NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Kayla Vespa scored a go-ahead goal in the second period and New York rallied to beat Ottawa 4-3 on Tuesday night to secure the first overall pick in the 2024 Professional Women's Hockey League draft.
New York (4-4-3-12), which had already been eliminated from playoff contention, snapped a three-game losing streak with just its third win at home this season.
New York scored three goals in less than five minutes to take a 3-2 lead with 7:40 remaining in the second. Jade Downie-Landry started the sequence with her seventh goal of the season and Ella Shelton tied it at 2-2 with her sixth.
Vespa backhanded a loose puck in front of the net to put New York ahead and Elizabeth Giguère scored the fourth straight goal for a 4-2 lead.
Ottawa (8-1-6-8), which had a four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, could have clinched a playoff spot with a regulation win.
Akane Shiga, the youngest player in the PWHL at 23 years of age, scored her second goal of the season to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead nearly six minutes into the game on an easy redirection as goaltender Corinne Schroeder was out of place.
Hayley Scamurra gave Ottawa a 2-0 lead with 5:35 left in the first by beating Schroeder on the glove side with a shot from just inside the right circle.
Ottawa got within 4-3 with 58.1 seconds remaining when Daryl Watts slotted a shot between the pads of Schroeder for her ninth goal of the season.
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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
The Associated Press
