Sceptres kick off PWHL's 3rd season with win over 2-time defending champion Frost

Rookie Kiara Zanon scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and the Toronto Sceptres beat the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost 2-1 in a season opener of the Professional Women's Hockey League on Friday night.

Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield got the Frost off to a fast start when she used assists from Kelly Pannek and Britta Curl-Salemme to score four minutes into the match in St. Paul, Minn.

Ella Shelton found the net for the Sceptres to tie it late in the first period. Natalie Spooner and Savannah Harmon had assists.

That was it until Zanon scored 5:14 into the third period with assists from Spooner and Emma Maltais.

Kiara Zanon lifts Toronto Sceptres over Minnesota Frost in season opener

Toronto goalie Raygan Kirk stopped shots by Dominique Petrie and Sidney Morin in the final 32 seconds to preserve the win. Kirk finished with 19 saves.

Maddie Rooney totaled 31 saves in goal for Minnesota.

Minnesota began the league's third season without two key defenders from its two championship runs — Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques.

The duo now plays for the Vancouver Goldeneyes, who close out the first night of the season by hosting the other expansion club in the now eight-team league — the Seattle Torrent — at a sold-out Pacific Coliseum.

The Frost travel to play the Torrent on Friday.

The Sceptres host the Boston Fleet on Nov. 29, with live coverage available on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. CBC Sports' PWHL streaming schedule is available here.

What to expect from PWHL expansion teams Vancouver, Seattle