TORONTO — Allyson Simpson scored at 2:42 in overtime as the New York Sirens played spoiler in defeating the Toronto Sceptres 1-0 on Tuesday night.
Kayle Osborne stopped 21 shots for New York, which came in three points back of the Sceptres and needed a regulation win to avoid being eliminated from playoff contention.
The overtime result ended the postseason hopes for the Sirens, who close out their season on Saturday on the road against the Boston Fleet.
Raygan Kirk made 32 saves for Toronto, which remained two points behind the Ottawa Charge for the fourth and final playoff spot.
The Sceptres, who visit the Charge in their regular-season finale on Saturday, would have moved past the Charge for that spot with a regulation win, but will instead wait to see Ottawa’s result against Boston on Wednesday.
Toronto did not play with the urgency of a team with a playoff berth on the line.
The Sceptres had four shots through 20 minutes and just 10 through 40 minutes. The Sceptres came in with the worst offense in the league, seven goals behind last-place Seattle (58) and the second-worst power play.
But coming off a 2-0 win over Minnesota on Sunday on the strength of two power-play goals — a first for the season — Toronto failed to carry the momentum over.
Entering Tuesday, Kirk had three shutouts in her last six starts since March 15 with a .968 save percentage during that stretch.
Three of the five goals she allowed in her last six games came against New York in her only start against the Sirens this season.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
