LAVAL (Interstat) — Marie-Philip Poulin recorded one goal and one assist and the Montreal Victoire scored four unanswered goals to defeat the New York Sirens in a Professional Women’s Hockey League game on Nov. 25 at Place Bell. Montreal evened its record at 1-1, while New York also moved to 1-1 after being shut out. The home crowd saw the Victoire control play after a scoreless first period, with Poulin leading a balanced attack that produced goals from four different skaters. Montreal scored twice in the second period and twice in the third to secure the home victory.

New York had the first penalty of the game when Kayla Vespa was sent off for holding at 3:08 of the first period. Montreal’s Hayley Scamurra was called for cross-checking at 12:40, and New York’s Paetyn Levis received a tripping penalty at 18:56. Montreal broke through 30 seconds into the second period when Natálie Mlýnková scored, with Erin Ambrose and Abby Roque assisting. The goal gave the Victoire a 1-0 lead and set the tone for the middle frame. New York killed off the remaining penalties in the period but could not answer before intermission.

Montreal added to its lead later in the second. Poulin scored at 18:45, with Laura Stacey and Roque collecting assists. New York penalties to Jaime Bourbonnais for kneeing at 7:26 and Allyson Simpson for boarding at 10:07 hindered the Sirens’ attempts to build momentum. Montreal’s Jessica DiGirolamo was called for cross-checking at 19:57 of the second period, but the Victoire carried a 2-0 advantage into the third. The Sirens struggled to sustain pressure in Montreal’s zone during the period.

The Victoire put the game away in the third period. DiGirolamo received an illegal body checking penalty at 9:58. Abby Roque scored at 13:26, with Stacey and Alexandra Labelle assisting. Maggie Flaherty capped the scoring at 19:50, with Kati Tabin and Poulin assisting. New York could not solve Montreal’s defense and was held off the scoreboard despite opportunities on the power play. Montreal’s penalty kill also denied New York on its chances, and the Victoire protected the lead over the final minutes.

Poulin, a 5-foot-7 center from Beauceville, Canada and Montreal’s top star, finished with one goal, one assist, six shots on goal and one hit. Roque, a 5-foot-7 left wing, had one goal, two assists and two shots. Stacey, a 5-foot-10 right wing, contributed two assists and two shots. Tabin, a 5-foot-8 defender, had one assist, three shots and one hit. Flaherty, a 5-foot-8 defender, scored once and put two shots on net.

Mlýnková, a 5-foot left wing, scored one goal on one shot. Labelle, a 5-foot-7 center, had one assist and one hit. DiGirolamo, a 5-foot defender, recorded two shots and four penalty minutes. Ambrose, a 5-foot-5 defender, had one assist and two shots. Scamurra, a 5-foot-8 center, finished with one shot and two penalty minutes.

Montreal entered the game after a 2-0 loss at Boston. New York entered after a 4-0 win at Ottawa. The Sirens will next host the Vancouver Goldeneyes, while the Victoire will next host the Toronto Sceptres. New York’s upcoming slate also includes games at Seattle on Dec. 3 and at Vancouver on Dec. 6 before a home game against Boston on Dec. 17. Montreal will travel to Vancouver on Dec. 20 and Seattle on Dec. 23 after hosting Toronto. Both teams will look to build consistency in the early PWHL season after splitting their first two games.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected Montreal with a 56.7 percent probability to win before the opening faceoff. The Victoire and Sirens are scheduled to meet again on Jan. 2 at New York. Montreal will face Toronto on Dec. 17 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and New York will visit Seattle on Dec. 3. Montreal will host Minnesota on Jan. 4, while New York will host Toronto on Dec. 21.