Hensley almost unbeatable in net as Frost cruise to 5-1 win over Sceptres

By Canadian Press on December 30, 2025.

TORONTO — Kendall Coyne Schofield scored her league-leading sixth and seventh goals, Nicole Hensley shined with a 31-save outing, and the Minnesota Frost topped the Toronto Sceptres 5-1 on Tuesday night in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Katy Knoll, Britta Curl-Salemme and Grace Zumwinkle also scored for Minnesota (4-1-1-2). Taylor Heise had three assists.

Daryl Watts had the lone goal for Toronto (4-0-2-3). Elaine Chuli made 14 saves, with Raygan Kirk turning away seven shots in relief in the third period.

Watts opened the scoring 4:55 into the contest when she backhanded a puck over Hensley’s right shoulder on a pass into the slot from Renata Fast.

Knoll tied the game at 6:30 on a rebound off a Kendall Cooper shot.

Curl-Salemme put Minnesota ahead with an absurd shot at 12:59. With one skate behind the goal line, some feet away from the end boards, Curl-Salemme fired it in off Chuli’s shoulder, who seemed to have to duck her head to not get hit by the shot.

Zumwinkle joined the party with a beautiful one-timer on a pass from Coyne Schofield on the power play at 11:59 of the second.

Coyne Schofield made it a three-goal game with 4.4 seconds left when her low backhand shot trickled in five-hole on Chuli, who was replaced by Kirk after the period.

Coyne Schofield added an empty-netter with 3:17 left after Toronto pulled Kirk for an extra attacker with 5:45 remaining.

TAKEAWAYS

Frost: Minnesota balanced physicality with discipline well, only committing one penalty but having no problem muscling the Sceptres off pucks. The Frost were also opportunistic, with Knoll being left unmarked on her goal and Zumwinkle scoring on a power play.

Sceptres: Toronto had many grade-A scoring chances and outshot the visitors 32-25. The Sceptres were putting together the stronger possessions and made the game feel closer than it was, even down 3-1. However, they couldn’t solve Hensley who continuously robbed them time and time again, especially on 2-on-1 chances.

KEY MOMENT

Coyne Schofield’s backhand goal put the nail in the coffin for the Sceptres before the second intermission.

KEY STAT

With her first-period goal, Watts became the second PWHL player to have 50 career points, joining Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin (55).

UP NEXT

Frost: Visit the Ottawa Charge on Saturday.

Sceptres: Host the Seattle Torrent on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2025.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press