Frost fall to Sceptres 3-2 in OT as Toronto celebrates Natalie Spooner’s return

TORONTO — Renata Fast scored on a breakaway late in overtime to successfully celebrate Natalie Spooner’s return after a nine-month layoff from offseason knee surgery in the host Toronto Sceptres’ 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Frost on Tuesday night.

With 3.7 seconds remaining in the extra three-on-three period, Fast deked Frost goalie Maddie Rooney to deposit a game-winning backhand for Toronto’s second consecutive victory as the Professional Women’s Hockey League begins its second half of the season.

Spooner, last year’s PWHL MVP, was injured May 13 in a first-round playoff series against Minnesota.

Sophie Jaques scored on a three-on-one rush 83 seconds into the game, then Brooke McQuigge added a breakaway goal on an assist from Jaques at 8:40 of the second period to put Minnesota ahead 2-0.

The Sceptres tied the score later in the second period with goals 1:54 apart. Hannah Miller knocked in her own rebound at 12:00, as did Daryl Watts at 13:54. The third period was scoreless — thanks to a nifty penalty kill from Toronto, particularly by forward Emma Maltais — to keep the score tied before Fast’s overtime game-winner.

Toronto played without Sarah Nurse after she suffered a lower-body injury while playing for Canada in a 2-1 shootout loss against the United States in Halifax on Thursday in the Rivalry Series.

A first-period assist from Minnesota forward Kendall Coyne Schofield increased her total to 15 points in 16 games to pull her even with league-leader Sarah Fillier of the New York Sirens and one shy of Coyne Schofield’s point total in 24 games last season.