TORONTO – It took Sarah Nurse a few shifts however she was capable of flip in an impactful efficiency.
The star ahead scored in her first sport again from harm — simply her second sport of the season — giving the Vancouver Goldeneyes an opportunity to win earlier than falling to her former crew, the Toronto Sceptres, 2-1 in extra time on Saturday at Scotiabank Enviornment.
Nurse suffered an arm harm and missed eight weeks after scoring within the Goldeneyes’ season-opening win over fellow growth crew, Seattle Torrent, on Nov. 21. It was the primary time Vancouver and Toronto met this season.
“I feel the primary shift is the one that you just’re type of like, ‘I wish to get on the market,’” she stated. “And so I’m sitting on the bench, I’m ready for (head coach Brian Idalski) to name my identify and he didn’t name it for slightly bit.
“I feel in all probability my second or third shift as soon as I noticed it’s robust enjoying your former crew, that is solely my second sport for Vancouver. And so all these Sceptres jerseys that I performed with for the final two years and I’m ensuring to not go to the opposite crew. And so, I feel it was in all probability my third shift that I used to be like, ‘OK, I’m relaxed. I really feel good.’”
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Nurse tied the sport at 1-1 29 seconds after Savannah Harmon broke the scoreless tie within the second interval for the Sceptres.
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“It’s slightly dramatic to return again after two months in Toronto at Scotiabank,” Nurse stated. “So I knew that I wished to make an affect on the ice. And I imply, that doesn’t essentially imply on the scoresheet, however you need to go to the place objectives are scored.
“And so I wished get to the online entrance. We had an ideal play from our D, Nina (Jobst-Smith), and it ended up going within the internet. And so it was nice to get that purpose for the women.”
Nurse was one of many first three gamers Toronto signed earlier than the inaugural PWHL draft again in 2024. She spent two years with the crew as a fan favorite and key a part of the core.
Nonetheless, she wasn’t included on the protected participant record when the growth course of started final summer season. Nurse, who was proven loads of love Saturday, was signed by Vancouver through the unique signing window in June earlier than the growth draft.
“It’s so cool. The followers right here, at any time when we come to Scotiabank, it will get electrical,” she stated. “There are loads of Nurse indicators on the market, lots Nurse jerseys, which meant lots to me. Clearly, that is such a small league, and so everyone is aware of what’s occurring.
“And so all of the indicators saying, welcome again meant lots to me, and I imply this was such an ideal sport. We gave the followers present.”
Nurse had one more reason to indicate off her talent stage on Saturday. The 31-year-old from Hamilton was named to the Canadian Olympic crew final Friday regardless of having solely performed one sport within the PWHL as much as that time.
Though she’s been a key member and mainstay on the nationwide crew, she knew she needed to play to that elite stage.
“I knew right now coming again, I’m named to an Olympic crew and I performed one sport this yr and so I knew they had been going to be watching me like a hawk,” Nurse stated. “So I wished to return on and make it possible for I confirmed them why I need to be on that crew and the way I could make an affect on this crew (Vancouver) and get us again to a successful report.”
The Goldeneyes have fallen effectively wanting pre-season expectations, sitting seventh within the eight-team standings. Vancouver is only one level forward of Seattle, having performed three extra video games.
Idalski credited Nurse’s return as offering a lift for his crew.
“The method has been means slower than everybody’s thought, however clearly having Sarah again was a little bit of a raise and I believed it had an actual affect simply on the bench and locker room, the entire feeling in and across the membership,” he stated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 17, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
