Carly Jackson earns victory in 1st PWHL start, helping Sceptres pad 2nd-place lead

It was a fun night for Carly Jackson.

The 27-year-old third-string goaltender from Amherst, N.S., made 25 saves in her first-ever start and PWHL appearance in the Toronto Sceptres' 2-1 shootout victory on Tuesday night over the visiting New York Sirens.

Jackson stopped all four shots in the shootout with Natalie Spooner scoring the winner.

"I had so much fun," Jackson said. "I know I'm going to sleep really good tonight. But everything I felt today was just contagious. And to be honest, it wasn't different from a normal day with how my teammates showed up for me and respected me and found a way to win.

"I just feel really excited and proud that I got to physically contribute tonight. I had a lot of fun."

The win helped Toronto, which already clinched a playoff berth, move three points ahead of the Boston Fleet for second place in the standings. The Sceptres play their regular-season finale on Saturday against the Ottawa Charge.

"Obviously we would have liked to win in regulation, but there's a better story there when it gets to the shootout for the whole side game of CJ playing," Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan said. "It just added to some excitement.

"They were very similar to how you would see after a championship game [in the dressing room]. And it had nothing to do with the win. It was a celebration for CJ and everything she's brought to this team."

Despite not getting playing time, Jackson is a fan favourite, and among the team's more popular players, for her personality and style. But the "best" teammate Jackson is also made the win special, according to captain Blayre Turnbull.

"It was awesome," Turnbull said. "I think someone like CJ deserves more than anything a chance in the net and for us to be  able to see every day how much work she puts in, but how good of a teammate she is and that's the number one thing with our team, we want people who are good teammates.

"She shows up every day and she's the best teammate we have so for her to get rewarded, for her to stand on her head and keep us in the game at times, it was special for all of us and I don't think we could be any more proud of her."

Ryan said he had thought about getting Jackson a start for the two years the team has been in existence, but different factors got in the way. With the team riding a two-game skid and nearing the playoffs, Ryan felt the timing was good for Jackson to start Tuesday.

"It's almost like I thought our team needed it," he said. "I know how much CJ means to our group.

"It can be a grind late in the season, right? And then, you know, you clinch playoffs, sometimes that little extra motivation that a personality like CJ brings out in your group is really important. So, I would say a lot of them would look at that as one of the most important wins of the year simply because it was CJ."

Asked how she's managed to play her role, Jackson said it's the love of the game.

"I love what I do. I am full of gratitude," Jackson said. "I'm lucky to be here and I'm kind of the person who's in the right place, right time.

"I work very hard and I know that I've earned this and that's a place of gratitude, whether I'm a third, a backup, a starter. It's something that I love to do."