The Toronto Sceptres tried it a different way Saturday afternoon at the second annual Battle of Bay Street at Scotiabank Arena.
It worked out just as they had hoped, but like everything so far this season it didn’t come easy.
Up twice by a goal, the Sceptres didn’t hold onto either lead long with the New York Sirens answering a pair of Hannah Miller goals in short order.
But still carrying the play all afternoon, the Sceptres’ perseverance finally paid off as Sarah Nurse converted on the power play by roofing a beautiful pass from Daryl Watts with the game winner.
Kali Flanagan added an empty netter to make it a 4-2 Toronto win before a sellout crowd of 19,102, the second time the PWHL has hosted a game at Scotiabank in Toronto and sold every seat in the building.
For Nurse, that goal was a long time coming as she has had chance after chance trying to add to her three goal total until this one found the back of the net.
Rather than play from behind as the Sceptres have done far too often this season, the Sceptres came out and took the fight to the Sirens, owning the majority of the chances and the bulk of the possession from the get-go.
The Sceptres forced the Sirens to play from behind, a place they had become far too familiar with.
Toronto got on the board first thanks to Miller, who has been the one consistent threat from a goal-scoring perspective for the Sceptres all year.
Miller was cruising past the crease when Kali Flanagan’s high shot came down just enough for her to get a stick on it and redirect it past Sirens goalkeeper Corinne Schroeder.
Miller’s second to make it 2-1 was more of a solo effort as she stripped Ella Shelton of the puck at the New York blue line and walked in alone on Schroeder before sneaking one between her pads for her second of the game and sixth of the season.
The win puts Toronto back within two points of New York for that fourth and final play off spot in the PWHL.
Toronto is now a perfect 2-0 in the Battle of Bay Street having beaten Montreal 3-0 a year ago in that visit to Scotiabank Arena.