha Cogan added empty-net goals. Goalie Kristen Campbell made 41 saves in the win.
鈥淎s always, I liked parts of it,鈥� Toronto head coach Troy Ryan said of his team鈥檚 showing. 鈥淚 thought there was a spell there in the second period that we just got away from doing what makes us successful.
鈥淟oved the start of the game and loved the way we finished it out. Great effort, great mentality for the situation we were in for tonight鈥檚 game.鈥�
Gabbie Hughes and Daryl Watts scored for Ottawa. Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 27 shots.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of emotion,鈥� Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod said. 鈥淲e wanted to get this game. You could see by how we played, we were pretty determined to try to win this one and punch our own ticket into the playoffs.
鈥淚t hurts in the room, it hurts in the coaches鈥� room, it hurts in the players鈥� room. But it鈥檚 a simple message at the end. We couldn鈥檛 be more proud of our group.鈥�
Ottawa was the only team to win its season series against Toronto, going 3-0-0-2 this season.
Spooner opened the scoring just 1:05 into the contest.
Maschmeyer made a diving save on Hannah Miller who picked up the rebound behind the net and sent a pass in front to Spooner who buried it home.
Hughes knotted the contest at 9:38 of the first period. Hayley Scamurra dished a centering pass to a streaking Hughes who made good on the play tapping it past Campbell.
Nurse restored Toronto鈥檚 edge at 10:48 of the frame. With Natalie Snodgrass trailing her every move, Nurse skated up the boards, spun around and drove the net to roof the puck on Maschmeyer.
Watts evened the score on a sweet play in which she capitalized on a defensive mishap from the hosts at 6:26 of the second period.
Brianne Jenner made a drop-off pass to Watts causing Cogan and Jocelyne Larocque to collide trying to switch sides.
Watts took the pass and cut across the face of Campbell whose outstretched leg couldn鈥檛 reach far enough to stop the backhand shot.
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The Associated Press
