NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — League-leading goal scorer Marie Poulin recorded two goals – the first 11 seconds in – and the Montreal Victoire clinched the PWHL’s top seed to the playoffs by holding off the New York Sirens 3-2 on Saturday.
The Victoire (11-8-7-3) received help in gaining the top seed when Ottawa beat Toronto 2-1 in overtime earlier in the day. Toronto needed to beat Ottawa and have New York win for the Sceptres to secure the top seed.
On Sunday, Montreal will choose its opening-round playoff opponent — either three-seed Ottawa or No. 4-seed and defending champion Minnesota. Toronto, the second seed, will play the other team.
Following Poulin’s immediate goal, Montreal’s Catherine Dubois scored at 4:04 in the first period for a two-goal advantage. Poulin closed the scoring for the Victoire at 11:21 in the second period. She finished with 19 goals this season.
New York’s Sarah Fillier scored at 2:39 in the third, and Alex Carpenter scored with 17 seconds left to get the Sirens within a goal.
After pulling its goalie, New York kept the pressure on with a player advantage and Montreal never managed to clear the puck. The game ended with the puck trapped in a scrum of players behind the Montreal net.
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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
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