PWHL Takeover Tour Starts with A Bang in Halifax

The first stop of the 2025-26 Takeover delivered in Halifax with a sold-out crowd of 10,438 fans, and the game was one to see, with overtime thrills and a game-winning shout-out goal from Captain Clutch. 

It didn’t take long for both teams to turn on the pressure, but it would be Anna Kjellbin who opened the scoring, giving Toronto the early lead. Both teams continued putting shots on net, but neither goaltender was letting up. Until Maya Labad got control of the loose rebound and found the back of the net, tying the game. 

The second period saw lots of back-and-forth action, even through the 3 Victoire power plays. The third continued back and forth with both back ends on full display. With the game tied at the end of regulation, the game headed to a five-minute overtime. 

In the overtime period, Emma Maltais had a nice breakaway opportunity; however, as she got closer to the net, the play was called dead on an interference call against the Sceptres, resulting in a no-goal call. Over time continued with only 3 additional shots that were held off, leading to a shoot-out. 

Up first was Marie-Philip Poulin, who netted the goal on a far-side shot, to ultimately win the game for the Victoire, bringing them to second overall in the standings, only behind the undefeated Boston Fleet. 

In net, Ann-Renée Desbiens held off 35 of 36 shots, and all 5 shootout shots to secure the win. On the other end, Raygan Kirk held off 30 of 31 shots and 4 of the 5 shootout shots to keep the game within reach. 

Up next, the Montreal Victoire head to the West Coast, where East teams are only 1-4,  to face the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent. While the Sceptres head to New Jersey to take on the New York Sirens.