TORONTO — Taylor Heise put together a three-point performance on Saturday afternoon, powering the Minnesota Frost to a 3-2 overtime win over the Toronto Sceptres at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Heise, who leads the Frost with 19 points through 17 games this season, was the best player on the ice from start to finish. Her playmaking was the difference in a tight game that could have gone either way through regulation.
Minnesota trailed at times but refused to fold. The Frost forced overtime and then ended it, improving to 10-4 on the season with 30 points. They sit third in PWHL standings.
Toronto fell to 25 points through 20 games. The Sceptres hold sixth place, and a home overtime loss to a top-three opponent stings. Daryl Watts leads Toronto with 15 points in 18 games this season, but the Sceptres needed more production from their supporting cast Saturday.
The Frost's depth scoring has been a strength all year. Britta Curl-Salemme (seven goals, 17 points in 17 games) and Kelly Pannek (nine goals, 16 points in 17 games) give Minnesota a dangerous top six. Kendall Coyne Schofield has 10 goals in just 15 games, adding another threat opponents must account for.
That balance makes Minnesota difficult to game-plan against. When Heise is creating chances at the rate she did Saturday, the Frost are one of the best teams in the league.
Toronto entered the game looking to gain ground in a packed middle of the standings. Instead, the Sceptres walked away with a single point from the overtime loss. With Boston (35 points, first place) and Montreal (35 points, second) pulling away at the top, every regulation win matters for the teams chasing them.
Minnesota heads home with two points and momentum. Heise now has 19 points through 17 games, keeping her among the top scorers in PWHL this season. If she stays on this pace, the Frost will remain a threat for the Walter Cup.
Toronto regroups at Coca-Cola Coliseum for their next home contest, searching for consistency in the second half of the schedule.